Happy Birthday to Neil Sedaka

Today is the 84th birthday of American singer, songwriter, and pianist Neil Sedaka, who became popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits such as "Oh! Carol," "Calendar Girl," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," and "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen."

Neil was born on March 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, and began playing the piano at a young age. He started his career in music as a songwriter, writing hits for artists such as Connie Francis and Frankie Avalon. In 1958, he signed a recording contract with RCA Victor and released his first hit single, "The Diary," which reached the top 20 in the US charts.

His popularity continued to grow with a string of successful singles throughout the 1960s, and he also continued to write songs for other artists. In the 1970s, he had a resurgence in popularity with the release of the album "Sedaka's Back," which included the hit single "Laughter in the Rain."

Throughout his career, he has continued to write and record music, and he has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he continues to perform live and record new music.