Neil Sedaka

Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka was born on March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. He is an American pop singer, and is also known for his skills as a pianist, and a songwriter too. Along with Howard Greenfield, he wrote many major hit songs. The interesting point about his work is that the songs he has written has brought success to himself and others whom he has written for.

Neil Sedaka's father, Mac Sedaka, was a taxi driver. His mother, Eleanor (Appel) Sedaka, had Polish-Russian ancestry. Sedaka first showed signs of musical talent when he was in his second-grade choral class. His teacher sent a note with him to his parents, which recommended piano classes for him. His mother managed to get a part-time job. She worked this job for 6 months in a department store in order to pay for a second-hand upright piano.

Sedaka made use of the instrument immediately, and in 1947, he auditioned for a piano scholarship. The Juilliard School of Music's Preparatory Division for Children took him immediately, where Sedaka attended regularly on Saturdays. At the same time, Sedaka carried on his interest in popular music.When Sedaka was 13, a neighbor heard his music, and then introduced him to Howard Greenfield, [Sedaka ?s neighbor's son]. Greenfield himself was an aspiring poet and lyricist. It is from here that the two began to work together and create good music.

Sedaka's best-known hit on the Billboard Hot 100 hits early in his career include Oh! Carol, which reached #9, (1959). Calendar Girl reached #4, (1960), Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen reached #6 (1961), and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do reached #1 (1962) are all well known numbers of his.

Sedaka's Oh! Carol was inspired by Sedaka's Brill Building compatriot and ex-girlfriend, Carole King. She responded with her own answer song, Oh, Neil, which even mentions Sedaka's full name.

Sedaka recorded a newer version of Breaking Up is Hard to Do [1976]. This was a slower version of the 1962 version that topped the charts. The newer version reached #8 on the US Top Ten, and this hit made Sedaka only the second artist to hit these charts on two occasions with two different versions of the same song. Sedaka's second version of the number Breaking Up is Hard to Do went straightto the top of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. By 1980, Sedaka managed a #19 hit with Should've Never Let You Go. He recorded this song with his daughter, Dara.

Sedaka composed Is This The Way to Amarillo. This song was written for Britain's Tony Christie, and it reached #18 on the UK charts [1971]. When it was reissued [2005], it went to #1. This is believed to have happened because of a cameo-filled video with Peter Kay. Sedaka had recorded this song himself when it reached #44 [1977].

At a concert played at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the book Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums presented Neil Sedaka with an award for the writer of the Best-Selling Single in the 21st century, Amarillo [April 7, 2006].