“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” his family wrote in a statement to Variety. “He was a true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions and, most importantly, to those of us who were lucky enough to know him. He was an incredible person who will be deeply missed.”
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station in West Hollywood, police deputies assisted firefighters when they called for medical attention for Sedak. Paramedics took him to the hospital around eight o’clock local time, where he died. The cause of death was not given.
Neil Sedaka was born on March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. His singing career began in the 1950s, when he co-founded the band The Tokens. Although he gained huge popularity with the hit The Lion Sleeps Tonight, he soon left it.
His solo career then blossomed at the beginning of the sixties, when his greatest hits were created. Subsequently, it declined a bit, but it returned in style in the seventies.
His albums recorded in Great Britain then caught the attention of Elton John, who helped him re-establish himself on the American music scene. The result was other hits, such as Laughter in the Rain or Bad Blood, which reached the first place in the charts.
During his long career, Sedaka was nominated five times for the Grammy Award. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Since 1962, he has been in a relationship with Leba Strassbergová, with whom he has two children. In recent years, he continued to perform and remained an active artist until 2023.
