Advertisement
Famed 1960s and 1970s singer Neil Sedaka has died at age 86.
Sedaka's family confirmed the 'rock and roll legend' had passed in a statement obtained by The Daily Mail.
'Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,' they said. '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.'
TMZ earlier reported that Sedaka was taken to the hospital in
The velvet-voiced Grammy-nominated Sedaka got his start in the 1950s with the band The Tokens.
He is best known for the catchy 1960s tune Breaking Up Is Hard To Do which he recorded after he became a solo artist
Advertisement
Famed 1960s and 1970s singer Neil Sedaka has died at age 86. Seen in the 1970s
Sedaka, pictured 1960, is the voice behind Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain
The Brighton Beach, New York native also sang Oh! Carol and Calendar Girl which skyrocketed on the charts.
He had two big hits in the 1970s with the beloved singles Laughter In The Rain and Bad Blood.
Sedaka has been nominated for five Grammy awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.
The star is a prolific songwriter who has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists.
Advertisement
Some of the top songs Sedaka wrote for other stars include Stupid Cupid for Connie Francis, Is This the Way To Amarillo for Tony Christie and Love Will Keep Us Together for Captain & Tennille.
He also served as a guest judge on season two of American Idol.
The artist has been married to Leba Strassberg since 1962 and they have two children: Dara and Marc.
Sedaka grew up to a taxi driver father and his parents struggled to make ends meet.
It came just hours after Sedaka was sent to the hospital after waking up feeling unwell. Seen in 1964
The star during the Men's Singles Quarterfinal match between Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe of the United States on Day Ten of the 2022 US Open
Advertisement
His mother worked a second job to save up for a piano so her son could practice when in the second grade after his teacher noticed he had talent.
The move paid off: In 1947, he auditioned successfully for a piano scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music's Preparatory Division for Children, which he attended on Saturdays.
He started writing pop songs at age 13 with a poet neighbor. His first hit was 1961's Calendar Girl.
Other early hits were Little Devil, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and Next Door to an Angel.
Sedaka, wife Leba Strassberg, daughter Dara Sedaka and son Marc Sedaka at the Sweet 16 Party for Dara Sedaka in NYC in 1979
The year 1962 was one of the most successful of Sedaka's career, with Breaking Up Is Hard To Do reaching number one and Next Door to an Angel getting to number five.
Advertisement
He financed the recording, production, and distribution of new CDs and repackaging of his existing catalog of music through his own business, Neil Sedaka Music.
Because of disputes with RCA Records over the ownership of his original hits from the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sedaka in 1991 re-recorded those tunes.
Advertisement
