Neil Sedaka
American · 86 years old · Died 1 April 2026
Singer-songwriter — "Calendar Girl", "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
Cause of death
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Neil Sedaka was one of the most successful pop songwriters of the late 20th century, with hits spanning from the late 1950s through the 1970s. "Calendar Girl", "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" became staples of pop music. He also wrote "Love Will Keep Us Together" for Captain & Tennille, which became the best-selling single of 1975. He died at 86 from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
How common is cardiovascular disease?
Neil Sedaka died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Globally, cardiovascular disease kills 18,600,000 people every year — that is 50,959 per day, or roughly one person every 2 seconds. It accounts for 30% of all deaths worldwide.
Deaths / year
18,600,000
Deaths / day
50,959
Deaths / hour
2,123
Deaths / second
0.59
Share of all global deaths
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Since Neil Sedaka died
Live count since 1 April 2026
Total deaths worldwide since then
---
Deaths from same cause since then
---