Married to the love of his life for almost 61 years, Neil Sedaka doesnโt have a lot of experience to say that โBreaking Up is Hard to Do.โ
Recently celebrating his 84th birthday, the handsome โdown doobie do down downโ singer who melted hearts with his vocals, is bursting with love for his grandchildren and gushes that he was โborn married to his wife.โ
How could anyone not love Neil Sedaka? Heโs given us so much โ the exceptional singer has delighted us with his voice and presence for many years.
A natural talent, Neil Sedaka โ whoโs written and recorded some of the catchiest tunes in pop history โ said that when he was a child, he was embarrassed to sing in front of an audience.
โI knew I had a remarkable voice, but I was embarrassed because it was so high,โ Sedaka shared. โBut when I sang at my bar mitzvah the rabbi was in tears.โ
When he was only 13, the classically trained pianist, who attended a Saturday scholarship program at Julliardโs Preparatory for Children, formed a partnership with 16-year-old Howard Greenfield, and together they composed songs for Sedakaโs school band the Linc-Tones, a band that would later become the Tokens.
Working from New Yorkโs historic Brill Building, the duo went on to write chart-topping hits like Sedakaโs โBreaking up is Hard to do,โ Captain & Tenilleโs โLove will keep us Togetherโ and Connie Francisโ โStupid Cupid.โ
โWe had a cubicle with a piano and a bench but no window. You only got a room with a window after youโd had a hit song,โ Sedaka said, adding the pair were earning $50 a week. โEvery day from 9am to 5pm weโd write and then weโd play what weโd written to people from record labels. It was hard but it was wonderful training.โ
He was the first at the building who recorded his own songs, and also the first to reach the Top 10 with his hit song โOh! Carolโ (1959), which was inspired by his high school girlfriend Carole King.
Greenfield and Sedaka collaborated until the mid 70s, and Greenfield, who was openly gay, died from complications from AIDS in 1986.
As for Sedaka, at 19 he left The Tokens before the band hit its pinnacle of fame in 1961 with โThe Lion Sleeps Tonightโ and โTonight I Fell in Love.โ
Performing solo, his first three releases failed to make the charts, but one song did earn him a spot on American Bandstand with Dick Clark, and soon after he landed a recording contract.
His first hit single was โThe Diaryโโa song inspired by Connie Francisโ diary because Sedaka really wanted โto look into that little bookโโthat peaked at 14 in the Billboard Top 100 in 1958. In 1960, Sedaka released โCalendar Girl,โ his sixth hit in two years, and his popularity was reaching massive heights.
In 1962, he married Leba Strassberg, whom he met while performing at the now abandoned Esther Manor resort in the Catskills Mountains, NY.
The resort was co-owned by Lebaโs mother, Esther, a businesswoman who wasnโt fond of her daughter being courted by a lowly musician.
Despite Estherโs disapproval, the couple stayed together, all the while dealing with another meddling mom, Eleanor Sedaka.
Earlier confessing that she rode rollercoasters when she was pregnant with him, hoping to miscarry, Eleanor was also pushing her son into pursuing a career as a classical pianist, and not as a pop star.
โShe soon changed her mind when I got a royalty cheque for $62,000 for โStupid Cupid.โ My father was a taxi driver and never made more than $10,000 a year,โ Sedaka said, adding that he made the mistake of giving the money to his mom, who along with her lover later controlled most of his rights as an artist, including his royalties and finances.
โMy father knew about him and accepted him so after the initial shock so did I. I even understood it, in a way. My parents lived in two rooms with nine other relatives and my dad was very thrifty whereas the other man bought her jewels and furs and took her to nice places.โ He continued, โOnly they were living the high life on my money. They went through hundreds of thousands of dollars. I couldnโt pay my taxes, nothing. My wife and I had to start from scratch.โ
Firing his motherโs boyfriend, Sedaka explained that Eleanor almost overdosed on sleeping pills โbecause she couldnโt stand to see her son and her lover at odds. She said she didnโt realise it was my money they were spending. I didnโt speak to her for a year.โ
It was in that time that his loyal wife became his new manager.
Just as he was poised to make some money, The Beatles came around and disrupted Sedakaโs popularity.
Though he continued writing music for others, his waning chart appeal in the U.S. motivated him to move Leba and their children, Dara and Marc, to London, the hot spot of hit makers.
Referring to his slide in fame, Sedaka said: โWell, I used to walk down the street and people asked, โDidnโt you used to be Neil Sedaka?โ I said, โwell, Iโm still Neil Sedaka, you havenโt heard the last of me.โ I had to change my style. It was the early โ70s, and I met a guy by the name of Elton John. Did you ever hear of him?โ
Sedaka, who met the singer of โIโm Still Standingโ at a London party, said he was asked to sign with Johnโs former label, the Rocket Record Company.
And, as the label suggests, Sedakaโs fame skyrocketed with 1974โs album โSedakaโs Backโโthe first of three albums with Elton Johnโand the singer was again charting hits in the U.S.
In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he later received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2003, he appeared as a guest judge on American Idol, where season two runner-up Clay Aiken later recorded and released Sedakaโs 1972 song โSolitaire,โ that became the top selling single of 2004.
During COVID, Sedaka started releasing mini concerts through his social media to keep fans entertained, and last September for his 60th anniversary with Leba, he shared a special concert with three songs he composed for her. The heart-warming tribute reads: โIโd like to dedicate todayโs mini-concert to my beautiful wife, Leba. In September, we will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary. Here are three songs especially written for Leba!โ
In early May, Sedaka posted a video on his Facebook, announcing that he joined the Cameo family. He shared that he looks forward to taking requests for birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion where he can deliver a special message. He ended the short clip with a few bars of โBreaking Up is Hard to Do,โ and fans praised him. One said, โBeen listening to your songs since I was a teenager, Iโm now 75 and love your music! Please donโt stop!!โ
Another fan wrote a thoughtful message that many can relate: โDear Neil, your songs brighten up the day. I often find myself humming melodies you createdโฆas if they have become a part of me. Thank you for the joy you bring to the world!โ
While he continues to bring joy to everyone who hears his music, Sedaka is mostly focused on his wife and family.
โI was born marriedโฆ if youโre lucky to have that companion that does it for you, thatโs a great gift,โ said Sedaka, a devoted grandfather of three, including one set of twins.
As for their kids, Dara (born 1963) is an actress and singer known for movies like Where the Boys Are, and Marc (born 1967) is a writer and editor for TV and film.
Referencing his successful career, Sedaka said, โI could have been bigger but I wasnโt controversial enough. I didnโt do drugs or wreck rooms. There were no dramas in my private lifeโฆI had talent and I was hungry for fame, and you canโt say I didnโt get it.โ
Itโs so inspiring that Neil Sedaka and Leba have been married for so many years, not allowing fame the opportunity to divide their beautiful relationship.
He really is a talented artist, whose music will most definitely influence generations to come. Thank you for sharing your life and music with all of us. What is your favorite song that he either performed or composed?
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