Neil Sedaka has died at the age of 86

The Sedaka family said in a statement: "Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka.

"A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed."

Following the news being made public, Neil's former girlfriend Carole King - who he dated in high school and inspired his song Oh! Carol - paid tribute to the musician.

She wrote on Facebook: "Neil Sedaka was so talented, and he inspired me to follow my dream of being a songwriter.

"With love and gratitude and condolences to his family."

The Monkees' Micky Dolenz also paid tribute to Neil, who had penned a number of songs for the group.

He wrote on Instagram: "I was very sorry to hear about the passing of Neil Sedaka.

"Neil was one of those rare songwriters who could do it all. He gave the world so many great hits of his own, and Monkees fans will know his work, too - he co-wrote "When Love Comes Knocking at Your Door" with Carole Bayer Sager, along with a few other songs that found their way into our world. He also wrote "Rainy Jane" for Davy's solo record.

"I'll never forget when he showed up all the way from the East Coast to pay tribute to Davy at his LA-based memorial with a performance of "Love Comes Knocking at Your Door."

"Sending my thoughts to his family, friends, and everyone who loved his music.(sic)"

Neil was born in Brooklyn in 1939 and began playing piano at a young age, winning a place in Juilliard's children's prep scheme.

He met Howard Greenfield, who was three years older, when he was 13 and they began writing songs together, a partnership that continued for many years.

Singer Connie Francis released their song Stupid Cupid in 1958, the same year Neil released his own first solo single, The Diary, and they wrote a number of other tracks for her and other artists, including Jimmy Clanton, for whom they penned Another Sleepless Night and What Am I Gonna Do?.

Oh! Carol was a big hit the following year, and Neil continued to enjoy chart success in the early 1960s, including with his chart-topping signature song Breaking Up is Hard to Do.

However, The Beatles' success in the mid-1960s brought a wave of British bands to the US, keeping Neil - who married Leba Strassberg in 1962 - and his contemporaries out of the charts.

But while not enjoying chart hits of his own at that time, Neil continued writing for other artists, including The Monkees and The 5th Dimension.

His 1971 album Emergence was a flop, and Neil moved to the UK, where he co-wrote Ring Ring, which became ABBA's first global hit.

During that time, he connected with Elton John, who was a big fan and signed Neil to his Rocket Record Company, Limited label, before planning his US comeback.

Neil released Back in 1974, which featured songs from his albums that had only been released in the UK, and he had another Billboard Hot 100 number one that year with Laughter in the Rain, followed by chart-topper Bad Blood the following year.

During his lengthy career, Neil released more than 25 studio albums and was nominated for five Grammy Awards.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, five years after he had received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is survived by his wife and children.