Trained as a classical pianist at New York’s Juilliard School, Sedaka discovered pop music as a teen and teamed up with lyricist Howard Greenfield to co-write the songs mentioned above and many more. In later years, other hits were written with Phil Cody (“Laughter in the Rain,” “Bad Blood”) but Sedaka’s love for classical music never waned.
“There are not many singer-songwriters of my era who can play Chopin, Debussy and Bach!” he said. “I’ve even performed a few piano pieces during the mini-concerts.”
Like other artists, Sedaka’s live tours have been mostly postponed until 2021 (see www.neilsadaka.com) and he says the mini-concerts have helped fill the void all entertainers are experiencing this year. He’s also been appearing monthly on the Sirius XM channel “50s on 5.”
“I play my records and talk about them and the times,” he explained. “Being from that era, I think people are curious to learn about the period and inner workings of the records musically. With such a large body of work it keeps me very happy to play my songs whether on the radio or for the YouTube mini-concerts. But performing live is like a drug with that adrenaline rush, so I’m looking forward to getting back on the stage.”
The only other Rock n Roller that I know of that’s a classically trained pianist is Eric Carmen.
He looks good. Glad to know he is doing ok.