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UPDATE, WITH BONNIE TYLER TRIBUTE Jim Steinman, the composer and lyricist whose roster of hit records included the huge Bonnie Tyler hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” was remembered by the

singer as the “true genius” behind “some of the most iconic rock songs of all time.” “I am absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of my long term friend and musical mentor Jim

Steinman,” tweeted Tyler, whose other hits composed by Steinman included “Holding Out For A Hero.” “Jim wrote and produced some of the most iconic rock songs of all time and I was massively

privileged to have been given some of them by him. I made two albums with Jim, despite my record company initially thinking he wouldn’t want to work with me. Thankfully they were wrong…”

Read Tyler’s full statement below. WATCH ON DEADLINE Deadline confirmed Steinman’s death with the Connecticut state medical examiner earlier today. The composer, lyricist and producer whose

roster of hit records began with Meat Loaf’s smash 1977 debut album _Bat Out of Hell_, was 73. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Steinman, whose sweeping operatic producing style was

a perfect fit for the sometimes bombastic, highly melodic and lyrically baroque pop of Tyler, Meat Loaf, Celine Dion, and Barry Manilow, found a home on the theatrical stage as well,

composing the score for the 2017 musical _Bat Out of Hell_, as well as the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1996 West End musical _Whistle Down the Wind_. Though neither of those stage shows received

Broadway productions, Steinman’s _Dance of the Vampires_, based on Roman Polanski’s film _The Fearless Vampire Killers_, began a short-lived stint at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in 2002. The

composer’s “Holding Out For Hero” was included in the 1998 Broadway musical adaptation of_ Footloose_. _Bat Out of Hell_ is among the 35 best-selling albums in U.S. history, racking up 14

million units sold, per the RIAA. Its singles “Two of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” — which peaked at No. 11 and No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively — both

were certified platinum in 2018. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” — a duet with Ellen Foley, who went on to star in Season 1 of _Night Court — _famously features longtime New York Yankees

announcer “calling the action” as the teenage narrator makes a move on his girlfriend. Watch the video for the song below, with Karla DeVito lip-synching the “Stop right there!” role. She

then went on tour with Meat Loaf to support the album. The pair also collaborated on the 1993 album Bat_ Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which _has moved more than 5 million units in the

U.S. Its platinum lead single “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” spent five weeks at No. 1 in late 1993, by far Meat Loaf’s biggest hit. The nearly eight-minute official video

for that one is below also. _Bat Out of Hell _also was a smash overseas, spending more than 10 years on the UK album chart despite peaking at No. 9. It remains among the 20 best-sellers of

all time there. _Bat Out of Hell II _hit No. 1 in Britain, as did the single “I’d Do Anything for Love.” Following his breakthrough with _Bat Out of Hell_, which eventually would reach sales

of more than 50 million worldwide, Steinman wrote such hits as Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” Manilow’s “Read ‘Em and Weep,” Air Supply’s “Making Love

Out of Nothing at All” and Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” The latter two peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. “Holding Out for a Hero” was adapted as part of the 1998 Broadway musical

adaptation of _Footloose._ New York native Steinman also reteamed with Meat Loaf for 1981’s _Dead Ringer_ and 2016’s _Braver Than We Are_. Steinman’s 1981 solo album _Bad for Good_ charted

in the mid-60s stateside but hit No. 7 in the UK. It spawned the U.S. Top 40 single “Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through.” For film, Steinman contributed to the soundtracks of _Shrek 2, A

Small Circle of Friends _and _Rude Awakening._ Last month, Meat Loaf, aka Marvin Lee Aday, told Deadline of his plans for a TV relationship competition series based on the 1993 hit “I’d Do

Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” the song written by Steinman. The composer was not a participant in the project. Survivor information was not immediately available. _Erik Pedersen

contributed to this report._ > I am absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of my long term > friend and musical mentor Jim Steinman. pic.twitter.com/TvR01AUXKr >  > — 

Bonnie Tyler (@BonnieTOfficial) April 20, 2021 [embedded content] [embedded content] > I am absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of my long term > friend and musical mentor 

Jim Steinman. pic.twitter.com/TvR01AUXKr >  > — Bonnie Tyler (@BonnieTOfficial) April 20, 2021