Neil Sedaka, Legendary Songwriter, Dies Aged 86

The iconic songwriter Neil Sedaka has died at the age of 86.

Initially breaking through in the early years of rock and roll in the 1950s, Neil’s songwriting abilities gave his career a second wind decades later, leading to him penning hit singles for both himself and other artists.

He died on Friday, following reports in the press that he’d been admitted to hospital.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” his family said in a statement.

“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.”

Hits Neil wrote and released himself included Laughter In The Rain, Calendar Girl and the Grammy-nominated Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

Other songs in his catalogue included Solitaire, made famous by The Carpenters, Love Will Keep Us Together, a US number one for Captain & Tennille in the mid-1970s and ABBA’s Ring Ring, for which he contributed lyrics for the English-language version.

Neil also had writing credits on Connie Francis’ Stupid Cupid and Tony Christie’s Is This The Way To Amarillo?, which had a resurgence in popularity in 2005 thanks to a Comic Relief skit starring the comedian Peter Kay.

In the 2020s, Neil had another surge in popularity thanks to daily virtual concerts he put on during lockdown, performing a handful of his songs in each.

Neil also continued to perform live well into his 80s, and wrote songs until as recently as 2022.

His most recent studio album, I Do It For Applause, was released in 2016.

The music legend is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Leba Strassberg, and their son and daughter, Marc and Dana.