Singer-Songwriter Neil Sedaka
Rushed to Hospital
Published
Neil Sedaka — a legendary singer-songwriter who gained worldwide fame in the 1960s — has been rushed to a hospital in L.A. … TMZ has learned.
Family sources tell TMZ … Neil wasn’t feeling well Friday morning and was taken in an ambulance to the hospital, where he is recovering.
The L.A. County West Hollywood sheriff’s station tells TMZ … deputies assisted the fire department on a “medical request” call, and paramedics transported him to a local hospital at about 8 AM today.
Sedaka began his career by singing with the group The Tokens in the mid-1950s. The Tokens blew up in 1961 with their hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” … though Neil had left the band by that time.
Neil had multiple No. 1 hits in the early ’60s … including “Oh! Carol,” “Calendar Girl,” and “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” He saw a career resurgence in the mid-1970s with the success of his songs “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.”
Sedaka has been nominated for five Grammy awards in his illustrious career. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, and he’s also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Neil has popped up on television a few times over the years too … with guests spots on “King of Queens” and “The Carol Burnett Show” among his credits. He also served as a guest Judge on “American Idol” season 2 — raving about Clay Aiken’s cover of his song “Solitaire.”
Neil married his wife Leba Strassberg in 1962 … the couple share two children.
