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Avnaim Family
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#avnm-1:

Neal Sedaka

( all of Jewish background, originating in Turkey/ Turkish Empire pre World war 1)

#avnm-2

Dara, daughter of Neal Sedaka

( all of Jewish background, originating in Turkey/ Turkish Empire pre World war 1)

#avnm-3

Edith Gormezano (Eydie Gormé )

( all of Jewish background, originating in Turkey/ Turkish Empire pre World war 1)

#avnm-4

#avnm-5

#avnm-6:

#avnm-7
#avnm-8
#avnm-9
#avnm-10
#avnm-11
   
   
   
   
Avnaim family, Sedaka/Sedacca family and Gormezano family....
1. Neal Sedaka
2. Dara, daughter of Neal Sedaka
3. Edith Gormezano (Eydie Gormé )
( all of Jewish background, originating in Turkey/ Turkish Empire pre World war 1)
I was searching the internet for any reference to Sarah ( nee Sedaka) Avnaim, who is my great grandmother and I came across your site on this page ( http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/vishnevo/v_pages/vish_gb_archive1.html). The website says that she is survived by her daughter, Eleanor Podberesky, and that she still lives in Florida. I think I have met her, but I'm not completely sure. It then goes on to name other Podberesky's, and I can't tell if they are related to her (perhaps by her father?).

I have always known that my family comes from a Jewish background, but I have never been able to find any records on the internet besides my grandfather, Ralph Avnaim, and his mother, Sarah Avnaim. My grandfather died in 1994 and my grandmother in 2006, so I can't ask anyone who would know first-hand about their history. My mom has told me that my great grandfather, or great-great-grandfather (I'm not sure which) immigrated from Israel (I think) and came to New York, and that his last name was Avnaim, but perhaps spelled differently before he immigrated (Avnayim? I don't know any Hebrew, so I don't know what it might have been).

I was wondering if you had any more information about Sarah Avnaim, or her history, ancestors, etc. I would really like to know anything and everything about my family's history.

Please reply, even if it is to tell me that you don't have any information about my ancestors.
Thank you so much,
Luke Avnaim
Dear Luke,
Thank you so much for writing. Here are some information I found;
WWI Civilian Draft Registrations
about Rafael Avnaim
Name: Avnaim, Rafael
Birth Date: 16 Aug 1877
Birth Place: Citizen of Turkey ( Israel/Palestine was under Turkish
rule when he was born until after the first world war)
City/County: Nyc (Manhatta# 109
State: NY
Ethnicity: W

Name: Raphael Avnaim
Home in 1930: Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Age: 48
Estimated birth year: abt 1882
Birthplace: Turkey
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Esther
Race: White
Occupation:
Education:
Military Service:
home value:owns his home; $7,000
Age at first marriage: 23
Parents' birthplace: Turkey
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Raphael Avnaim 48 born in Turkey A- came to the country in 1912-
Yiddish speaking brass polisher
Esther Avnaim 46 wife born in Turkey A- came to the country in 1913-
Yiddish speaking
Leon Avnaim 24 son born in Turkey A-came to the country in 1913-
Yiddish speaking welder (steel)
Albert Avnaim 21 son born in Turkey A- came to the country in 1913-
Yiddish speaking radio tester
Sarah Avnaim 19 born in Turkey A- came to the country in 1913-
Yiddish speaking- stenographer/ department store
Rachael Avnaim 14 born in New York
California Marriage Index, 1960-1985
You searched for Avnaim Refine your search

Name Est. Birth Spouse Name Est. Spouse Birth Date
LOCATION
Arlene M Avnaim abt 1926 John F Werber abt 1916 14 Jan 1968 Los
Angeles City
Maureen W Avnaim abt 1945 Stephen Hath abt 1942 18 Dec 1965 Los Angeles

