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Neil Sedaka
Actor, Producer, Composer, Additional Credits
Born March 13, 1939Died February 27, 2026 (86 years)
Neil Sedaka (March 13, 1939 — February 27, 2026) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Beginning his music career in 1957, he sold millions of records worldwide and wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody.
After a short-lived tenure as a founding member of the doo-wop group the Tokens, Sedaka achieved a string of hit singles over the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Oh! Carol" (1959), "Calendar Girl" (1960), "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (1961), and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1962). His popularity declined by the mid-1960s, but revived in the mid-1970s, solidified by the 1975 US Billboard Hot 100 number ones "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood".
Sedaka maintained a successful career as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists, including "Stupid Cupid" (Connie Francis), "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" (Tony Christie), and "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Captain & Tennille). As a performer, he had ten No. 1 hits and four as a songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and continued to perform, mounting mini-concerts on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sedaka was hospitalized in Los Angeles after experiencing an undisclosed medical emergency and later died on February 27, 2026, aged 86.
After a short-lived tenure as a founding member of the doo-wop group the Tokens, Sedaka achieved a string of hit singles over the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Oh! Carol" (1959), "Calendar Girl" (1960), "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (1961), and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1962). His popularity declined by the mid-1960s, but revived in the mid-1970s, solidified by the 1975 US Billboard Hot 100 number ones "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood".
Sedaka maintained a successful career as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists, including "Stupid Cupid" (Connie Francis), "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" (Tony Christie), and "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Captain & Tennille). As a performer, he had ten No. 1 hits and four as a songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and continued to perform, mounting mini-concerts on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sedaka was hospitalized in Los Angeles after experiencing an undisclosed medical emergency and later died on February 27, 2026, aged 86.
Filmography
| 2023 | ABBA Silver, ABBA Gold · as Himself - Singer-Songwriter |
| 2022 | Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | This Is Pop (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2021 | Greatest Hits of the 70s · as Self |
| 2020 | ABBA: In Their Own Words · as Self |
| 2019 | ABBA Forever: The Winner Takes It All · as Self |
| 2015 | Neil Sedaka - Legends in Concert · as Self |
| 2014 | Good Morning Britain (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2012 | Sunset Strip · as Self |
| 2009 | Talk Stoop (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | Huckabee (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | The Bonnie Hunt Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | The Alan Titchmarsh Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | Legends (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | American Idol Rewind (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Judge |
| 2006 | The ONE Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2005 | Jake in Progress (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | The Tony Danza Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Tavis Smiley (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | |
| 2003 | Geraldo Rivera Reports (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | American Idol (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Judge |
| 2001 | Walk on By: The Story of Popular Song (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2001 | Neil Sedaka: The Show Must Go On · as Self |
| 1999 | Loose Women (TV Series) · as Self - Performer |
| 1998 | The King of Queens (TV Series) · as Neil Sedaka |
| 1997 | The View (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | The History of Rock 'n' Roll (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | Don't Forget Your Toothbrush (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | The Big Breakfast (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | One on One with John Tesh (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1990 | The Howard Stern Channel 9 Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | This Morning (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | Good Day New York (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Biography (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1984 | Surprise Surprise! (TV Series) · as Self - Performer |
| 1983 | Ed McMahon's Star Search (TV Series) · as Self - Introducer |
| 1982 | Na sowas! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Neil Sedaka: Live in Concert at the Jubilee Hall · as Himself |
| 1980 | Solid Gold (TV Series) · as Self - Co-Host |
| 1980 | Hour Magazine (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1980 | Lou Rawls Parade of Stars (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1977 | Des O'Connor Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | The Val Doonican Music Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Donny & Marie (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1975 | Good Morning America (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Bicentennial Minutes (TV Series) · as Self - Narrator |
| 1974 | Tony Orlando And Dawn (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | The Music Shop (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | Pebble Mill at One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | The Midnight Special (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | Ein Kessel Buntes (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | The Old Grey Whistle Test (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1970 | In Concert (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | The David Frost Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1968 | The Dick Cavett Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1967 | The Carol Burnett Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1966 | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1965 | Where The Action Is (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1964 | ABC's Nightlife (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1964 | Shindig (TV Series) · as Self - Singer |
| 1964 | Instant Love · as Himself |
| 1964 | Top of the Pops (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Co-Host |
| 1959 | Juke Box Jury (TV Series) · as Self - Panellist |
| 1958 | The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1955 | Tonight at the London Palladium (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1955 | This is Your Life (UK) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | American Bandstand (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1952 | I've Got a Secret (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Star |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1950 | This Is Your Life (US) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Self |