The “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” singer-songwriter died at the age of 86
The cause of death of Neil Sedaka, one of the most successful performers and writers of the Sixties and Seventies, has been determined.
Sedaka died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to a death certificate obtained by the New York Post. Kidney failure was listed as a contributing factor. The American Heart Association states that ASCVD-related conditions are of the leading cause of death in the world and that the disease is caused by plaque buildup in arterial walls.
Sedaka died at the age of 86 on Feb. 27. “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” the singer’s family said in a statement at the time. “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.”
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During his career, the singer-songwriter enjoyed two distinct eras of success. In the early Sixties, Sedaka’s pop and doo wop-inflected tunes like “Breaking Up” and “Oh! Carol” dominated the pre-Beatlemania charts. A decade later, he mounted a comeback as an adult contemporary star with songs like “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.”
In 2016, he released his last studio album, I Do It for Applause, in 2016, and eventually decided to stop songwriting altogether. “I felt if you can’t top it, you should stop it,” he said in a 2020 interview. “I think the reason I’ve been around so long is I’ve always been able to raise the bar, reinvent Neil Sedaka, and to develop and grow. It’s still very gratifying to hear my music played on the radio – the songs will outlive me.”