Maureen W Avnaim abt 1945 Vernon K Watson abt 1949 27 Dec 1980 Ventura

Sanford M Avnaim abt 1948 Pamela M Merritt abt 1949 22 Aug 1971 Orange

Stanley E Avnaim abt 1946 Gloria C Velasquez abt 1944 4 Sep 1971
Los Angeles City
Name Birth Date Gender Mother's Maiden Name Birth County Order Record
Gary Elbert Avnaim 20 Jul 1981 Male Velasquez Los Angeles
Heather L Avnaim 12 May 1974 Female Adams Los Angeles
Jordan Scott Avnaim 8 Mar 1980 Male Merritt Orange
Lorrine N Avnaim 29 Jul 1976 Female Velasque Los Angeles
Marisa J Avnaim 7 Jan 1976 Female Merritt Orange
Sanford Michael Avnaim 24 Nov 1947 Male Gissin Los Angeles
Steven Stanley Avnaim 7 Dec 1978 Male Velasquez Los Angeles
Name: Ralph Avnaim
SSN: 006-38-3207
Born: 14 Feb 1933
Died: 1 Apr 1994
State (Year) SSN issued: Maine (1956
Name: Ralph Avnaim
SSN: 316-38-0669
Born: 26 Jun 1940
Died: 8 Jul 1994
State (Year) SSN issued: Indiana
Name: Lena Avnaim
SSN: 304-05-2741
Last Residence: 91364 Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United
States of America
Born: 16 Jan 1915
Died: 13 Feb 2001
State (Year) SSN issued: Indiana (Before 1951 )
Name: Sarah Avnaim
SSN: 133-03-0204
Last Residence: 33417 West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Florida, United
States of America
Born: 19 Oct 1911
Died: 30 Apr 1999
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
Name: Leon Avnaim
SSN: 082-10-4778
Last Residence: 33401 West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Florida, United
States of America
Born: 17 Mar 1904
Died: Sep 1974
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
Name: Solomon Avnaim
SSN: 054-14-4400
Last Residence: 91367 Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United
States of America
Born: 21 Jun 1922
Died: 30 Nov 1988
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951
Name: Elia Avnaim
SSN: 117-09-7341
Last Residence: 11367 Flushing, Queens, New York, United States of America
Born: 1 Jan 1887
Died: Jan 1967
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951
Name: Albert Avnaim
SSN: 053-01-0056
Last Residence: 91801 Alhambra, Los Angeles, California, United
States of America
Born: 25 Dec 1906
Died: Apr 1982
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951
Name: Jerry Avnaim
SSN: 088-18-0839
Last Residence: 92804 Anaheim, Orange, California, United States of America
Born: 21 Jun 1922
Died: Jun 1966
State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
Exact Search Results - California Death Index, 1940-1997
You searched for Avnaim Refine your search

Name Death Date Death Place Gender Birth Date Birthplace
Mother's Maiden Name

Albert Avnaim 23 Apr 1982 Los Angeles MALE 25 Dec 1906 Other
Country Pinhas
Jerry Avnaim 18 Jun 1966 Orange MALE 21 Jun 1922 New York Ahitow
Meyer Avnaim 1 Feb 1954 Los Angeles MALE Other Country Avnaim

Rachel Avnaim 6 Apr 1965 Los Angeles FEMALE Rest of World

Ralph Avnaim 8 Jul 1994 Los Angeles MALE 26 Jun 1940 New York Sham

Solomon Avnaim 5 Dec 1988 Los Angeles MALE 21 Jun 1922 New York
Name Spouse Surname Date of Registration DISTRICT County (inferred)
Dora Avnaim Rezende Torres Nov 1994 Hammersmith London
Dora Bonomo Avnaim Rezende Torres Nov 1994 Hammersmith London
Paulo J Rezende Bonomo Avnaim Nov 1994 Hammersmith London
Is this your grandmother?:
May 18, 2006
Micki Ross Adams - February 4, 1934 - May 15, 2006
Well-known professional psychic Micki Ross Adams, formerly Muriel Ross
Avnaim, died Monday, May 15, at Greene Memorial Hospital, following a brief
illness.
Micki was born in the Bronx, N.Y. She attended Hunter College, married Ralph
Avnaim in 1953, and moved to Ohio in 1960. She was the editor and held
office in Dayton Area Mensa, was cofounder of the Dayton Chapter of PFLAG,
founded
the first Overeaters Anonymous Group in Dayton, won awards for knitting,
sewing, baking, and received awards for acting, both on stage and on screen.
Some of her other interests included editing, songwriting, Gilbert and
Sullivan,
Sweet Adelines, Council of the Blind, and the Red Hat Society. She also did
volunteer work in many areas, especially with animals. She drove for the
Yellow Springs Senior Center, volunteered at the Crisis Center and answered
phones at the Suicide Prevention Center. She was a plane spotter in WWII.
As a journalist, she was published in many periodicals and newspapers,
including the Dayton Image when the two Dayton newspapers were on strike, and
was
the editor of the New Carlisle Advisor. Micki also worked at AFIT in the
School of Engineering at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She worked for the
Montgomery County Health Department and was the secretary for the Medway
United
Methodist Church. She was the nationâ??s top saleswoman and designed jewelry
for
Sarah Coventry. For the past 17 years, Micki gave psychic readings at DÃ(c)jÃ
Vu.
She is survived by her six children and their spouses, Mitchell and Ginny
Avnaim, Donna Avnaim, Peter and Kathy Avnaim, Scott Avnaim, Tracy Avnaim
Schaffner and Robert Schaffner, and Jeri Avnaim; 10 grandchildren; and one
great-grandchild.
Visitation will be held Thursday, May 18, 5â??7 p.m., at Jackson, Lytle
Williams & Maley Funeral Home in Yellow Springs. A graveside service will be
held
Friday, May 19, 11:30 a.m., at Glen Forest Cemetery, with Larry Rezash
officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to
any
charity Micki was involved with.
Reports of those who perished in the holocaust;
--------------------------
Avnaim Haim
Haim Avnaim was born in Constantinople ( Istanbul, Turkey) in 1878.
During the war he was deported with Transport 74 from Drancy to
Auschwitz on 20/05/1944. Haim perished in the Shoah. This information
is based on a List of deportation from France found in the Le Memorial
de la deportation des juifs de france, Beate et Serge Klarsfeld, Paris
1978
-------------------
Avnaim Mihael
Mihael Avnaim was born in Germany to Avraham and Ita. He was a
merchant and married to Tila. Prior to WWII he lived in Germany.
During the war he was in Berlin, Germany. Mihael perished in
Theresienstadt, Czechoslovakia at the age of 60. This information is
based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by his
nephew
------------------
Avnaim Mardoche
Mardoche Avnaim was born in Paris in 1910. During the war he was
deported with Transport 57 from Drancy to Auschwitz on 18/07/1943.
Mardoche perished in the Shoah. This information is based on a List of
deportation from France found in the Le Memorial de la deportation des
juifs de france, Beate et Serge Klarsfeld, Paris 1978. More
Details...
--------------------
Abenaim? Avnaim Ettore
Ettore Abenaim was born in Pisa, Italy in 1909 to Umberto and Linda
nee Cassuto. Prior to WWII he lived in Torino, Italy. During the war
he was in Torino, Italy. Ettore perished in the Shoah. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
submitted by Community italy
Abenaim Yosef
Yosef Abenaim was born in Livorno in 1912 to Dario and Maria. Prior
to WWII he lived in Genova, Italy. During the war he was in Lucca,
Italy. Yosef perished in Auschwitz, Camp. This information is based on
a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by his relative
Abenaim Ottorino
Ottorino Abenaim was born to Lazzaro and Fortunata nee Sitri. Prior
to WWII he lived in Bagni Di Lucca, Italy. During the war he was in
Bagni Di Lucca, Italy. Ottorino perished in the Shoah. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left)
submitted by Association....
Dear Eilat,
Thanks for the information. I don't think I'm related to any of the people there, except Ralph, Sarah, and maybe Leon, since he did live near Sarah.
I found a family tree my mom helped me make for a project when I was little that had a little more information on it. It's little more than a list of names, not necessarily in much of an order. It says that Sarah Avnaim was originally Sarah Sedacca, and she was married to Louis Avnaim. I think one of Sarah's nephews might have been Neil Sedaka. I know they were related, but I'm not sure exactly how. I think my mom and Neil are cousins, once removed. Or second cousins.
It's so frustrating. The only thing that I have at my disposal is Google, because many of the genealogy sites require that I pay them for a subscription, or for each record. I wish there were a giant family tree that I could look on. It would make things so much easier.
I have found a few of those names below before, mostly the ones who lived in California, but I have no way of linking them to me, except for my name. I found a site with a family tree of Avnayim's and Avnyin's and one Avnaim, but their children's names didn't match my grandparents or great grandparents.
Thank you for looking some stuff up for me.
Thank you again
Neil Sedaka information from the net;
--
"My paternal grandparents were born in Istanbul, Turkey, and came to
New York around 1910. My father, born on the Lower East Side, drove a
taxi for over 30 years in order to put me through The Juilliard School
of Music.

"Although my upbringing was not Orthodox in nature, nonetheless the
feeling within the home was that of a Jewish family with Jewish
traditions. As a cohesive family unit, my wife and children attend the
High Holidays in New York and it's an event we look forward to each
and every year. I have a great love for Jewish culture, as does my
88-year-old mother Eleanor, who lives and enjoys life in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. A few months ago they featured my biography on
A&E and Mom was interviewed, which was a great thrill for all of us.

Name: Dora Sedaka
Arrival Date: 11 Sep 1929
Age: 39 Years
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Alexandria, Egypt
Ship Name: Alesia
Port of Arrival: Providence, Rhode Island
Birthplace: Palestine
Microfilm Roll Number: 43
David Sedaka 11 Sep 1929 abt 1921 Male Alexandria, Egypt Alesia

Jack Sedaka 11 Sep 1929 abt 1925 Male Alexandria, Egypt Alesia

Name: Sarah Sedacca
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 17, New York, New York
Age: 9 months
Estimated birth year: abt 1919
Birthplace: New York
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father's name: Mar
Father's Birth Place: Turkey
Mother's name: Rachel
Mother's Birth Place: Turkey
Race: White
Sex: Female
Image: 89

Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age

Max Sedacca 33 came to the country in 1907- shoemaker shop
Rachel Sedacca 25
Sarah Sedacca 9/12
Nathan Sedacca 22 brother of the father
---------------------------
Name: Sarah Sedacca

Home in 1930: Brooklyn, Kings, New York

Age: 18
Estimated birth year: abt 1912
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father's name: Sam
Mother's name: Mary
Occupation of father:

Education:

Military Service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:father was 25, mother; 18

Parents' birthplace: Turkey, came to the country in 1910
Household Members: Name Age
Sam Sedacca 45 shipper in glass factory
Mary Sedacca 38
Sarah Sedacca 18 operator in dresses factory
Max Sedacca 16 telegraph
Anna Sedacca 14
Molly Sedacca 12
Maurie Sedacca 10
Carroline Sedacca 6
--------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Mac Sedaka
SSN: 057-07-2375
Last Residence: 33321 Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Florida, United
States of America
Born: 24 Jul 1913
Died: Jun 1981

State (Year) SSN issued: New York (Before 1951 )
-------------------------

Name: Abraam Sedaka
Arrival Date: 20 Apr 1920
Estimated birth year: abt 1902
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Napoli
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: israelite
Ship Name: Re D Italia
Search Ship Database: Search the Re D Italia in the 'Passenger Ships
and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Turky
Line: 7
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_2754
Birth Location: Turky
Birth Location Other: dardanellos
Page Number: 204
Wife Gioya Sedaka 20 Apr 1920 abt 1903 Female Napoli israelite Re D Italia
--------------------
Menakern Sedaka 26 Jun 1912 abt 1887 Male Trieste Hebrew Ivernia

