Neil Sedaka Songs Remembered as Micky Dolenz Leads Tributes to Singer-Songwriter at 86
neil sedaka songs drew fresh attention this weekend after the singer-songwriter died on Friday at the age of 86, and Micky Dolenz called him “one of those rare songwriters who could do it all. ”
Micky Dolenz honors a collaborator and a friend
Micky Dolenz, the last surviving member of the Monkees, posted a tribute after news of Sedaka’s death, crediting Sedaka’s range and his ties to the band. Dolenz wrote that Sedaka co-wrote “When Love Comes Knocking at Your Door” with Carole Bayer Sager and contributed “a few other songs that found their way into our world. ” He added that Sedaka “also wrote ‘Rainy Jane’ for [Davy Jones’] solo record. ”
Dolenz recalled a personal moment: “I’ll never forget when he showed up all the way from the East Coast to pay tribute to Davy at his LA-based memorial with a performance of ‘Love Comes Knocking at Your Door. '” He closed his note by “sending my thoughts to his family, friends, and everyone who loved his music. ”
neil sedaka songs spanned early Sixties hits to Seventies comebacks
Sedaka first cracked the Top 10 in 1959 with “Oh! Carol, ” then followed with songs such as “Stairway to Heaven” (not that one), “Calendar Girl, ” “Little Devil, ” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen. ” In 1962, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” rose to Number One, and “Next Door to an Angel” peaked at Number Five on the chart.
In the Seventies, Elton John signed Sedaka to his label, and in 1974 Rocket Record Company released a U. K. -era compilation, Sedaka’s Back, which earned a gold certification in the U. S. The following year, Sedaka returned to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 twice as a solo artist with “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood, ” while his new ballad version of “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” peaked at Number Eight.
Long view from the artist: inspiration and songwriting
Reflecting on how songs were born, Sedaka mused in 2006 that inspiration came from “people, places, emotions, family, movies, plays — many, many different inspirations. ” He said many of his songs began by “listening to singers, ” cited “Love Will Keep Us Together” as inspired by different singing styles, and added that in the prior two decades he had been writing his own lyrics, preferring that “nobody puts words in my mouth, it just comes from my soul. ”
What listeners will remember
Sedaka’s catalog threaded early rock-era Top 10s and midcareer pop comebacks, a sequence that left concrete chart landmarks: a first Top 10 in 1959, a Number One in 1962, a U. K. -era compilation in 1974 with U. S. gold certification, and a return that produced two Hot 100-topping singles and a Number Eight ballad version of an earlier hit. Those milestones anchored both Dolenz’s public tribute and the renewed attention to neil sedaka songs across generations.
Officials have not announced public services in the material provided. Next on the calendar tied to Sedaka’s career in the available material: nothing further is listed in the provided context.
