Neil Sedaka wrote more than 700 songs in his lifetime, including hits like ‘Laughter in the Rain,’ ‘Calendar Girl’ and ‘Love Will Keep Us Together.’
Neil Sedaka, the legendary singer-songwriter behind tracks like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Oh! Carol,” has died at 86, his representative Victoria Varela confirmed to USA TODAY.
“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” the family said in a statement to USA TODAY. “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.”
Varela said no additional details could be shared at this time.
The Brooklyn, New York, native grew up to become a beloved pop and rock musician with over 700 songwriting credits, including long-lasting, recognizable hits, such as “Laughter in the Rain” and “Calendar Girl.”
Before turning 20 in 1959, he and lyricist Howard Greenfield wrote Connie Francis’ single “Stupid Cupid,” which broke into the Billboard Top 100, peaking at No. 17. A year later, Sedaka wrote and recorded his own track, “Oh! Carol,” which peaked at No. 9 and remains one of his career highlights.
Over the course of his career, Sedaka had three songs peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine chart in the Top 10, primarily during the early 1960s. In 1975, he followed his No. 1 pop and adult contemporary smash “Laughter in the Rain” – still a staple on soft rock formats – with “Bad Blood,” featuring an uncredited Elton John on backing vocals, David Foster on keyboards and John’s stalwart drummer Nigel Olsson.
Sedaka’s songwriting prowess extended beyond his own career. He and Greenfield wrote the perky pop tune “Love Will Keep Us Together” in 1973, which Sedaka recorded. But it was the 1975 version by Captain & Tennille that made the song a worldwide smash and karaoke favorite.
Sedaka’s work also infiltrated the catalogs of Elvis Presley (“Solitaire”), Frank Sinatra (“The Hungry Years”), Tom Jones (“Puppet Man”) and The Monkees (“When Love Comes Knockin’ At Your Door”).
“We mastered the art of the 2-1/2 minute song. In those days, 45 rpm’s had to be 2-1/2 minutes, and you had to tell the whole story from beginning to end,” Sedaka said in a 2010 Reuters interview. “I was the king of the tra-la-las and doo-be-do’s in the ’50s and ’60s. It had to have a very catchy tune, with a catchy beat that you can dance to.”
The Recording Academy nominated him for five Grammy Awards, including in the song of the year category.
His legacy was also cemented in 1978, when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and again in 1983, when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Born in 1939, he was raised in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn by his taxi-driver father, Mordechai, and his mother, Eleanor, who worked part-time at a department store.
With a clear gift for music at a young age, he was awarded a scholarship to Juilliard’s School of Music’s Preparatory Division for Children in 1947.
By 1956, pianist Arthur Rubinstein had selected him to join the radio program, and he was honored as the best New York City high school pianist at age 16, Sedaka said in a 2019 interview with The Morning Call newspaper.
“I think the reason that my music is so special is it was a combination of show music, pop music, evergreen standards and rock. It’s like me and Phil Cody and Carole Sager and Howie Greenfield – we had a combination of all of those styles,” he said in the interview. “And Stevie Wonder once came to me and said, ‘You know, you’re a product of all the music you’ve heard all your life. And it’s so true.”
Sedaka is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Leba, and their children, Dara, a recording artist, and Marc, a TV writer and film editor, as well as three grandchildren.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri
