"I was the king of the tra-la-las and doo-be-dos in the '50s and '60s. After doo-be-dos went out of style in the late '60s, Sedaka focused on songwriting. He wrote songs for the Monkees, the 5th Dimension, and the Carpenters, demonstrating his versatility and enduring influence in the music industry."
"Sedaka and Greenfield began working at the famous Brill Building, alongside such songwriting legends as Neil Diamond and Carole King. Their first hit was Francis's 'Stupid Cupid,' which went to No. 17 on the Billboard 'Hot 100.' They also wrote 'Where the Boys Are' for Francis, which became one of her biggest hits."
"I went from making $30,000 a year to $6 million a year with [that] song. The album featured his second No. 1 hit, 'Laughter in the Rain,' released in 1974 after Elton John signed Sedaka to his Rocket Record Co. label, marking a major career resurgence."
Neil Sedaka, a Brooklyn-born musician who showed early talent and won a Juilliard scholarship, became a major force in popular music. He formed a songwriting partnership with Howard Greenfield at age 13, and together they worked at the Brill Building alongside legends like Neil Diamond and Carole King. Their early success included writing 'Stupid Cupid' for Connie Francis. Sedaka achieved his first No. 1 hit as a performer in 1962 with 'Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.' After the doo-wop era declined, he transitioned to songwriting for major artists including the Monkees and the Carpenters. Moving to England in 1970, he signed with Elton John's label and achieved major commercial success with 'Laughter in the Rain.' Throughout his career, Sedaka wrote over 700 songs and received five Grammy nominations.
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