Legendary singer and writer of iconic ballads dead at 86: ‘Our family is devastated’

Neil Sedaka, known for hits like “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Love Will Keep Us Together” and “Calendar Girl” died Friday at the age of 86.

Sedaka was taken to the hospital by ambulance Friday and died later in the day. TMZ was first to report the news.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” a family statement read, per Variety. “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.”

A Brooklyn native and a veteran of the legendary “Brill Building” hit factory of the early ’60s, Sedaka scored three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine in the Top 10,

Sedaka’s peak years were the early 1960s and a mid-’70s where he scored three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine in the Top 10, including Elton John performed 1975’s No. 1 “Bad Blood” with him.

He also wrote hits for other singers, including Connie Francis’ 1958 hit “Stupid Cupid” and the Captain and Tennille’s breakthrough chart-topper “Love Will Keep Us Together.”

Sedaka was nominated for five Grammy awards. In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and, in 1978, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“I have a theory that there are three kinds of songwriting,” Sedaka told Billboard in 2010. “The emotional is when you go through some trauma and get it out on the page. The intellectual writing is when you have a tune in your head spinning around for many years and you almost rewrite it. And the last is spiritual writing, which is something that comes from a higher power that kind of writes itself and you’re channeling.”