Name: Signora Sedaka
Arrival Date: 26 Jun 1912
Estimated birth year: abt 1894
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Trieste
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Hebrew
Ship Name: Ivernia
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Turkey
Line: 15
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_1888
Birth Location: Turkey
Birth Location Other: dardandli
Page Number: 41

Signora Sedaka 26 Jun 1912 abt 1894 Female Trieste Hebrew Ivernia
Jacob Sedaka 26 Jun 1912 abt 1882 Male Trieste Hebrew Ivernia
David Sedaka 26 Jun 1912 abt 1910 son Trieste Hebrew Ivernia
Name: Albert Sedaka
Home in 1930: Bronx, Bronx, New York
Age: 28
Estimated birth year: abt 1902
Birthplace: Turkey
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Julis

Race: White
Occupation:

Education:

Military Service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:

Parents' birthplace: View image

Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age

Albert Sedaka 28
Julis Sedaka 27
Name: Dora Sedaka

Home in 1930: Brooklyn, Kings, New York

Age: 38
Estimated birth year: abt 1892
Birthplace: Palestine

Relation to Head of House: Head

Race: White
Occupation:

Education:

Military Service:

Rent/home value:

Age at first marriage:

Parents' birthplace: View image

Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age

Dora Sedaka 38
Bella Sedaka 18
David Sedaka 8 10/12
Jack Sedaka 5 3/12

1920 United States Federal Census
about Heiman Sedaka
Name: Heiman Sedaka
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 2, New York, New York
Age: 34 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1886
Birthplace: Turkey
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Dora
Father's Birth Place: Turkey
Mother's Birth Place: Turkey
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of Immigration: 1911
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 1002

Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age

Heiman Sedaka 34
Dora Sedaka 30
Bella Sedaka 8
Max Sedaka 3 7/12
Sadie Sedaka 1 8/12
Name: Nissim Sedaka
Home in 1920: Manhattan Assembly District 2, New York, New York
Age: 57 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1863
Birthplace: Turkey
[Turkey;Tya]
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Benvinuta
Father's Birth Place: Turkey
Mother's Birth Place: Turkey
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Year of Immigration: 1913
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 160

Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age

Nissim Sedaka 57
Benvinuta Sedaka 41
James Sedaka 26
Alice Sedaka 19
Susi Sedaka 14
Rosie Sedaka 5
Is the cousin of singer Eydie Gorme- Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American
pop singer, pianist, and songwriter often associated with the Brill
Building. He teamed up with Howard Greenfield to write many major hit
songs for himself and others. Sedaka's voice is in the tenor and alto
ranges.
Career beginnings, 1960s success
Sedaka was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 13, 1939. His father,
Mac Sedaka, a taxi driver, was the son of Turkish immigrants; his
mother, Eleanor (Appel) Sedaka, was of Polish-Russian descent.

He first demonstrated musical aptitude in his second-grade choral
class, and when his teacher sent a note home suggesting he take piano
lessons, his mother took a part-time job in an Abraham & Straus
department store for six months to pay for a second-hand upright. He
took to the instrument immediately.

In 1947, he auditioned successfully for a piano scholarship to the
prestigious Juilliard School of Music's Preparatory Division for
Children, which he began to attend on Saturdays. He also maintained an
interest in popular music, and when he was 13, a neighbor heard him
playing and introduced him to her 16-year-old son, Howard Greenfield,
an aspiring poet and lyricist. The two began writing songs together.

