NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
The cause of Neil Sedaka’s death has been revealed.
The popular singer died of cardiovascular disease, with kidney failure listed as the cause, according to a death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital.
Atherosclerosis is when fat and cholesterol build up inside a person’s arteries. This buildup, called plaque, can narrow the arteries, so blood can’t flow easily, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sometimes the plaque can break open, which can cause blood clots.
Sedaka died on February 27 at the age of 86.
MUSIC LEGEND NEIL SEDAKA HAS DIED at the age of 86
The cause of Neil Sedaka’s death has been revealed. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,” his family said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. “A true legend of rock and roll, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, a wonderful person who will be greatly missed.”
Sedaka died after being rushed to the hospital on the morning of February 27.
West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station officials told Fox News Digital that deputies responded around 8:00 a.m., “in reference to a medical request and an elderly male patient was transported to a local hospital.”
LIKE WHAT YOU READ? CLICK HERE FOR MORE FUN NEWS
Neil Sedaka died on February 27th. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Sedaka rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s, with songs like “Oh Carol,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” and “Next Door to an Angel,” and is known as one of the original creators of the “Brill Building” sound, a subgenre of pop music.
During this time, he and his partner, Howard Greenfield, also wrote hits for other artists, including “Stupid Cupid” and “Where the Boys Are” by Connie Francis, and “Love Will Us Together,” by Captain & Tennille.
According to the singer’s website, his popularity began to wane because The Beatles changed “the American way of music,” but three albums Sedaka released in the early 1970s caught the attention of Grammy Award-winning singer Elton John, who went on to sign him to his record label, Rocket Records.
“It was like Elvis coming to give us a chance to release his records,” John was quoted as saying at the time, according to the website. “We couldn’t believe our luck.”
Elton John has signed Neil Sedaka to his record company. (Michael Putland/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Neil Sedaka is survived by his wife Leba and their two children, Dara and Marc. (Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
He recorded five albums from 1972 to 1976. They included the hit songs “Standing on the Inside,” “When the Music Takes Me” and “Our Last Song Ndawonye,” about her breakup with Greenfield, with whom she began writing songs when Sedaka was only 13 and Greenfield was 16.
Throughout his career, Sedaka was honored with six Grammy Award nominations. He was later inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame eluded him despite a fan petition campaign.
In 2016, Sedaka released his 22nd album, “I Do It For Applause,” which he called “the culmination of sixty-four years.”
“This is a gift I was born with,” he said on his website. “My main goal is to always be at the top of the final round, raise the bar and reinvent Neil Sedaka.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Fox News Digital’s Larry Fink, Lori Bashian and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
