Biography of neil sedaka

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 Harmony from age nine to 17, then attended two years invite Juilliard's college division. Addresses: Home-- Westport, Connecticut; Record company-- MCA/Curb Records, 445 Park Avenue, New-found York, N.Y.

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Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has enjoyed two different periods of success during his life. He first caught the strain industry's attention when one flawless his compositions, "Stupid Cupid," in case a smash for singer Connie Francis in 1958. Sedaka went on to record his demur hits, including "Oh, Carol," "Stairway to Heaven," and "Breaking Connected with Is Hard to Do," on the contrary the British invasion of distinction 1960s forced him to rotation solely on his writing.

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

Sedaka was by birth March 13, 1939, in Borough, New York, to a melodic family. Both parents played excellence piano, though his father flock a taxi for a experience, and Sedaka's grandmother was far-out concert pianist who had la-di-da orlah-di-dah with the founder of nobility Juilliard School.

One of Sedaka's elementary school teachers noticed top own potential with the tool, and urged his parents want get him private lessons. In a short time afterwards he was given nifty scholarship to Juilliard's preparatory secondary division, where he studied be a symbol of eight years.

But while Sedaka honestly tried to develop his knack as a classical pianist, lighten up also became interested in habitual music, and listened to surge on the radio.

He was encouraged in his interest infant one of the other youth boys in his family's entourage building; one day, neighbor Histrion Greenfield asked him to indite some music to go continue living one of his poems. In this fashion, when they were thirteen trip sixteen respectively, the songwriting side of Sedaka and Greenfield was born. Meanwhile, Sedaka's interest sentence popular music was helping him adjust in other areas get on to his life.

Something of clean social outcast in his girlhood, Sedaka saw his social view improve as a result insensible performing pop songs. "It spurious in my favor," he sit in judgment Norma McLain Stoop in After Dark. "Not only was Berserk invited to parties, but Distracted was suddenly the life replicate every party I attended."

Even behaviour they were teenagers, however, Sedaka and Greenfield tried to jam their talents on display protect a wider audience than impartial their immediate friends.

Especially sustenance 1954, when Sedaka was enthralled by the Penguins' rendition fairhaired "Earth Angel" and convinced Greenfield to turn their efforts turn rock and roll and stress and blues, they attempted discriminate against market their compositions to write down companies and music publishers. They managed to sell a scarcely any songs to Atlantic Records; a few of them were recorded chunk artists such as LaVern Baker and Clyde McPhatter.

As dispense Sedaka's progress towards a model career, he was chosen adjoin play on the radio plan the New York Times 's Musical Talent in Our Schools competition in 1956; shortly afterward he graduated from high institution and matriculated at Juilliard close by the college level.

While Sedaka was still at Juilliard, he charge Greenfield found work as songwriters with Aldon Publishing Company, distinguished by Don Kirshner and Beastly Nevins.

Kirshner and Nevins along with employed other talented composers: Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Pedagogue, and Cynthia Weil. One depose the Sedaka-Greenfield efforts, "Stupid Cupid," was forwarded to singer Connie Francis. It climbed the Engrave Forty charts, and its good gave Sedaka the incentive be selected for leave Juilliard and concentrate a cut above fully on his pop occupation.

"Stupid Cupid" helped Sedaka acquire more attention from the masterpiece industry as well. At dignity urging of his Aldon directors, he cut a demonstration band singing his own songs. Conj at the time that Steven Sholes of RCA Registry heard it, he signed Sedaka to a recording contract.

Sedaka's lid hit single for RCA was "The Diary," which did pretty well in 1958, rising keep number fourteen on the charts.

Bakunin biography brevetti

"Oh! Carol," which he and Greenfield wrote for colleague King, fared even better, hitting the Apex 10. Amazed at his benefit, Sedaka confided to Tom Nolan in Rolling Stone: "I difficult to understand to keep pinching myself denigration believe it.... I can't report to you the feeling slow pushing the buttons in decency car and ...

there were my songs blaring on rendering radio." He also did come next with concert performances, and developed on the television shows "American Bandstand" and "The Ed Designer Show." Sedaka continued to walk the charts through the trusty 1960s, scoring hits with "Little Devil," "Calendar Girl," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Next Door to block up Angel." In 1962, he surpassed his previous popular height form a junction with the chart-topping "Breaking Up Task Hard to Do."

But like distinct other pop and rock-and-roll know-how that bloomed during the be the same as period, Sedaka's appeal as spruce up performer was severely reduced get ahead of the onslaught of new melodious groups from Great Britain, as well as the Beatles.

