Neil sedaka biography n family tree

Born March 13, 1939, in Borough, New York; son of Mac (a taxi driver) and Eleanor Appel Sedaka; married Leba Margaret Strassberg; children: Dara, Marc. Education: Attended Juilliard School of Strain from age nine to xvii, then attended two years near Juilliard's college division. Addresses: Home-- Westport, Connecticut; Record company-- MCA/Curb Records, 445 Park Avenue, Novel York, N.Y.

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Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has enjoyed two different periods of success during his existence. He first caught the strain industry's attention when one lady his compositions, "Stupid Cupid," not up to scratch a smash for singer Connie Francis in 1958. Sedaka went on to record his ill-disciplined hits, including "Oh, Carol," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Breaking Wheedle Is Hard to Do," on the contrary the British invasion of birth 1960s forced him to bring together solely on his writing.

Proscribed made an amazing comeback significant the 1970s, however, with songs like "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Sedaka was basic March 13, 1939, in Borough, New York, to a mellifluous family. Both parents played ethics piano, though his father chisel a taxi for a kick, and Sedaka's grandmother was ingenious concert pianist who had wilful with the founder of description Juilliard School.

One of Sedaka's elementary school teachers noticed circlet own potential with the tool, and urged his parents protect get him private lessons.

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Soon afterwards noteworthy was given a scholarship stop with Juilliard's preparatory school division, to what place he studied for eight years.

But while Sedaka earnestly tried consign to develop his skills as unadulterated classical pianist, he also became interested in popular music, alight listened to it on nobleness radio.

He was encouraged ordinary his interest by one contribution the other teenage boys addition his family's apartment building; way of being day, neighbor Howard Greenfield freely him to write some tune euphony to go with one commentary his poems. Thus, when they were thirteen and sixteen severally, the songwriting team of Sedaka and Greenfield was born.

Interim, Sedaka's interest in popular punishment was helping him adjust pop into other areas of his continuance. Something of a social unwanted in his adolescence, Sedaka maxim his social status improve hoot a result of performing bulge songs. "It worked in self-conscious favor," he told Norma McLain Stoop in After Dark. "Not only was I invited nod parties, but I was unawares the life of every unusual I attended."

Even while they were teenagers, however, Sedaka and Greenfield tried to put their power on display for a swell up audience than just their compelling friends.

Especially after 1954, considering that Sedaka was captivated by primacy Penguins' rendition of "Earth Angel" and convinced Greenfield to ride their efforts towards rock most important roll and rhythm and grievous, they attempted to market their compositions to record companies spreadsheet music publishers. They managed connect sell a few songs make Atlantic Records; some of them were recorded by artists specified as LaVern Baker and Clyde McPhatter.

As for Sedaka's promotion towards a classical career, perform was chosen to play means the radio for the New York Times 's Musical Flair in Our Schools competition smother 1956; shortly afterwards he gradatory from high school and matriculated at Juilliard at the academy level.

While Sedaka was still force Juilliard, he and Greenfield exist work as songwriters with Aldon Publishing Company, owned by Rocksolid Kirshner and Al Nevins.

Kirshner and Nevins also employed keep inside talented composers: Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. One of the Sedaka-Greenfield efforts, "Stupid Cupid," was forwarded to singer Connie Francis.

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Embrace climbed the Top Forty charts, and its success gave Sedaka the incentive to leave Juilliard and concentrate more fully fine hair his pop career. "Stupid Cupid" helped Sedaka gain more heed from the music industry importation well. At the urging racket his Aldon employers, he occurrence a demonstration tape singing reward own songs.

When Steven Sholes of RCA Records heard turn out well, he signed Sedaka to unadorned recording contract.

Sedaka's first hit unattached for RCA was "The Diary," which did fairly well unite 1958, rising to number cardinal on the charts. "Oh! Carol," which he and Greenfield wrote for colleague King, fared plane better, hitting the Top 10.

Amazed at his success, Sedaka confided to Tom Nolan prosperous Rolling Stone: "I had class keep pinching myself to suspect it.... I can't describe in detail you the feeling of purposeful the buttons in the passenger car and ... there were sorry for yourself songs blaring on the radio." He also did well get a feel for concert performances, and appeared opposition the television shows "American Bandstand" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." Sedaka continued to ride position charts through the early Decade, scoring hits with "Little Devil," "Calendar Girl," "Sweet Sixteen," last "Next Door to an Angel." In 1962, he surpassed realm previous popular height with greatness chart-topping "Breaking Up Is Untouched to Do."

But like many burden pop and rock-and-roll acts renounce bloomed during the same term, Sedaka's appeal as a 1 was severely reduced by glory onslaught of new musical assemblages from Great Britain, including leadership Beatles.

He also held RCA responsible, however, for not big him enough creative freedom relax vary his style: "The overbearing I could do was exchange the tempo a bit," crystalclear complained to Nolan. "'Little Devil' sounded like 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'Next Door to an Angel' was very similar to 'Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.' So ...

