Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind dozens of hits of the 1960s and ’70s, dies at age 86

New York — Neil Sedaka, the hugely successful singer-songwriter whose boyish soprano songs and bright melodies made him one of the most important artists in the early years of rock ‘n’ roll and led to a second round of success in the 1970s, has died.

Sedaka, whose hits included “Breaking Up is a Hard Thing to Do” and “Laughing in the Rain,” died on Friday at the age of 86.

“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 more importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, a remarkable human being who will be sorely missed.”

No other details about his death were immediately available.

As a key member of the Brill Building songwriting factory, Sedaka collaborated with lyricist and childhood neighbor Howard Greenfield on songs that reflected teenage innocence in the post-Elvis/pre-Beatles era of the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen,” “Calendar Girl” and “Oh! Carol,” an elegy for his high school sweetheart, Carole King.

After a long drought, he resurfaced with hits like “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.” Captain Tennell’s cover of “Love Will Keep Us Together” was a chart-topping hit in 1975.

Short, with dark hair, a broad smile and a high-pitched voice, he was the son of a Jewish taxi driver, trained at the Juilliard School, and born in Brooklyn. He began performing as a teenager and did so for decades.

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

“At 70, Pavarotti told me that my vocal cords aren’t what they used to be,” he told the Associated Press in 2012. “I’m very lucky that my voice has held up. It’s nice to be a legend, but it’s better to be a working legend.”

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