Neil Sedaka (March 13, 1939 – February 27, 2026) was an American singer, pianist, composer, and songwriter whose career lasted almost seventy years. He started recording in 1957 and sold tens of millions of records worldwide. Sedaka wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs for himself and other artists, working closely with lyricists Howard Greenfield and later Phil Cody. He became well known in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like “Oh! Carol,” “Calendar Girl,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.” After his popularity faded in the mid-1960s as music tastes changed, Sedaka made a strong comeback in the 1970s with number-one songs like “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.” He also wrote lasting hits for other artists, such as “Stupid Cupid” for Connie Francis,...