American singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka (86) has passed away, as reported by his family the other day. During his six-decade career, three of Sedaka's songs topped the US music charts, and he also wrote hits for other artists. Sedaka's family wrote on his Facebook page: 'Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of the husband, father, and beloved grandfather,' describing him as 'a true legend of rock and roll,' without specifying the cause of death. Born in New York, Sedaka began his career in the late 1950s and achieved his first successes with the song 'Stupid Cupid,' which he wrote for one of the most famous American singers of that era, Connie Francis. A skilled pianist, Sedaka became a star in the early 1960s with successful pop songs, but his popularity waned in the mid-1960s with the rise of bands like 'The Beatles.' However, he made a comeback in the 1970s with easy-listening songs. By the 1980s, Sedaka had disappeared from the music charts, but he remained a prominent figure in the entertainment world and continued to perform even as his commercial success declined.
