Neil Sedaka was more than just a popular singer; he was a highly respected songwriter. He inspired a new generation of artists during a period when singers and songwriters were typically separate roles.
A teenage girlfriend of his, Carole King, grew up to be one of the great songwriters herself.
King shared yesterday that the individual was incredibly talented and motivated him to pursue his own ambition of becoming a songwriter.
Stevie Wonder, widely considered one of the greatest musicians ever, once revealed that Neil Sedaka was his biggest inspiration.
Growing up in Detroit, Stevie Wonder was such a big fan of Neil Sedaka that people nicknamed him ‘Whitey’.
Sedaka’s career went all the way from 1957 to 2025 – and there were three secrets to his success.
His voice was naturally smooth, convincing, and surprisingly clear. When he sang, every word was perfectly understandable, and you truly felt the emotion behind the song.
His skill as a songwriter was key to his success. He could write in a variety of styles, ranging from the upbeat sounds of doo-wop – like the music he made with his early band, The Tokens – to the softer melodies of ballads, as demonstrated by his hit song, Laughter In The Rain.
His ability to play so many styles came from his deep understanding of music. He earned a scholarship to study classical piano at the Juilliard School in New York, where he took lessons every Saturday.
Traditionally trained pianists often looked down on pop music, and even Sedaka’s mother didn’t approve when he began writing songs in that style. However, he was dedicated to his work.
Facing a slump in 1959, he reportedly studied three of the most popular songs of the time to figure out their structure. This led to the creation of “Oh! Carol,” which became his most famous song.
His third key to success was emotional intelligence, something he had in common with both of his lyricists, Howard Greenfield and, later, Phil Cody.
The lyrics Greenfield penned for “Oh! Carol” were surprisingly emotional for the era. Tom Sedaka sang lines like, “You hurt me and you make me cry,” and even dramatically declared, “If you leave me, I will surely die!” These were bold expressions for a young singer at the time.
Greenfield and Sedaka understood that young women were the primary buyers of pop music, and they intentionally crafted songs to appeal to that audience. They were unusually perceptive – though this wasn’t commonly recognized then – in understanding what young women wanted to hear, showing a strong connection to feminine sensibilities.
They could be blokey, too, as they showed with the jokey rock ’n’ roll of I Go Ape.
Some of their songs definitely reflect the attitudes of the era they were created in. For example, in ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,’ the singer, who’s known the birthday girl since childhood, seems overly excited that she’s grown from a playful, active girl into someone he now considers beautiful.
Sedaka was successful because his songs, like many others he wrote, were simply charming. His melodies were elegant and brought a touch of Broadway flair to popular music.
Neil Sedaka’s successful career hit a rough patch in 1963 when The Beatles became incredibly popular in the United States. He stopped having hit songs and even struggled to find a record company willing to work with him, until Elton John offered him a deal with Rocket Records in the 1970s.
Neil Sedaka wasn’t bitter about The Beatles’ success. In fact, he and Paul McCartney became friends. To celebrate McCartney’s 80th birthday in 2022, Sedaka shared a photo of them together and called him ‘the greatest of all time!’
Sedaka admitted he wasn’t quite as famous as McCartney, but he influenced many artists who went on to achieve great things. And he was a remarkably talented musician in his own right.
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2026-03-01 04:07