The best-known Billboard Hot 100 hits of his early career are "Oh!
Carol" (#9, 1959), "Calendar Girl" (#4, 1960), "You Mean Everything to
Me" (#17, 1960), "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (#6, 1961), and
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (#1, 1962). "Oh! Carol" refers to Sedaka's
Brill Building compatriot and former girlfriend Carole King. King soon
responded with her own answer song, "Oh, Neil", which used Sedaka's
full name. A Scopitone exists for "Calendar Girl".

A similar sharing of creative hits came earlier with Sedaka and singer
Connie Francis. As Francis explains at each of her concerts, she began
searching for a new hit immediately after her 1958 single Who's Sorry
Now? became a success. She was then introduced to Sedaka and Howard
Greenfield, who played every ballad they had written to date, for her.
After a few hours, Francis began writing in her diary while the two
songwriters played the last of their ballads. After they finished
their last song of the session, Francis told them that they wrote very
beautiful ballads, but that she considered them too intellectual for
the young generation of the time. Greenfield then suggested to Sedaka
a song they had written that morning for another girl group. Sedaka
protested, believing that Francis would be insulted, but reluctantly
agreed to play "Stupid Cupid" with Greenfield for Francis. As soon as
they finished playing the song, Francis told them that they had just
played her new hit record. Francis' song reached #14 on the Billboard
charts.

While Francis was writing in her diary, Sedaka asked her if he could
read what she had written. After she refused, Sedaka was inspired to
write "The Diary", which was his first hit single. Through the rest of
her early career Sedaka and Greenfield wrote many of Connie Francis'
hits such as "Fallin" and "Where the Boys Are".

Between 1960 and 1962, Sedaka had eight Top 40 hits. But he was among
the early 1960s performers whose careers were waylaid by the British
Invasion and other sea changes in the music industry. His singles
began to decline on the US charts, before disappearing altogether.

Sedaka reinvented himself in the 1970s. In 1972 he embarked on a
successful English tour and in June recorded the Solitaire album in
England at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, near Manchester, working
with the four future members of pop band 10cc. A year later he
reconvened with the Strawberry team – who by that time had charted
with their own debut 10cc album – to record The Tra La Days Are Over,
which jump-started the second phase of his career.

He then worked with Elton John, who signed him to his Rocket Records
label. Sedaka returned to the public's attention with a flourish,
topping the charts twice with "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood"
(both 1975). Elton John provided backing vocals for the latter song.
The flipside of "Laughter in the Rain" was "The Immigrant", a wistful,
nostalgic piece recalling the days when America was more welcoming of
immigrants, which Sedaka wrote to contrast the U.S. government's
refusal to grant John Lennon permanent resident alien status.[

Sedaka and Greenfield also co-wrote "Love Will Keep Us Together", a
No. 1 hit for Captain and Tennille and the best selling record of
1975. The song, if listened to carefully, reveals the lyric "Sedaka is
back" in the coda; Toni Tennille sang this lyric in an ad lib while
laying down background vocals.[citation needed]

It was those hits, plus Sedaka's own stagecraft, that made him a
comeback success story. Sedaka was chosen to be the opening act for
the Carpenters by their manager, Sherwin Bash. According to the
biography Carpenters: The Untold Story by Ray Coleman, Richard
Carpenter ordered Sedaka fired, which resulted in a media backlash
against the Carpenters after Sedaka publicly announced he was off the
tour.

Richard Carpenter denied allegations that he ordered Sedaka fired for
'stealing their show', stating in his newsletter that they were proud
of Sedaka's success. However, Sherwin Bash was later fired as the
Carpenters' manager.

[ 1970s comeback
In 1975, Sedaka recorded a new version of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do."
The chart-topping 1962 original was fast-tempo and bouncy teen pop,
but the remake was much slower and in the style of a Jazz/Torch Piano
centered arrangement. Lenny Welch had previously recorded the song in
this style in 1970. It reached #8 on the pop charts in early 1976,
thus becoming the second artist to hit the US Top Ten twice with two
separate versions of the same song. (The Ventures had hits in 1960 and
1964 with recordings of "Walk, Don't Run". Coincidentally, Sedaka's
record label boss Elton John would later accomplish the feat twice,
with 1991's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and 1997's "Candle in
the Wind".)

