Legendary Singer-Songwriter Neil Sedaka Dead at 86

February 28, 2026 7:33 am

Neil Sedaka, the singer-songwriter behind hits like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Stupid Cupid”, has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 86 years old.

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“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” read a statement posted to the singer’s Facebook account on Friday (Feb. 27.) “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”

Neil Sedaka Wrote Multiple Hits for Connie Francis

Born March 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, a second-grade choral teacher sent a note home with a young Neil Sedaka suggesting he take piano lessons. His mother took a part-time job at a department store to pay for an upright piano. She hoped her son would become a classical pianist. However, to her dismay, her 13-year-old son linked up with a 16-year-old neighbor, aspiring poet and songwriter Howard Greenfield. The two began writing pop songs together, scoring their first hit with “Stupid Cupid”, recorded by Connie Francis in 1958. The song hit No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Notably, Sedaka and Greenfield would write more hits for Francis, including her signature song “Where the Boys Are”, which climbed to No. 4 on the Hot 100. And 17 years later, Sedaka wrote Captain and Tennille’s breakthrough No. 1 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together.”

Additionally, the New Yorker fared well as a performer. He would score a string of popular hits like “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (twice).

“I was the king of the tra-la-las and doo-be-do’s in the ’50s and ’60s,” he told Reuters in 2010. “It had to have a very catchy tune, with a catchy beat that you can dance to.”

Between 1958-62, Sedaka and Greenfield would sell 25 million records, with 10 big hits in a row. The pair wrote songs for Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Monkees, and more.

“This is a gift I was born with,” Sedaka wrote on his website. “My main objective is to always top the last collection, raise the bar and reinvent Neil Sedaka.”

Featured image by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images