Something pleasant was mixed in with all the bad things that went on during the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic.
It was Neil Sedaka.
He kindly lent some comfort to people on-line by posting some short videos of him playing, and talking about, his old songs.
I was a teenage disc jockey (from the movie of the same name) when Sedaka made a comeback with a re-tempoed version of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” getting a musical shout-out by Toni Tennille, and dueting with Elton John. Of course, in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s he had a nice string of pop hits.
Sedaka got attention in high school. He was one of 15 high school music students who won the sixth annual talent search of the New York Times and WQXR radio and appeared on the station, age 16, in April or May of 1956.
The New York Daily News of June 24, 1956 showed he was already getting out of the amateur category.
2 Teenagers Get Start on Music Ladder
Even before they get their diplomas Tuesday [26], a couple of Abraham Lincoln HS students are off to a lively start of musical careers.
Annette Farro, 17, of 2245 E. Fifth St., is one of the ambitious Brooklyn teenagers. She aims to be one-half of a girl singing team with her married sister, Rose, (a graduate of the same school, and already is being heard over the air waves via a record sung by the sisters.
The other talented student, 17-year-old Neil Sedaka, of 3260, Coney Island Ave., also is hitting the air waves through recordings of two songs he has written with an Abraham Lincoln High school alumnus, Howard Greenfeld [sic], who lives at the Coney Island Ave. address. Faculty Composers
Indicating how things musical pop at this Brooklyn high school, Benjamin Goldman, of 2465 Haring St., Sheepshead Bay, chairman of its Music Department, is co-composer with another Brooklyn high school faculty member, of the song "I Found the Combination to Your Heart." He has also collaborated with Neil and Howard in composing a rock-n-roll number, "Wishing Well."
Describing the youngsters' accomplishments and the activities of others in the school's unique music course, the chairman said, "They show that many of these students will apply their musical training to future work just as mathematic majors will do in science or typists in business [sic]. It is gratifying."
Annette, slender and brown-eyed, has been active in the school's many musical doings, including singing with its student dance band and choral society.
Neil, a pianist who has won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music, has been busy too, along with his other studies at home in classical or pop music, he served as accompanist for the choral group and also the dance band.
Would Rather Sing
Annette, whose singing 19-year-old sister is Mrs. Salvatore Impoco, of 468 Ave V., Brooklyn, says, "I've no desire to go to college. I’d rather sing, even though it's hard to get a singing career started."
Neil, on the other hand, hopes after he completes his musical studies to go into teaching and continue composing and piano playing "on the side."
Recently he formed a pro singing group consisting of himself and three other students. It, too, has reached the record-making stage.
The Daily Province in Vancouver published a music page with the top ten songs on each of the local stations. Sedaka wasn’t in any of them on Dec. 20, 1957 (four of the five pop charts were topped with Jimmy Rogers’ “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”) but there was an article about him, likely a release supplied by Decca’s distributor.
Play it smooth or 'rock'; Neil does both with ease
It's quite a jump from the classics to rhythm and blues — but it's a jump that young Neil Sedaka has bridged successfully. Neil, who makes his Decca bow with two original compositions, Snowtime and Laura Lee, is, when not rocking and rolling, a student of classical piano at the world-famous Juilliard School of Music.
This new facet of his musical activities is, as of now, a temporary one. For 17-year-old Neil still intends to follow the career that was his first love—the concert stage.
Neil was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 13, 1940. As far as he is able to determine, he inherited his musical leanings from his grandmother, who had studied with Walter Damrosch.
By the time Neil was in the fourth grade of P.S. 253, his talent was recognized. He was right in front of the school chorus, and it was his teacher who suggested to Mrs. Sedaka that Neil should be given piano lessons. After getting the piano, Neil studied privately for one year. His progress was so rapid that at the end of that time his instructor recommended him to Julliard, where he received a scholarship.
During his last year at the Juilliard prep school, Sedaka won the New York high school musical talent auditions, which were held before noted pianist Artur Rubeinstein [sic].
IN THE MEANTIME, however, he had started to go to parties and had, like other youngsters his age, developed an interest in pop music. With the full approval of his teachers at Juilliard, he entered into activities in this field with almost the same enthusiasm that he has always shown for the classics. He began to write tunes, he formed his own vocal group with a few other classmates at Lincoln High School, he has been musical director at summer camps and, during the summer of 1957, played and sang with the orchestra at the Lake Tarleton Club in New Hampshire.
On his first Decca release, Neil exhibits several of his talents. He is co-author of the two tunes, he plays the piano and sings not only the vocal lead, but all of the choral parts as well.
Billboard reviewed the release in its Dec. 7, 1957 issue. The review was dropped into its Country and Western category, along with records by Roy Acuff, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Grandpa Jones and the great Wanda Jackson. It explained:
Laura Lee DECCA 30520 – Bright, cheerful sounds by the chorus on this rock-a-blues gives it a good potential in both pop and c.&w. markets. It could catch on. (Norman-Leonard, BMI)
Snowtime
Rockaballad is fervently sung by the crew. This, too, could cop play, but flip appears a stronger try. (Norman-Leonard, BMI)
The next we hear of Sekada in Billboard is in its Sept. 15, 1958 edition, when it reviewed two songs: “Ring a Rockin’” backed with “Fly Don’t Fly on Me” on the Guyden label. This gained the attention of TV hitmaker Dick Clark, who featured him (and Julius La Rosa) on American Bandstand on Oct. 18, 1958.
In less than a month, Sedaka was recording for RCA. He was on his way.
It’s sad to learn of Sedaka’s death, but encouraging that he was a boy who had a dream and fulfilled it and, years later, did what he could to help other people through a pandemic.