Neil Sedaka, the legendary singer and songwriter behind timeless hits like Laughter in the Rain and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 86.
He first rose to fame in the late 1950s and 1960s with popular songs such as Calendar Girl, Oh! Carol, and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, before making a successful comeback in the 1970s. In addition to his own music career, Sedaka also wrote hit songs for other artists, including Love Will Keep Us Together.
He was taken to the hospital on Friday morning and passed away later that same day, with TMZ first reporting the news.
The family confirmed the sad news in a statement by saying, “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,” the Sedaka family said in a statement to PEOPLE.” “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.”
Sedaka was born in 1939 in Brooklyn and grew up in Brighton Beach, where his love for music began at a young age. His father worked as a taxi driver, and his mother took a part-time job to help buy him his first piano when he was nine, after a teacher noticed his talent and encouraged his parents to support his gift. Later, he earned a scholarship to Juilliard’s Preparatory Division for Children, where he studied classical piano and improved his musical skills. His talent gained wider attention when he was chosen by legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein to perform on a radio program.
As a teenager, Sedaka met Howard Greenfield, a lyricist, and the two began writing songs together. After finishing high school, he started a band called The Linc-Tones but later left to focus on his solo career and songwriting. The pair worked at New York’s famous Brill Building, where they created songs for other artists. In 1958, singer Connie Francis recorded their song Stupid Cupid, which became a hit and helped launch Sedaka’s career as a songwriter. In the same year, Sedaka also began his journey as a solo artist by releasing his first single, The Diary.
Along with his own success, Sedaka and Greenfield continued writing songs for other artists. They created more hits for Connie Francis, including Where the Boys Are and Fallin’. The duo also wrote popular songs for singer Jimmy Clanton, such as What Am I Gonna Do? and Sleepless Night, further proving Sedaka’s talent as a songwriter.
In 1959, Sedaka’s career reached new heights with his hit song Oh! Carol, which was inspired by his high school girlfriend Carole King. He continued to find success in the early 1960s with popular tracks like Stairway to Heaven, Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen, and Calendar Girl.
His biggest hit, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do became his first No. 1 song in 1962 and is still considered his signature track.
However, Sedaka’s success slowed down in the mid-1960s when British bands like The Beatles became popular and changed the music scene. His songs were no longer topping the charts and his record label did not renew his contract in 1966. During this time, he stepped back from singing and focused more on writing songs for other artists. He created music for groups like The Monkees and The 5th Dimension and his songs were also recorded by singers such as Andy Williams and Shirley Bassey. Despite the challenges, Sedaka continued to show his talent as a songwriter and remained active in the music industry.
When his albums did not perform well, he moved to England to find opportunities. There, he wrote and recorded new songs, including Love Will Keep Us Together which later became a No. 1 hit for Captain & Tennille in 1975. He also co-wrote Ring Ring, which became an early hit for ABBA.
His career turned around after singer Elton John, a big fan, signed him to his Rocket Record label and helped reintroduce his music to American audiences. In 1974, Sedaka made a major comeback with his song Laughter in the Rain, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. He continued his success with another chart-topping hit, Bad Blood, and a new version of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, proving that he remained a major force in music.
In Bruce Pollock’s 1979 book When Rock Was Young, he said, “The crowning touch was winning the BMI award for Most Performed Song of the Year for ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’. It was the dream of a lifetime. I mean, I’d been going to that BMI dinner since I was a kid. I got six awards in one year, including the Most Performed Song of 1975, beating out ‘Rhinestone Cowboy.”
Throughout his long career, Sedaka released more than 25 studio albums and earned several honors for his work. He was nominated for five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983. Earlier, in 1978, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a street in his childhood neighbourhood of Brighton Beach was later named Neil Sedaka Way to honor him. He continued performing even in his later years and often shared music videos with fans on Instagram.
Outside of music, Sedaka married Leba Strassberg in 1962, and the couple had two children, Dara and Marc. His daughter Dara followed in his footsteps and performed with him on some songs, including their duet Should’ve Never Let You Go. He is survived by his wife and two kids.
