Jim Steinman, the hit songwriter and producer of Meat Loaf‘s Bat Out of Hell albums, died today in Connecticut. No cause of death has been given but the medical examiner says it was sudden. He was 73. The Jim Steinman Rockman Philharmonic confirmed the news, writing on Facebook, “It’s with a heavy heart that I can confirm Jim’s passing. There will be much more to say in the coming hours and days as we prepare to honor this giant of a human being and his glorious legacy. For now, do something that makes you feel young, happy and free. He’d want that for you!”

Born in 1947 in New York City, Steinman was known for some of the most bombastic hits of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s — he called himself “The Lord of Excess” on his website — and in addition to writing and producing Meat Loaf’s three Bat Out of Hell records (which include such songs as “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” and “I Would Do Anything for Love [But I Won’t Do That”]), he was also behind such classics as Bonnie Tyler‘s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Air Supply‘s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” Barry Manilow‘s “Read ‘Em and Weep,” and Celine Dion‘s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” He also produced Sisters of Mercy‘s maximalist singles “This Corrosion” and “More,” and worked with Def Leppard, Barbra Streisand, Billy Squier and more.

Steinman had a definitely style, even beyond just “big,” and you could hear it immediately. As he told The New York Times in 2019, “”If you don’t go over the top, how are you ever going to see what’s on the other side?” There was nobody else quite like him. Rest in peace, Jim.