Legendary American singer, songwriter and pianist Neil Sedaka has passed away at the age of 86.
TMZ reported that the musician was transported to a hospital in Los Angeles via ambulance on Friday morning (27 February) after experiencing an undisclosed medical emergency. Just a few hours later, a representative confirmed Sedaka's passing.
A statement from Sedaka’s family, shared by a representative, read, per Variety: “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka.
“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.”
No cause of death has been confirmed at the time of publication.
Sedaka’s music career began in 1957. He’s sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written more than 500 songs for himself and others. Frequent collaborators included Howard “Howie” Greenfield and Phil Cody.
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After founding the doo-wop group The Tokens, Sedaka went out on his own and achieved hit singles in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Oh! Carol (1959), Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen (1961), and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (1962), among others.
Sedaka’s popularity waned in the mid-1960s, but he experienced a new lease of fame in the mid-1970s with US #1 singles, Bad Blood and Laughter In The Rain. While his popularity declined in the US, Sedaka retained a dedicated audience in Australia, as his song, Star-Crossed Lovers, became a hit.
While he enjoyed a successful career as a singer-songwriter, Sedaka penned additional hits for artists including Connie Francis (Stupid Cupid), Captain & Tennille (Love Will Keep Us Together), and Tony Christie (Is This The Way To Amarillo).
Along with Greenfield, he also wrote songs for Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, The Monkees, and other artists.
In 1983, Sedaka was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He continued to perform until last year. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he hosted mini-concerts and posted them on social media.
