Remembering Neil Sedaka: Iconic 60s & 70s Hitmaker Passes Away at 86

NEW YORK — Neil Sedaka, the iconic singer-songwriter known for his youthful soprano voice and catchy tunes, made a significant mark in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll and enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970s, has passed away.

Sedaka, whose well-loved songs like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Laughter in the Rain” topped the charts, died on Friday at the age of 86.

In a heartfelt statement, his family shared, “We are heartbroken by the sudden loss of our cherished husband, father, and grandfather, Neil Sedaka. He was a true legend in rock and roll, inspiring millions, and to those fortunate enough to know him, he was an extraordinary human being who will be sorely missed.”

Details surrounding the circumstances of his death have not been disclosed.

As a pivotal figure in the Brill Building’s songwriting scene, Sedaka partnered with his childhood friend Howard Greenfield to create songs that captured the innocence of the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time between the eras of Elvis and The Beatles. Their memorable hits included “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” “Calendar Girl,” and “Oh! Carol,” a tribute to Sedaka’s high school love, Carole King.

After a long dry spell, he reemerged with such smashes as “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.” The Captain & Tennille’s cover of his “Love Will Keep Us Together” was a chart-topper in 1975.

Short and dark-haired, with a big smile and high-pitched voice, he was a Juilliard-trained, Brooklyn-born son of a Jewish taxi driver who began performing as a teen and kept at it for decades.

Sedaka still played dozens of concerts a year well into his 80s. He retained the enthusiasm and broad vocal range of his youth and never tired of the standards he had sung hundreds of times.

“Past 70, Pavarotti told me the vocal cords are not what they used to be. I’m very fortunate that my voice has held,” he told The Associated Press in 2012. “It’s nice to be a legend, but it’s better to be a working legend.”

Sedaka’s songs sold millions worldwide and have been covered by a range of performers, from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to The 5th Dimension and Nickelback. Sedaka helped propel the career of Connie Francis with “Stupid Cupid” and “Where the Boys Are,” the latter for the soundtrack of the movie with the same name. The Captain & Tennille received a best-album Grammy thanks largely to “Love Will Keep Us Together” and included a nod to Sedaka at the end of the song, when Toni Tennille exclaimed “Sedaka’s back!”