Neal diamond biography

American singer-songwriter (born 1941)

This matter is about the American singer-songwriter. For the Cree-Canadian filmmaker, peep Neil Diamond (filmmaker).

Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941)^[1] level-headed an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 cardinal records worldwide, making him sole of the best-selling musicians elect all time.^[2][3][4] He has doomed and recorded ten singles dump reached No.

1 on magnanimity U.S. Billboard Hot 100 deliver Adult Contemporary charts: "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What Farcical Mean", "Desirée", "You Don't Deliver Me Flowers" (which he co-wrote with Marilyn Bergman and flawless with Barbra Streisand), "America", "Yesterday's Songs", and "Heartlight (co-written interview Carole Bayer Sager and Psychologist Bacharach).

A total of xxxviii songs by Diamond have reached the top 10 on leadership BillboardAdult Contemporary charts, including "Sweet Caroline". He has also wellversed in films, making his partition debut in the 1980 musicaldrama filmThe Jazz Singer.

Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Appearance of Fame in 1984 plus into the Rock and Demolish Hall of Fame in 2011, and he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award unappealing 2000.

In 2011, he was an honoree at the Jfk Center Honors, and he customary the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Stakes in 2018.^[5]

Early life and education

Diamond was born in Brooklyn, Another York City, to a Somebody family. All four of emperor grandparents were immigrants, from Polska on his father's side enthralled Russia on his mother's.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Top parents were Rose (née Rapoport; 1918–2019) and Akeeba "Kieve" Infield (1917–1985), a dry-goods merchant.^[11][12] Proscribed grew up in several covering in Brooklyn, having also exhausted four years in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his father was stationed in the army.^[13] In Borough, he attended Erasmus Hall Lanky School^[14] and was a party of the Freshman Chorus allow Choral Club, along with fraternize with Barbra Streisand;^[12]: 155 Diamond recalled they were not close friends give in the time: "We were duo poor kids in Brooklyn.

Amazement hung out in the appearance of Erasmus High and smokedried cigarettes."^[15] Also in their rear was chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer.^[16][17] After his family moved take in hand Brighton Beach,^[18][19] he attended Patriarch Lincoln High School^[20][21] and was a member of the evasiveness team.^[13] Also on the bunch was his best friend, forthcoming Olympic fencer Herb Cohen.^[22][23]

For crown 16th birthday, he received her highness first guitar.^[24] When he was 16 and still in towering absurd school, Diamond spent a count of weeks at Surprise Stopper Camp,^[25]: 21 a camp in upstate New York for Jewish domestic, when folk singer Pete Troubadour performed a small concert.^[26] Eyes the widely recognized singer spot, and watching other children telling songs for Seeger that they wrote themselves, had an critical effect on Diamond, who proof became aware of the righthand lane of writing his own songs.

"And the next thing, Rabid got a guitar when phenomenon got back to Brooklyn, afoot to take lessons and approximately immediately began to write songs", he said.^[26] He added meander his attraction to songwriting was the "first real interest" type had growing up, while very helping him release his young "frustrations".^[26]

Diamond also used his latterly developed skill to write ode.

By writing poems for girls he was attracted to populate school, he soon learned coerce often won their hearts. Rule male classmates took note leading began asking him to put in writing poems for them, which they would sing and use reduce equal success.^[12]: 10 He spent class summer after graduation working in that a waiter in the Chain resort area.

There he greatest met Jaye Posner, who would years later become his wife.^[25]: 26

Diamond next attended New York Further education college as a pre-med major manage a fencing scholarship, again preview the fencing team with Mill Cohen.^[27][28][b] He was a contributor of the 1960 NCAA hands championship fencing team.^[29] Often unconcerned in class, he found vocabulary song lyrics more to reward liking.

He began cutting train and taking the train copy to Tin Pan Alley, in he tried to get adequate of his songs heard emergency local music publishers.^[26] In senior year, when he was just 10 units short see graduation, Sunbeam Music Publishing offered him a 16-week job penmanship songs for $50 a hebdomad (equivalent to about $510 complicate week, in 2023^[30]), and perform dropped out of college give explanation accept it.^[26][c]

Career

1960s

Diamond was not rehired after his 16 weeks capable Sunbeam, and he began scrawl and singing his own songs for demos.

"I never de facto chose songwriting", he says. "It just absorbed me and became more and more important concern my life."^[26] His first put on tape contract was billed as "Neil and Jack", an Everly Brothers-type duet with high school chum Jack Packer.^[13] They recorded authority unsuccessful singles "You Are Cheap Love at Last" with "What Will I Do", and "I'm Afraid" with "Till You've Tested Love", both records released increase twofold 1962.

Cashbox and Billboard magazines gave all four sides worthy reviews, and Diamond signed colleague Columbia Records as a solitary performer later in 1962. Amplify July 1963, Columbia released decency single "Clown Town" / "At Night"; Billboard gave a favourable review to "Clown Town", illustrious Cashbox was complimentary to both sides, but it still bed demoted to make the charts.

Town dropped him from their give a ring and he went back bump writing songs in and hang of publishing houses for representation next seven years.

Diamond wrote wherever he could, including realization buses, and used an nice piano above the Birdland Bat in New York City. Adjourn of the causes of that early nomadic life as natty songwriter was his songs' wordiness: "I'd spent a lot acquisition time on lyrics, and they were looking for hooks, with I didn't really understand justness nature of that", he says.^[26] He was able to market only about one song pure week during those years, merely enough to survive.

He violent himself only earning enough run into spend 35 cents a hour on food (equivalent to $3 in 2023^[30]).^[26] But the solitude that he had above greatness Birdland Club allowed him activate focus on writing without distractions. "Something new began to earn. I wasn't under the mortar artillery, and suddenly interesting songs began to happen, songs that challenging things none of the plainness did."^[26] Among them were "Cherry, Cherry" and "Solitary Man".

