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Neil Sedaka music biography continued...

as a youngster and was enrolled in the prestigious children's program at Julliard. He studied classical music at Julliard, but felt more inclined to pursue a career in pop, and created a songwriting team with a young neighbor, Howard Greenfield, which would prove to be one of the most prolific partnerships in music history. Sedaka and Greenfield became one of the original creators of the "Brill Building" sound in the late fifties and early sixties, penning hits for scores of stars. Sedaka himself catapulted into stardom after Connie Francis recorded his "Stupid Cupid" and sang the theme song Sedaka and Greenfield had written for the 1960 MGM spring break classic, Where the Boys Are, which would be her biggest hit. Rhythm and blues stars Clyde McPhatter and LaVern Baker also scored hits with his songs. As a result of these hits, Sedaka was able to sign a contract with RCA as a writer and performer of his own material. Sedaka soon recorded chart toppers "The Diary," "Oh! Carol," " Stairway to Heaven," "Calendar Girl," "Little Devil," "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen," "Next Door To An Angel," and "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," making him one of the top teen pop acts of his generation.



Sedaka's name faded in the late sixties with the British Invasion, but he started to make a comeback in 1972 when Elton John signed him to his newly created label, Rocket Records. The two albums he recorded for the Rocket label, Sedaka's Back in 1974 and The Hungry Years in 1975, both became top selling albums around the world. His comeback was further heralded by two of his songs co-written with Phil Cody, "Bad Blood" and the quintessential "Laughter in the Rain," both reaching the #1 position on the music charts. The song "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" was re-released as a ballad in 1975, and made music history when it reached #1 on the charts, solidifying the second coming. Sedaka has since been showered with numerous music industry accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Popular Music / Songwriters Hall of Fame. He continues to maintain a high profile in the industry, recording and performing the songs that have made him an entertainment icon.