71 Facts About Jim Steinman

James Richard Steinman was an American composer, lyricist and record producer.

Jim Steinman's work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, musical theater, and film score genres.

Jim Steinman wrote songs for Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf, including Bat Out of Hell, and wrote and produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Tyler's Faster Than the Speed of Night.

Jim Steinman's work extended to musical theater, where he began his career.

Jim Steinman was credited with the book, music, and lyrics for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, as well as lyrics for Whistle Down the Wind, and music for Tanz der Vampire.

Jim Steinman was born November 1,1947, in Hewlett Harbor, New York, the son of Eleanor, a teacher of Latin, and Louis Jim Steinman, who owned a steel distribution warehouse.

In 1963, during his sophomore year at Hewlett High School, Jim Steinman won Newsdays January essay contest on American History for his essay on what he believed were the three greatest American inventions.

Jim Steinman received his bachelor's degree from Amherst College in 1969.

In March 1968, Jim Steinman contributed music for an Amherst College adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's A Man's a Man.

Jim Steinman himself played Baal while an audition call went out to fellow students for the remaining roles of the production.

Jim Steinman said in an interview that Joseph Papp, founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, saw the play and was so impressed he signed it up during intermission.

Jim Steinman wanted to bring it to New York, but balked when his Amherst faculty advisor explained to Papp that, contrary to Papp's published claim, Steinman was never threatened with "near-expulsion" from the college.

Nonetheless, Jim Steinman worked under Papp after his years at Amherst College.

In 1971, Jim Steinman provided music for a puppet show titled Ubu.

In 1972, Jim Steinman worked with college friend Barry Keating on a musical titled Rhinegold at the Mercer Arts Center, based on Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold.

That same year, Jim Steinman wrote music and lyrics for a musical titled More Than You Deserve.

In 1975, while working for Joseph Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jim Steinman contributed music and lyrics to Thomas Babe's Kid Champion, which starred Christopher Walken.

Since 1974, Steinman had been working on a musical entitled Neverland.

Jim Steinman originally wanted Kim Milford to sing the album Bat Out of Hell, but later changed his mind.

CBS executive Clive Davis even claimed that Jim Steinman knew nothing about writing, or rock music in general.

Jim Steinman wrote the theme music for the 1979 National Lampoon sitcom Delta House.

Jim Steinman proceeded with the album, released as Bad for Good in 1981.

Jim Steinman was this time credited as co-producer with Todd Rundgren for all but one track.

Jim Steinman is credited as music producer of every selection on Bonnie Tyler's album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

Jim Steinman wrote and composed two of the songs on the album: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Faster Than the Speed of Night", the album's title selection.

Jim Steinman is credited for producing all the selections on Billy Squier's album Signs of Life, and Barbra Streisand's album of the same year, Emotion, featured "Left in the Dark", which Jim Steinman wrote, composed and produced.

Jim Steinman produced the selection and is credited with composing the music, and Dean Pitchford, who had written the film itself directly for the screen, for writing the lyrics.

In 1984, Jim Steinman was hired by, and worked briefly with, rock band Def Leppard on some tracks that were intended for a Def Leppard album.

However, Jim Steinman was fired, and the recording work he made with the band was not released.

In 1985, Jim Steinman wrote, composed, and produced a theme song for WWF performer Hulk Hogan.

Jim Steinman produced the track "Love Can Make You Cry", written by Michael Kehr, Don Kehr and Ian Hunter, for the soundtrack album for the 1986 film Iron Eagle.

However, Jim Steinman declined in order to fulfill his commitments to a Bonnie Tyler album.

Bonnie Tyler sang lead vocals, and Jim Steinman produced all the selections on the album.

Pandora's Box referred to a group assembled by Jim Steinman, including, officially, four female singers and Jim Steinman himself.

Jim Steinman made a demo of Rory Dodd singing the song Kiss Me Red by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.

Eric Troyer, a frequent background vocalist on Jim Steinman productions, sang the lead vocal on ELO Part II's released recording of "Kiss Me Red".

Around 1992, Jim Steinman worked with the punk band Iron Prostate, which featured guitarist and writer George Tabb.

Tabb's website has shared a recording of the song "Bring Me The Head of Jerry Garcia", with Jim Steinman credited as executive producer.

Jim Steinman wrote all the songs, and was credited as producer and arranger.

Jim Steinman produced this version, with lead vocals by Taylor Dayne.

Jim Steinman was executive producer for the album, and Jim Steinman's partner Steven Rinkoff was producer for all but one track of it.

Jim Steinman produced, but not authored, two other songs on the album: "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Call the Man".

Jim Steinman produced the track "Us", written by Billy Pace, for Dion's album Let's Talk About Love.

Jim Steinman produced two tracks for films in the late 1990s.

Jim Steinman produced "In the Dark of the Night", written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, for the soundtrack album of the film Anastasia.

Jim Steinman produced "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" for the film The Mask of Zorro.

Jim Steinman provided lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Whistle Down the Wind, which opened in Washington, DC in December 1996.

Ten previously released Jim Steinman songs were included on the 2-disc compilation album The Very Best of Meat Loaf.

Also included is the song "Is Nothing Sacred", on which Jim Steinman wrote music for Don Black's lyrics.

Demo recordings of Hannah singing four songs by Jim Steinman were leaked to fans and have since been available on numerous fan sites.

Jim Steinman had originally worked on his production of this song with Watson on lead vocals.

Preparation for a stage musical based on the Batman comic book series began early in the decade, with Jim Steinman working on the music and lyrics.

Jim Steinman has since shared some of the song demos from the show via the Dream Pollution website.

Jim Steinman was executive producer for the 2003 MTV television film Wuthering Heights.

Jim Steinman has cited Emily Bronte's novel, which had inspired "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", as one of his favorites.

Jim Steinman is credited as producer for the album and most of its tracks, and Steven Rinkoff is credited with recording, mixing and co-production.

Jim Steinman was credited as arranger, along with Jeff Bova and Jon Cohen.

Jim Steinman wrote a later incarnation of "A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste", with partly different music and a partly different lyric.

Jim Steinman did not attend the opening night, in order to show his disgust with the show.

Ultimately, according to the singer, Jim Steinman was not well enough to work on such an intense project.

Jim Steinman had registered a trademark on the title "Bat Out of Hell" in 1995, and sought to prevent Meat Loaf from using the title.

In January 2012, it was announced that Jim Steinman was working with Terry Jones of Monty Python fame on a heavy metal version of The Nutcracker.

However, honorary degrees are awarded only in person, and Jim Steinman "had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances".

In 2016, Jim Steinman was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Jim Steinman wrote either nothing or almost nothing specifically for this album.

Jim Steinman had set an American tour of the musical to take place starting in late 2018 through 2019 but it was cancelled after its 3-week run in the first city Toronto was complete.

At the time of his death, Jim Steinman lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Jim Steinman spent years expanding and reimagining the house, transforming it into an embodiment of his own eccentric, complicated personality.

Jim Steinman had a stroke in 2004 and temporarily lost the ability to speak.

Jim Steinman had another stroke four years prior to his death.

Per the death certificate from the Connecticut Department of Health, Jim Steinman died from kidney failure at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut, on April 19,2021, at age 73.