Sedaka's second version of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" topped
Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. The same year, Elvis Presley
recorded the Sedaka song "Solitaire". In 1980, Sedaka had a #19 hit
with "Should've Never Let You Go," which he recorded with his
daughter, Dara.

Sedaka is also the composer of the popular "Is This The Way to
Amarillo", a song he wrote for Britain's Tony Christie. It reached #18
on the UK charts in 1971, but hit #1 when reissued in 2005, thanks to
a cameo-filled video starring comedian Peter Kay. Sedaka recorded the
song himself in 1977, when it became a #44 hit. On April 7, 2006,
during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Neil Sedaka was
presented with an award from the book Guinness World Records: British
Hit Singles and Albums as the writer of the Best-Selling Single of the
21st century for "Amarillo".

Ben Folds, an American pop singer; credited Neil Sedaka on his "iTunes
Originals" album as being his inspiration when it came to song
publishing. Hearing that Neil had a song published by the age of 13
gave Ben the goal of also getting a song published by his own 13th
birthday.

In 2007, Sedaka continues to perform regularly. He has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Long Island Music
Hall of Fame in October 2006.

A special concert has been planned for October 2007 at the Lincoln
Center in New York City, to honor the 50th anniversary of Sedaka's
debut in show business.

Other musical works
In 1985, certain songs composed by Sedaka were adapted as music for
the Japanese anime TV series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. These included
the two opening themes "Zeta - Toki wo Koete" (originally written in
English as "Better Days are Coming") and "Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo
Komete" (originally written in English as "For Us to Decide", but the
English version was never recorded), as well as the ending theme
"Hoshizora no Believe" (originally written as "Bad and Beautiful").
Due to copyright issues, the songs were replaced with other music for
the North American DVD release.

In 1994, Sedaka provided the voice for Neil Mousaka, a character that
was parody of himself, in Food Rocks, which was an attraction at Epcot
from 1994 to 2006.

Personal life
Neil Sedaka has been married to Leba, since 1962. They have
two children: daughter Dara, a recording artist and vocalist for
television and radio commercials and son Marc, a screenwriter who
lives in Los Angeles, California.

Pop culture references
In the Friends episode "The One With the Two Parties", Ross says that
he is wearing the same bifocals that Neil Sedaka wears.

In the lyrics to mini-opera "Billy the Mountain", on the album Just
Another Band From L.A. it is alleged that some people say Studabacher
Hoch "could sing just like Neil Sedaka."[1]

In the Boy Meets World episode "Killer Bees", Allen Matthews is being
sarcastic when he says he couldn't find tickets to the Neil Sedaka
concert.

Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Sedaka"

Gormé was born Edith Gormezano in Bronx, New York, and raised by her
immigrant Sephardic parents, of Spanish descent. She graduated from
William Howard Taft high school in 1946 (legendary film director
Stanley Kubrick attended the school at the same time), and worked for
the United Nations as a translator, using her fluency in the Spanish
language.

Made her recording debut in 1950 with Tommy Tucker Orchestra and Don
Brown and a second recording which featured Dick Noel. MGM issued
these two recordings on 78rpm vinyl.

Early releases:

A: Powder And Paint Original Issue: On 78 rpm vinyl only on MGM 10758

A: Cherry Stones Original Issue: On 78 rpm vinyl only on MGM 10767

Big Band Years:

She also hired out as a singer, working in the big bands of former
Glenn Miller singer Tex Beneke In 1951 Eydie made several radio
transmission recordings that have been issued on vinyl LP and recently
on CD, in 1952 Eydie Gormé went on to record solo and her first
recordings were issued on the Coral label.

Tonight Show start
She caught both her big break and her life partner when she and singer
Steve Lawrence were booked to the original The Tonight Show, then
hosted by Steve Allen. Andy Williams was also a singer on the Tonight
Show during this period.

