American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, who wrote hits through the 1950's and 60's, including Oh! Carol, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Bad Blood, Laughter in the Rain and Calendar Girl, has died at the age of 86.
"Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather," his family confirmed in a statement.
"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."
Sedaka, a skilled pianist nominated for five Grammy awards, also wrote hits for several other famous musicians in his six-decades-long career.
The Brooklyn native and student of the famed Julliard School in New York was a founder of the doo-wop group The Tokens in the late 1950's.
After producing several hits through the early 1960s, he later returned to Billboard's Top 10 chart in 1975 after writing the song Love Will Keep Us Together for duo Captain & Tennille.
