When singing “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” Neil Sedaka, who has been with his soul mate for nearly 61 years, doesn’t have a lot of experience to draw from. ”. ”.
The endearing “down doobie do down down” performer, who recently turned 84, is smitten with his grandchildren and claims that he was “born married to his wife.”. ”. ”.
Over the years, Neil Sedaka has given us a lot while also delighting us with his voice and presence. Neil Sedaka is adored by everyone.
Neil Sedaka once admitted that he was initially reluctant to sing in front of an audience, despite the fact that he has a natural talent and has written and performed some of the most famous songs in music history.
Although he is 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks fantastic.
Despite the fact that Sedaka thought his voice was excellent, the fact that it was so high made him uncomfortable. On the other hand, the rabbi was in tears as I was singing at my bar mitzvah. ”.
The classically trained pianist, who was only 13 years old and attended the Julliard Preparatory for Children on a Saturday scholarship program, collaborated with Howard Greenfield, then 16 years old, to write music for Sedaka’s school band, the Linc-Tones, which would later adopt the name the Tokens.
The two went on to write top-charting singles for artists like Sedaka’s “Breaking up is Hard to Do,” Captain and Tenille’s “Love will keep us Together,” and Connie Francis’ “Stupid Cupid” while they were based out of New York City’s renowned Brill Building. ”.
Our cell had a piano and a bench, but no windows. Sedaka claimed that the two were making $50 per week and that once a song gained popularity, you could only get a room with a window. Every day from 9 am to 5 pm, we would compose and perform our work for representatives of record labels.
Although challenging, it served as excellent preparation.
Neil Sedaka, 84, still looks fantastic.
His well-known song “Oh! Carol” (1959) was inspired by his high school sweetheart Carole King and was the first song in the structure to reach the Top 10. He was the first musician to tape-record his music.
Up until the middle of the 1970s, Sedaka and Greenfield worked together. An openly gay man named Greenfield passed away in 1986 from complications related to AIDS.
The Tokens were at the height of their popularity in 1961 with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Tonight I Fell in Love,” and Sedaka left the group when he was just 19 years old. ”. ”.
Despite being 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks great.
Despite the fact that his first three solo albums didn’t do well on the charts, one song got him a spot on American Bandstand with Dick Clark, and not long after that, he signed a recording contract.
Sedaka’s “The diary,” a song he genuinely wanted to “look into that little book,” peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Top 100, and became his first significant commercial success.
Connie Francis’ diary served as inspiration.
Sedaka’s popularity peaked in 1960, the year he dropped “Calendar Girl,” his sixth hit in just two years.
Neil Sedaka, 84, still looks fantastic.
He wed Leba Strassberg in 1962 after the two had first become acquainted while attending a concert at the now-defunct Esther Manor resort in the New York Catskill Mountains.
Leba’s mother, Esther, was a successful businesswoman and a co-owner of the resort. She did not like the idea of a poor musician courting her daughter.
The couple persisted in their relationship despite Esther’s disapproval while coping with Eleanor Sedaka, another interfering mother.
Eleanor previously admitted to going on roller coasters while hoping he’d start a miscarriage. She encouraged her child to become a classical pianist rather than a pop star by doing this.
Neil Sedaka, 84, still looks fantastic.
According to Sedaka, his annual salary as a taxi driver was never higher than $10,000. He made the error of giving the money to my mother, who later had control over the majority of my rights as an artist, including my royalties and finances. She immediately changed her mind after I handed her a $62,000 royalty check for “Stupid Cupid.”.
After the initial shock, I also became aware of and accepted him because of my father. I guess I even understood it. My dad was very frugal, and my parents shared two rooms with nine other family members while the other man lavished her with jewelry, furs, and took her to stunning locations. He asserted that only they were having a good time on my dime. They spent tens of thousands of dollars. I was unable to make any payments, not even taxes. I had to start over with my wife. ”.
Eleanor Eleanor, who evicted her mother’s boyfriend from the house, allegedly came close to overdosing on sleeping pills “because she couldn’t stand to see her son and her lover at odds.”. She asserted that she knew nothing about how they were using my money. I avoided her for a whole year.
Then, taking his place as manager, his devoted wife took over.
Despite being 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks great.
Sedaka’s career was just beginning to take off when The Beatles arrived and completely derailed it.
In spite of his deteriorating U.
S.
He kept writing songs for other people despite his success on the charts.
He made the decision to relocate Leba, Marc, and Dara to London, the hub of hit makers.
Although he is 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks fantastic.
When asked if he had once been Neil Sedaka, the singer recalled, “Well, I used to walk down the street and people would ask, ‘Didn’t you use to be Neil Sedaka?'”. I retorted, “You haven’t heard the last of me. I’ll always be Neil Sedaka. I had to alter my approach. My first encounter with Elton John happened in the early 1970s. Have you heard of him before?
Sedaka, who met the “I’m Still Standing” singer at a London party, claimed that John persuaded him to sign with the Rocket Record Company, which was John’s previous record label.
Sedaka’s career soared after the 1974 release of “Sedaka’s Back,” the first of three albums he co-wrote with Elton John, and the singer was once more finding success on the American charts.
Following his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Although he is 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks fantastic.
He served as a special guest judge on the 2003 season of American Idol when the season two runner-up Clay Aiken later recorded and released “Solitaire,” a Neil Sedaka song from 1972, which went on to become the best-selling single of the following year.
In order to keep fans entertained during COVID, Sedaka started posting mini-concerts on social media. In September of last year, he also released a special concert to mark his 60th wedding anniversary with Leba, which included three songs he wrote especially for her.
I’d like to dedicate today’s mini-concert to my lovely wife, Leba, says the tender ode’s opening line.
”.
The 60th anniversary of our founding will be in September.
The three songs you’ll find here were written specifically for Leba.
Sedaka started announcing his partnership with Cameo in a video on Facebook in May. He said he would be happy to accept requests for birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special occasion where he could send a personalized message.
He ended the brief performance by singing a few bars of “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” which was well-received by the audience. One person remarked, “I’ve loved your music since I was a teenager, and I’m 75 now. Don’t stop, please.
“Dear Neil, your songs brighten the day,” read a touching letter from another fan that Neil received. I frequently catch myself singing the tunes you created. They seem to be a part of me now. I appreciate the happiness you bring to everyone. ”.
Sedaka makes his wife and family his top priorities, but he still makes people smile with his music.
Despite being 84 years old, Neil Sedaka still looks great.
If you’re lucky enough to have a friend who looks after it for you, that’s a wonderful gift, said Sedaka, a devoted grandfather of three children, including a pair of twins. ”.
Regarding their children, Marc (born 1967) writes and edits for TV and movies, and Dara (born 1963) is an actress and singer well-known for films like Where the Boys Are.
Sedaka reflected on his burgeoning career and said, “I could have been bigger, but I wasn’t controversial enough. I avoided using drugs and using wrecking equipment. My personal life did not involve any controversial events. You cannot claim that because I was talented and driven to succeed, I never achieved fame.
It is incredibly admirable that Neil Sedaka and Leba have remained together for such a long time and haven’t let fame sabotage their happy marriage.
His music is truly gifted, and future generations will undoubtedly be impacted by it. We appreciate you taking the time to tell us a little bit about your life and music. Which one of his songs, whether he wrote them or not, is your favorite?