Marriage
The couple were married in Las Vegas on December 29, 1957. They had
two sons, one of whom predeceased them. They became famous on stage
for their banter, which usually involved tart yet affectionate and
sometimes bawdy references to their married life, which remains a
feature of their stage style even now. (A typical exchange:
Lawrence---"Baby, you're the only thing I've invested in that's
doubled." Gormé---"Now you have to figure out how to make me split.")

In 1995 Gorme and Lawrence were honored for their lifetime
contribution to song by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Solo/duo
Gormé enjoyed a few hit singles on her own, none selling bigger than
1963's "Blame it on the Bossa Nova", which was also her final foray
into the Top 40 pop charts. Still, she won a Grammy Award for Best
Female Vocal Performance in 1967, for her version of "If He Walked
Into My Life", from the stage musical Mame. Like her husband, Gormé
has appeared on numerous television shows over the years, including
The Carol Burnett Show and The Nanny. She and Lawrence appeared
together on Broadway in the unsuccessful musical Golden Rainbow, the
gestation of which is covered in very unflattering detail in William
Goldman's 1968 book The Season.

Eydie Gorme on the cover of her 1964 album titled "Eydie Gorme Canta
En Español con Los PanchosGorme also gained unique crossover success
in the Latin Music market through a series of albums she made in
Spanish. One album being her bestselling album: Eydie Gorme, Canta en
Español (Sings in Spanish) with a trio of musicians called Los
Panchos. The second album is called Cuatro Vidas (Four Lives). The
last album with Los Panchos is a Christmas collection titled Blanca
Navidad.

As a duo with her husband, their show name was "Steve and Eydie". In
1960, Steve and Eydie were awarded the Grammy Award for Best
Performance by a Vocal Group for their song "We Got Us." One of their
best known duos was the 1979 Israeli song "Hallelujah," winner of the
Eurovision song contest. They recorded it under the pseudonym Parker
and Penny.

Since the 1970s, the couple has focused strictly on the American pop
repertoire, recording several albums themed around individual American
pop composers. As the 21st Century arrived, the normally indefatigable
couple announced their plans to cut back on their touring, launching a
"One More For The Road" tour in 2002.

In 2006 Gormé became a blogger, posting occasional messages on her
official Web site.

Parenthood
Gormé and Lawrence had two sons, David, who is a composer, and
Michael, who died unexpectedly of ventricular fibrillation resulting
from an undiagnosed heart condition in 1986, at the age of 23.[1]
Michael was a seeded tennis player at Cal State Northridge the time of
his death, and apparently healthy despite a previous diagnosis of
slight arrhythmia, which he was expected to grow out of. Gormé and
Lawrence were in Atlanta at the time of his death, having performed at
the Fox Theater the night before. Upon learning of the tragedy, Frank
Sinatra sent his private plane to pick up the couple so that they
could fly to New York to meet their other son, David, who was
attending school at the time. Following the death of Michael, the
couple took a year off before touring again.
Name: Morris Gormezano
Home in 1930: Bronx, Bronx, New York
Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Birthplace: Turkey
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Calo
Race: White
Parents' birthplace:
Household Members: Name Age
Morris Gormezano 40
Calo Gormezano 34
Freda Gormezano 19
Louis Gormezano 13
Jacob Gormezano 10
Elliott Gormezano 1 10/12

Name: Sam Gormezano
Home in 1930: Bronx, Bronx, New York
Age: 48
Estimated birth year: abt 1882
Birthplace: Turkey came to the country in 1910
Relation to Head of House: Head
Mother's name: Katie
Spouse's name: Bessie
:

Parents' birthplace: Turkey- Jewish

Household Members: Name Age
Sam Gormezano 48
Bessie Gormezano 38
Isaac Gormezano 19
Molly Gormezano 18
Louis Gormezano 15
David Gormezano 15
Albert Gormezano 3 11/12
Katie Gormezano 75