Neil Sedaka, the celebrated singer-songwriter whose career spanned decades and included hits like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Oh! Carol,” and “Calendar Girl,” has died at the age of 86, according to reports confirmed Friday.
A family statement, relayed by Variety, described the family as “devastated by the sudden passing” of Sedaka, calling him “a true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly… an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1939, Sedaka displayed musical talent from a young age. At nine years old, he received a scholarship to the Juilliard School, a testament to his precocious skill at the piano. He later recalled to the Guardian in 2012 that music was integral to his upbringing, noting his parents’ insistence on playing the radio even during infancy.
Initially pursuing a path as a concert pianist, Sedaka transitioned to pop songwriting, forming a pivotal partnership with Howard Greenfield at the ages of 13 and 16 respectively. Their collaboration would yield a string of successful songs over the next decade. In 1956, Sedaka was briefly considered for admission to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, an invitation rescinded due to his association with “American capitalistic rock’n’roll.”
Sedaka rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1950s and early 1960s, achieving success with songs like “Oh! Carol” (1959), “Calendar Girl,” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.” He was a key figure in the Brill Building era, a Manhattan hub for songwriters that also fostered the careers of Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach and Carole King – the latter of whom Sedaka dated in high school. Between 1959 and 1963, Sedaka sold over 25 million records and received his first Grammy nomination in 1962.
The arrival of the British Invasion, led by The Beatles, significantly impacted Sedaka’s career. “Between 1963 and 1975, I worked remarkably little,” he explained, noting the shift in the music landscape that diminished the prominence of solo singers.
Sedaka experienced a career resurgence in the 1970s, signing briefly with Elton John’s Rocket label. Beyond his own hits, he penned successful songs for other artists, including Connie Francis’s “Stupid Cupid” (1958), and Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.” He also collaborated with ABBA in 1973, providing the English lyrics for their song “Ring Ring,” and contributed songs to Rosemary Clooney, Patsy Cline, Engelbert Humperdinck, the Carpenters, and Cher.
Throughout his six-decade career, Sedaka continued to tour and perform. He reflected on the demands of fame in a 2012 interview with the Guardian, acknowledging the loss of privacy but also the advantages it afforded, such as securing reservations at restaurants and theaters.
