American singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka died on Friday at the age of 86. “Our family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,” his family wrote in a statement. a statement. “A true rock ‘n’ roll legend and an inspiration to millions.”
Sedaka broke through at the end of the 1950s and had hits such as Oh! Carol, Calendar Girl, Breaking Up is Hard to Do and Laughter in the Rain. He also wrote many songs for other artists, such as singer Connie Francis.
The New York Times writes that Sedaka “a brilliant sense of melody combined with the commercial instinct of a pop prodigy, a boyish high tenor voice and an uninhibited drive to be on stage.”
During his career spanning more than six decades, he was nominated five times for a Grammy Award. In 1983 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1978 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2022, he officially stopped writing songs.
“This is a gift I was born with,” Sedaka wrote on his website about his writing and singing skills. “My main goal is to consistently surpass my previous work, raise the bar and reinvent Neil Sedaka.”
