Neil Sedaka, legendary singer-songwriter, known for hits like Breaking Up Is Hard to Do died at the age of 86. The news of his passing was confirmed to Variety by a representative.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka. A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed,” a statement from the family read. A cause of death was not immediately known but TMZ had reported earlier in the day that Sedaka was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Friday morning, in an ambulance, after he complained about not feeling well.

Neil Sedaka: Wife and family

Sedaka was married to Strassberg for over six decades. The couple tied the knot in 1962. They reportedly met in the late 1950s at at Esther Manor. Sedaka was reportedly performing in a band at the hotel.

Strassberg’s mother, Esther Goldstein Strassberg, was one of the owners of the resort. A photo of the two from that time has been on social media for a while now.

They have two children who are into the arts as well. As per Sedaka’s official page, Dara is a recording artist and a vocalist for television and radio commercials. Marc is a successful screenwriter in Los Angeles.

Marc is married to Samantha Sedaka. The couple in turn have three children together. Sedaka’s official page also notes that he’s a grandfather, mentioning that he has twin granddaughters – Amanda and Charlotte and Michael is his grandson.

Sedaka was reportedly inspired by his grandchildren when he released Waking Up is Hard to Do. His page mentions it as a collection of his hit songs that have been reinvented as children’s songs.

Waking Up is Hard to Do was reportedly a family collaboration where Sedaka’s son, Marc adapted four of his father’s classic songs. His granddaughters, who were five at the time, made their recording debuts as backup vocalists.

Sedaka had initially pursued classical music, but the pop music bug bit him as a teen. When he was 13, a neighbor had heard him play the piano and introduced Sedaka to her son, Howard Greenfield, who was three years older. This marked the start of a partnership that would see the duo at the top of pop charts multiple times over the next 25 years.