Pop Quiz: Neil Sedaka

Pop Quiz: Neil Sedaka

Aidin Vaziri | Neil Sedaka, 68, likes to joke that the Beatles forced him into early retirement when they arrived in America. But the singer-songwriter hit the pop charts four years ago after "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken recorded his single "Solitaire." Meanwhile, a greatest- hits set called "The Definitive Collection," which includes "Calendar Girl" and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," crashed the Top 40 earlier this year. Not bad for a guy who's been kicking around long enough to have helped create the Brill Building sound and provide Captain & Tennille with their big '70s hit "Love Will Keep Us Together."

Neil Sedaka
Q: You've been jamming with Fountains of Wayne?
A: Yes. I did a place called Joe's Pub to promote the new album, and they sang the months of the year on "Calendar Girl." One evening, (the members of) Snow Patrol invited me to their Madison Square Garden concert.
Q: What, they just called you up and invited you?
A: I met them on a plane going across the country. I sat next to the lead singer, and he said he was a singer with an Irish rock band. He had his iPod, so I asked him to play me one of his songs, and he played "Chasing Cars." I cried.
Q: Did you feel kind of embarrassed crying in front of the lead singer of Snow Patrol?
A: No. It's a beautiful piece of music.
Q: Did he know who you were?
A: I told him who I was, and he said, "Oh, you're very popular in Europe.".... I was the first American singer in Australia and Japan, many places.
Q: Was this before they had planes? How long ago?
A: This is my 50th year in show business.
Q: I can barely count that high.