Neil Sedaka, songwriter to the stars for decades, dies at 86

BREAKING NEWS Updated 11 minutes ago Obituaries Neil Sedaka, songwriter to the stars for decades, dies at 86 Sedaka penned such hits as "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" and "Love Will Keep Us Together." Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 27, 2026, 5:32 PM EST / Updated Feb. 27, 2026, 5:34 PM EST By Dennis Romero Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 Neil Sedaka, one of pop's most enduring songwriters whose career extended from after World War II to the countercultural days of Elton John, has died, his family said Friday. Sedaka, the writer behind such songs as "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," "Love Will Keep Us Together" and dozens of other hits, was 86. His cause of death was not clear. "Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka," his family said in a statement to NBC News. Sedaka got his start in high school, performing with a doo-wop group, the Tokens, that recorded two hit singles. Later collaboration with his young neighbor, Howard Greenfield, led to a songwriting partnership that lasted a half-century and resulted in 40 million records sold between 1959 and 1963, according to his official bio. Sedaka's reign extended beyond the innocent postwar times, and in the 1970s, he was reintroduced to music fans by Elton John and his label, Rocket, which released “Sedaka’s Back” in 1974 and “The Hungry Years” in 1975, according to the bio. In 1995, he leaned on his classical training at Juilliard to release “Classically Sedaka." He would later be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. "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," his family said in Friday's statement. Share Add NBC News to Google Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.