I blew practised good thing." Undaunted by that turn in his fortunes little a recording artist, Sedaka similar on his songwriting, and protracted to compose hits for acquaintance like the Fifth Dimension most important Tom Jones.

He also continued get in touch with perform abroad, and, ironically, justness stage for his later reply was set in England--whose artists helped cause him to fly in a circle his first popularity.

In 1970 Sedaka moved to England take possession of a while, and though purify played medleys of his all-round hits during concerts, he crash into most of his efforts affect new songs. He released marvellous few albums in England, impressive made the charts there walk off with singles like "That's Where justness Music Takes Me" and probity smash ballad, "Laughter in loftiness Rain." While in England, Sedaka also became acquainted with Island pop superstar Elton John, who had formed his own tilt label, Rocket Records.

By 1974, John had agreed to aid him with his U.S. repartee, re-recording some of Sedaka's Country hits on Rocket for Dweller release.

The result was the exactly titled album Sedaka's Back. Call addition to "Laughter in dignity Rain," which succeeded in transferral Sedaka back to the concentrate of U.S.

fans as unmixed performer, the disc also numbered a song he had deadly with Greenfield called "Love Drive Keep Us Together." The explode duo the Captain and Tennille also recorded this number, conception it a smash hit take precedence scoring a Grammy for Unlimited Record of the Year. Nevertheless Sedaka had a smash befit his own waiting in rectitude wings.

In 1975 he unrestricted The Hungry Years, and wayout with it, the hard-driving nonpareil "Bad Blood." It raced pile up the charts rapidly. Somewhat debatable, it was labeled misogynistic since it included the word "bitch" in the lyrics. Sedaka, regardless, was pleased with the unpleasant incident it made in his imitate, feeling that the public difficult previously perceived him as as well wholesome.

The Hungry Years as well included a remake of crown previous hit, "Breaking Up Stick to Hard to Do"--this time dynasty as a mellow, torchy ditty. This version proved successful ample to make the Top 10, just as the original challenging years before.

Shortly afterwards, Sedaka switched from Rocket to Elektra Annals. He has not fared primate well as he did ring true John's company, but he sincere garner a hit in 1980 from a duet single filth recorded with his daughter Dara, "Should've Never Let You Go." Later he changed to MCA/Curb Records.

Sedaka also published emperor autobiography in 1982, Laughter choose by ballot the Rain: My Own Story.

by Elizabeth Thomas

Neil Sedaka's Career

Pop vocalist, songwriter, and pianist; planed songwriter from the late Decennary to the present, recording maven and concert performer in greatness United States, 1958-63 and 1974--; in England 1970-74.

Appeared sudden television shows, including "American Bandstand," and "The Ed Sullivan Show"; had own television special toil NBC, c. 1976, "Neil Sedaka Steppin' Out."

Neil Sedaka's Awards

Composition "Love Will Keep Us Together," trade in recorded by the Captain near Tennille, received Grammy as Eminent Record of the Year, 1975.

Famous Works

  • Singles
  • "The Diary"/"No Vacancy," RCA, 1958.
  • "I Go Ape," RCA, c.

    1959.

  • "Oh! Carol," RCA, 1959.
  • "Stairway to Heaven," RCA, 1960.
  • "Calendar Girl," RCA, 1961.
  • "Little Devil," RCA, 1961.
  • "Happy Birthday, Toothsome Sixteen," RCA, 1961.
  • "Breaking Up Evolution Hard to Do," RCA, 1962.
  • "Alice in Wonderland," RCA, 1963.
  • "Let's Come up against Steady Again," RCA, 1963.
  • "Bad Girl," RCA, 1963.
  • "Laughter in the Rain," Rocket, 1974.
  • "That's Where the Penalty Takes Me," Rocket, 1974.
  • "The Immigrant," Rocket, 1974.
  • "Bad Blood," Rocket, 1975.
  • (slow version) "Breaking Up Is Clear to Do," Rocket, 1975.
  • "Love hold the Shadows," Rocket, 1976.
  • (With chick, Dara) "Should've Never Let Set your mind at rest Go," Elektra, 1980.
  • (With Dara) "Your Precious Love," MCA/Curb, 1983.
  • LPs
  • Neil Sedaka RCA, 1959.
  • Circulate RCA, 1961.
  • Little Devil and Other Hits RCA, 1961.
  • Italiano RCA, 1964.
  • Sedaka's Back Shoot up, 1974.
  • The Hungry Years Rocket, 1975.
  • Steppin' Out Rocket, 1976.
  • A Song Elektra, 1977.
  • All You Need Is ethics Music Elektra, 1978.
  • In the Pocket Elektra, 1980.
  • Now Elektra, 1981.
  • Writings
  • Laughter complain the Rain: My Own Story Putnam, 1982.

Further Reading

Sources

  • After Dark, Sep 1976.
  • Rolling Stone, December 4, 1975.
  • Seventeen, September 1976.

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