Where has Neil Sedaka been all these years? Wiggling his way into the hearts of a new generation, for one, through picture books accompanied by mini-albums offering playful takes on some of his hits.

At 73, the singer-songwriter enlisted the aid of his twin granddaughters as kiddie backup singers on the three-song CD tucked into “Dinosaur Pet,” released this month by Imagine Publishing and inspired by his 1960 song “Calendar Girl.”

It’s Sedaka’s second picture book using child-tailored lyrics. Two years ago it was an alligator character for “Waking Up Is Hard to Do,” based on Sedaka’s “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.”

“My grandchildren love Papa Neil’s old rock ‘n’ roll songs. I used to sing them at their piano,” he said in a recent interview.

He still works plenty hard entertaining grown-ups at gigs around the world. The classically trained pianist, who loves Maroon 5 and Adele, recently finished his first symphony and a piano concerto, “Manhattan Intermezzo,” that he’ll debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Oct. 17.

Obviously, retirement isn’t in Sedaka’s future.

Advertisement

“It’s nice to be a legend, but it’s better to be a working legend,” he said. “I’m very fortunate that my voice has held.”

‘Godfather of go-go’ Brown dies at age 75

WASHINGTON – Chuck Brown, who styled a unique mix of funk, soul and Latin party sounds to create go-go music in the nation’s capital, died Wednesday after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75.

A spokesman for Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore confirmed that the widely acclaimed “Godfather of go-go” had died after a hospital stay that began April 18.

Thanks to Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. Brown’s 1979 hit “Bustin’ Loose,” with his group the Soul Searchers, helped define go-go’s sound.

Mayor Vincent Gray said the nation’s capital will be a different place without him. Mournful admirers of the musician were called Wednesday evening to an impromptu candlelight vigil in Washington, where a sound truck was to blast a special Chuck Brown music mix to the crowd before a prayer session for him.

Advertisement

“Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over,” Gray said.

In 2007, Brown told The Associated Press that go-go was influenced by sounds and fast beats he heard while growing up, combined with his experience later while playing with a Latin band.

“Go-go is … a call and response communication with the audience,” he said.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.