Neil Sedaka Was ‘Born Married’ to Wife of 60 Years — At 84, He Looks ‘Great’ & Adores His Granddaughters

Iconic American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has an incredible music career spanning over five decades. He is best known for composing some of the most catchy pop tunes, which include “Calendar Girl,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.”

Earlier, in May, Sedaka took to his Facebook account to post a video addressing his fans and letting them know he has joined the Cameo family. The star went on to say that he is excited to take requests for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or any other special occasion that warrants a special message for loved ones. He ended the video with a sweet rendition of one of his classic songs, “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.”

To say fans were swooning over Sedaka’s video message would be an accurate summation of their reactions. Many were taken aback by how wonderful the artist still looked at 84 and praised him for not only sounding amazing but looking great too:

“Thank you…missed you. Looking and sounding great, sir! RESPECT.”

In addition to raving about how fantastic Sedaka looks, fans complimented the singer on his undeniable musical talent. Some on Facebook were smitten over his soothing vibrato, which immediately captured their attention and made them recall how fantastic he had always sounded back in the day and now:

“Love it! Sir Neil…U are amazing as always…”

In addition to looking and sounding great at 84, Sedaka has been married to his wife for six decades. The happy couple are also parents of two.

The Love Story of Neil Sedaka and His Wife of 60 Years

Sedaka met his wife, Leba Strassberg when she was 16 years old, and he was 19. At the time, Sedaka was performing at Strassberg’s mother’s hotel in upstate New York. The couple has since been married for 60 years and share a daughter, Dara Sedaka, and a son, Marc Sedaka, and three grandchildren.

Although Sedaka says his initial encounter with his wife was born out of love at first sight, Strassberg’s mother disapproved of their relationship and marriage. According to him, her mother was a businesswoman who did not see him as a reasonable prospect for her daughter. However, her father ended up being the saving grace, having seen his full potential and talent.

Strassberg has also been her husband’s manager for over 40 years. However, before this, his mother, Eleanor Sedaka, controlled most of his rights as an artist, including his royalties and finances. Having initially wanted to pursue a career as a classical pianist, it was not until Sedaka was 13 that he started a co-writing partnership with a neighbor’s 16-year-old son, Howard Greenfield, who was an aspiring poet and lyricist.

The duo went on to write hits for New York’s famous Brill Building, where they would make $50 a week up until Greenfield’s unfortunate passing. In 1959, Sedaka became the first-ever songwriter to record his own songs and feature on the Top 10 charts.

Sedaka has gone down in musical history as a legendary artist who inspired many others in his genre.

Before gaining popularity as a singer, Sedaka disclosed that though he had always known he had a great voice, he was always embarrassed to share his talents in public until he sang at his bar mitzvah. His performance had brought his rabbi to tears that he implored Sedaka’s parents to consider having him become a cantor in the synagogue, to which Eleanor refused.

It was not until the “Oh! Carol” singer made a whopping $62,000 in royalties for his song “Stupid Cupid” that his mother changed her mind about him becoming a singer.

Sedaka’s mother was so involved in his career that she even controlled his money. He would give his mother his royalty cheques, and it started a financial drain chain reaction. Eleanor had taken a lover while still married to Sedaka’s father, Mac Sedaka, and entrusted her lover to manage her son’s career and finances.

Eleanor and her lover had drained hundreds of thousands of dollars that Sedaka had made from his songs to the point where he was unable to pay his taxes and was forced to start over with his wife. The ordeal caused a great rift between Sedaka and his mother, and he recalled not speaking to her for a year.

Sedaka’s relationship with his mother seemed to always be somewhat strained and they were constantly at odds. The artist recounted a story of when his mother was pregnant with him and had ridden a rollercoaster in an effort to try and miscarry. According to him, Eleanor had experienced a difficult pregnancy with his older sister and was advised against bearing more children, so she was scared when she fell pregnant with him.

Eleanor controlled not only her son’s assets and finances but also his marriage. When Sedakal married his wife, Strassberg had no idea how much of his life was run by his mother. At the wedding reception, Eleanor approached the couple and asserted that she would be raising her son’s allowance by an extra $25 (from $200). Additionally, Eleanor had pre-planned and organized their entire honeymoon.

Strassberg was stunned by the level of control Eleanor leveraged over her husband. As an effort to try and assert herself in a more dominant position, she told Eleanor that she and her husband would be picking out their own apartment together somewhere in Manhattan. Eleanor was agains it, so she threatened to cut them both off financially. She insisted they move to an apartment near Brighton Beach instead.

Afraid to stand up to Eleanor’s wrath at the tender age of 19, Strassberg reluctantly agreed, and everything from the apartment to the decor was chosen by Eleanor. Strassberg, of course, did not like Eleanor having so much control over them and their family; however, she realized there was nothing she could do.

Despite the ups and downs the couple went through, especially when it came to Eleanor’s heavy involvement in their marriage, they never lost love for each other. When they celebrated their 50th year of marriage, Sedaka expressed:

“I was born married…If you’re lucky to have that companion that does it for you, that’s a great gift.”

What Neil Sedaka’s Life Looks Like Now With His Wife and Grandkids

Sedaka and Strassberg have been married for 60 years—soon to be 61 in September —and are still going strong. The happy couple are still deeply in love with one another and remain committed to each other.

Being the charming singer he is, Sedaka never misses an opportunity to celebrate his love for Strassberg through the gift of music. Both his Facebook and Instagram accounts are peppered with loving tributes to his wife.

When their 60th anniversary was coming up last year, Sedaka posted a special 20-minute-long tribute to his wife, singing three songs that were specially made for her on June 2, 2022. The “Laughter in the Rain” artist’s caption that accompanied the incredibly heart-warming tribute read:

Leba Strassberg, Marc, Dara, and Neil Sedaka at Dara’s Sweet Sixteen birthday party in New York City, 1979 | Source: Getty Images

Neil Sedaka and Leba Strassberg at the cocktail reception of the 30th anniversary Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills, 2008 | Source: Getty Images