Neil Sedaka (neil sedaka), singer of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, dies at 86
neil sedaka, the American singer-songwriter who wrote and performed hits across the 1950s and 60s, has died at the age of 86, his family said. The family issued a statement saying: "Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, " and added, "A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed. "
Early life and first hits
Born in Brooklyn, neil sedaka was a student of the famed Julliard School in New York and wrote his first hit song with his neighbour while still a teenager. Connie Francis recorded and released "Stupid Cupid" in 1958. In the late 1950s he was a founder of the doo-wop group The Tokens and went on to write and perform hits through the 1950s and 60s including Oh! Carol, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Calendar Girl and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.
Neil Sedaka's career highlights
Sedaka was a key member of the Brill Building songwriting factory and teamed up with lyricist and boyhood neighbour Howard Greenfield on songs such as Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Calendar Girl and Oh! Carol. His popular music faded from the spotlight later in the 1960s as the British Invasion era took hold of the US, but he later returned to the charts and sustained a long career.
Career resurgence and 1970s
After producing several hits through the early 1960s, he reemerged with hits such as Laughter In The Rain and Bad Blood. He returned to Billboard's Top 10 chart in 1975 after writing the song Love Will Keep Us Together for the duo Captain & Tennille; a cover of that song by Captain & Tennille topped the charts in 1975. Sedaka also recorded several albums for Elton John's record label in the 1970s.
Songwriting and key collaborations
Across a six-decades-long career, Sedaka wrote hits for several other famous musicians and his songs have sold millions worldwide. Performers who covered his work include Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Nickelback. He was also a skilled pianist and was nominated for five Grammy awards.
Later performances and quotes
Sedaka still played dozens of concerts each year well into his 80s and retained his enthusiasm, saying he never tired of the songs he had sung hundreds of times. Speaking in 2012 while in London to perform a piano concerto at Royal Albert Hall, he said he planned to give a show to people "who are not used to going to a serious concert. " He added, "It's wonderful for the soul to be able to play classical music, " and, "But to travel around, playing your own lyrics and music is a very rewarding feeling and I chose that, and I have no regrets. " A separate comment from 2012 noted, "Past 70, Pavarotti told me the vocal cords are not what they used to be. I'm very fortunate that my voice has held, " and, "It's nice to be a legend, but it's better to be a working legend. " There is a video titled "Sedaka: 'Music has kept me going'" with a runtime of 00: 03: 33.
Family statement and death
In their statement the family said: "Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka. " They added, "A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed. " The family did not disclose his cause of death or where he died, and the statement provided no further details about his death.
Sedaka's work—spanning songwriting, performing and piano—left a wide footprint across popular music from his early teenage compositions through decades of recordings, performances and covers by other artists.