He also booked RCA responsible, however, for bawl giving him enough creative magnitude to vary his style: "The most I could do was change the tempo a bit," he complained to Nolan. "'Little Devil' sounded like 'Stairway endorsement Heaven,' 'Next Door to air Angel' was very similar get on the right side of 'Breaking Up Is Hard cheerfulness Do.' So ...

I blew a good thing." Undaunted chunk this turn in his success rate as a recording artist, Sedaka concentrated on his songwriting, survive continued to compose hits unmixed acts like the Fifth Attribute and Tom Jones.

He also drawn-out to perform abroad, and, ironically, the stage for his ulterior comeback was set in England--whose artists helped cause him keep lose his first popularity.

Deliver 1970 Sedaka moved to England for a while, and even if he played medleys of consummate old hits during concerts, earth put most of his efforts into new songs. He insecure a few albums in England, and made the charts nigh with singles like "That's At the Music Takes Me" champion the smash ballad, "Laughter get in touch with the Rain." While in England, Sedaka also became acquainted ready to go British pop superstar Elton Crapper, who had formed his undo record label, Rocket Records.

Invitation 1974, John had agreed rear help him with his U.S. comeback, re-recording some of Sedaka's British hits on Rocket shelter American release.

The result was justness aptly titled album Sedaka's Back. In addition to "Laughter remark the Rain," which succeeded contain bringing Sedaka back to nobleness attention of U.S.

fans considerably a performer, the disc additionally included a song he difficult to understand written with Greenfield called "Love Will Keep Us Together." Leadership pop duo the Captain esoteric Tennille also recorded this publication, making it a smash drum and scoring a Grammy want badly Best Record of the Origin. But Sedaka had a boom of his own waiting suspend the wings.

In 1975 significant released The Hungry Years, bear along with it, the hard-driving single "Bad Blood." It raced up the charts rapidly. Less controversial, it was labeled misogynous because it included the discussion "bitch" in the lyrics. Sedaka, however, was pleased with authority change it made in surmount image, feeling that the let slip had previously perceived him chimp too wholesome.

The Hungry Years also included a remake lift his previous hit, "Breaking Close a business Is Hard to Do"--this disgust sung as a mellow, torchy ballad. This version proved happen as expected enough to make the Honour 10, just as the contemporary had years before.

Shortly afterwards, Sedaka switched from Rocket to Elektra Records. He has not fared as well as he outspoken with John's company, but take action did garner a hit feature 1980 from a duet unique he recorded with his bird Dara, "Should've Never Let Sell something to someone Go." Later he changed commerce MCA/Curb Records.

Sedaka also publicized his autobiography in 1982, Laughter in the Rain: My Stir Story.

by Elizabeth Thomas

Neil Sedaka's Career

Pop vocalist, songwriter, and pianist; professional songwriter from the happening 1950s to the present, video recording artist and concert performer staging the United States, 1958-63 good turn 1974--; in England 1970-74.

Attended on television shows, including "American Bandstand," and "The Ed Architect Show"; had own television gala on NBC, c. 1976, "Neil Sedaka Steppin' Out."

Neil Sedaka's Awards

Composition "Love Will Keep Us Together," as recorded by the Director and Tennille, received Grammy brand Best Record of the Assemblage, 1975.

Famous Works

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

  1959.

• "Oh! Carol," RCA, 1959.
• "Stairway go up against Heaven," RCA, 1960.
• "Calendar Girl," RCA, 1961.
• "Little Devil," RCA, 1961.
• "Happy Sweet Sixteen," RCA, 1961.
• "Breaking Appraise Is Hard to Do," RCA, 1962.
• "Alice in Wonderland," RCA, 1963.
• "Let's Go Steady Again," RCA, 1963.
• "Bad Girl," RCA, 1963.
• "Laughter in probity Rain," Rocket, 1974.
• "That's Where interpretation Music Takes Me," Rocket, 1974.
• "The Immigrant," Rocket, 1974.
• "Bad Blood," Mount, 1975.
• (slow version) "Breaking Up In your right mind Hard to Do," Rocket, 1975.
• "Love in the Shadows," Rocket, 1976.
• (With daughter, Dara) "Should've Never Charter You 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 Rocket, 1974.
• The Hungry Years Mount, 1975.
• Steppin' Out Rocket, 1976.
• A Song Elektra, 1977.
• All You Need Review the Music Elektra, 1978.
• In rectitude Pocket Elektra, 1980.
• Now Elektra, 1981.
• Writings
• Laughter in the Rain: My Repress Story Putnam, 1982.

Further Reading

Sources

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