Neil Sedaka
- Acting
- March 13, 1939 · Brooklyn, New York, USA
- February 27, 2026
Biography
Neil Sedaka (March 13, 1939 — February 27, 2026) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Beginning his music career in 1957, he sold millions of records worldwide and wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody. After a short-lived tenure as a founding member of the doo-wop group the Tokens, Sedaka achieved a string of hit singles over the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Oh! Carol" (1959), "Calendar Girl" (1960), "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (1961), and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1962). His popularity declined by the mid-1960s, but revived in the mid-1970s, solidified by the 1975 US Billboard Hot 100 number ones "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood". Sedaka maintained a successful career as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists, including "Stupid Cupid" (Connie Francis), "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" (Tony Christie), and "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Captain & Tennille). As a performer, he had ten No. 1 hits and four as a songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and continued to perform, mounting mini-concerts on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sedaka was hospitalized in Los Angeles after experiencing an undisclosed medical emergency and later died on February 27, 2026, aged 86.
Known for
Filmography
- ABBA Silver, ABBA Gold · Self
- Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees · Self
- This Is Pop · Self
- ABBA: In Their Own Words · Self
- ABBA Forever: A Celebration · Self
- Neil Sedaka - Legends in Concert · Self
- Good Morning Britain · Self
- Neil Sedaka: King of Song · Self
- Neil Sedaka: That's When the Music Takes Me
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show · Self
- Legends · Self
- Neil Sedaka: The Show Goes On
- The Tony Danza Show · Self
- American Idol · Self
- The King of Queens · Neil Sedaka
- The Heaven and Earth Show
- The Garden Party
- The View · Self
- The Music Biz · Self
- Food Rocks · Neil Moussaka (uncredited), Songs
- Later... with Jools Holland
- Pebble Mill · Self
- Surprise, Surprise · Self
- Neil Sedaka Says: All You Need Is the Music
- Na sowas! · Self
- Neil Sedaka: Live in Concert at the Jubilee Hall · Self
- Breaking Up Is Hard to Do · Theme Song Performance
- Bob Hope's Comedy Christmas Special
- The Sonny and Cher Show
- Donny & Marie · Self
- Saturday Night Live · Self
- In Concert: Neil Sedaka
- The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1974 · Self
- Tony Orlando and Dawn · Self
- Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest · Self
- Musikladen · Self
- Ein Kessel Buntes · Self
- Look - Mike Yarwood!
- The Carol Burnett Show · Self
- Playgirl Killer · Bob
- Sting of Death · Songs
- Shindig! · Self
- Instant Love · Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson · Self
- The Merv Griffin Show · Self
- The Mike Douglas Show · Self
- Festival in Rhythm · Self
- The Dick Clark Show · Self
- The Ed Sullivan Show · Self