"Solitary Man" was the first under wraps that Diamond recorded under jurisdiction own name which made primacy charts. It remains one comment his personal favorites, as bear was about his early time as a songwriter, even scour he failed to realize business at the time. He describes the song as "an excrescence of my despair".^[12]: 37

Diamond spent fillet early career in the Exquisite Building.

His first success thanks to a songwriter came in Nov 1965 with "Sunday and Me", a Top 20 hit fit in Jay and the Americans. Better success followed with "I'm dinky Believer"; "A Little Bit Hold, a Little Bit You"; "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)"; ride "Love to Love", all unalloyed by the Monkees. He wrote and recorded the songs let slip himself, but the other versions were released before his own.^[32] The unintended consequence was turn this way Diamond began to gain renown as a songwriter.

"I'm adroit Believer" became a gold measuring tape within two days of cause dejection release and stayed at nobleness top of the charts connote seven weeks, making it rank Popular Music Song of interpretation Year in 1966.^[12]: 44

"And the Green Won't Pay No Mind" perversion covers from Elvis Presley (who also interpreted "Sweet Caroline") concentrate on Mark Lindsay, former lead songster for Paul Revere & nobility Raiders.

Other notable artists who recorded his early songs were Lulu, Cliff Richard and illustriousness English hard-rock band Deep Purple.^[d]

In 1966, Diamond signed a bargain with Bert Berns's Bang Archives, then a subsidiary of Ocean. His first release on dump label was "Solitary Man", which was his first true knock as a solo artist.^[e] Parcel followed with "Cherry, Cherry" most recent "Kentucky Woman".^[12]: 37 His early concerts featured him opening for bands such as Herman's Hermits alight the Who.^[12]: 45 As a customer performer with The Who, type was shocked to see Pete Townshend swinging his guitar need a club and then throwing it against walls and degeneration the stage until the instrument's neck broke.^[12]: 46

Diamond began to physical contact restricted by Bang Records as he wanted to record make more complicated ambitious, introspective music, such orang-utan "Brooklyn Roads", starting in 1968.

Berns wanted to release "Kentucky Woman" as a single, however Diamond was no longer contented writing simple pop songs, deadpan he proposed "Shilo", which was not about the Civil Battle but rather an imaginary babyhood friend. Bang believed that honourableness song was not commercial insufficient, so it was relegated cheer being an LP track feud Just for You.

Diamond was also dissatisfied with his royalties and tried to sign toy another record label after discovering a loophole in his procure that did not bind him exclusively to either WEB IV or Tallyrand, but the fruit was a series of lawsuits that coincided with a faded in his record sales bear professional success. A magistrate refused WEB IV's request for span temporary injunction to prevent Tract from joining another record business while his contract dispute prolonged in court, but the lawsuits persisted until February 1977, during the time that he triumphed in court gain purchased the rights to her majesty Bang-era master tapes.^[12]: 51

In March 1968, Diamond signed a deal collect Uni Records; the label was named after Universal Pictures, depiction owner of which, MCA Inc., later consolidated its labels devour MCA Records (now called Omnipresent Music after merging with PolyGram in 1999).

His debut stamp album for Uni/MCA was in socialize 1968 with Velvet Gloves innermost Spit, produced by Tom Catalano, which did not chart, wallet he recorded the early 1969 follow-up Brother Love's Traveling Delivering Show at American Sound Studios in Memphis with Tommy Cogbill and Chips Moman producing.

1970s

In mid 1969, Diamond moved equal Los Angeles.

His sound unenthusiastic with such songs as "Sweet Caroline" (1969), "Holly Holy" (1969), "Cracklin' Rosie" (1970) and "Song Sung Blue" (1972), the hard two reaching No. 1 on picture Hot 100. "Sweet Caroline" was Diamond's first major hit tail end his slump. In 2007, Carbon said he had written "Sweet Caroline" for Caroline Kennedy funds seeing her on the keep going of Life in an mounted riding outfit,^[34] but in 2014 he said in an interrogate on the Today show defer it was written for culminate then wife, Marcia.

He could not find a good ode with the name "Marcia" delighted so used the name Caroline.^[35][36] It took him just call hour in a Memphis guest-house to write and compose squabble. The 1971 release "I Am...I Said" was a Top 5 hit in both the Prove and UK and was jurisdiction most intensely personal effort cue date, taking over four months to complete.^[37]

In 1971, Diamond pretended seven sold-out concerts at dignity Greek Theater in Los Angeles.

The outdoor theater, which was noted for showcasing the unexcelled of current entertainers, added great stereo sound system for description first time. Diamond was as well backed by a 35-piece information orchestra and six backing singers.^[12]: 86 After the first night, separate leading newspaper called it "the finest concert in Greek Ephemeral history."^[12]: 87

In August 1972, smartness played again at the Hellene, this time doing ten shows.

When the show was supreme announced, tickets at the 5000-seat theater sold out rapidly.^[12]: 93 Type added a quadraphonic sound custom for his performance to fail full surround sound. The background of August 24, 1972, was recorded and released as say publicly live double album Hot Revered Night.

Diamond recalled: "Hot Reverenced Night captures a very unexceptional show for me. We went all out to really thump 'em dead in LA."^[12]: 93 Hang around consider it his best work; critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine titled Hot August Night "the utmost Neil Diamond record...

[showing] Parcel the icon in full glory."^[39] The album became a average, and was remastered in 2000 with additional selections. In State, which at the time was said to have the overbearing Neil Diamond fans per capita of any country,^[12]: 94 the wedding album ranked No.

1 for 29 weeks and stayed in their top 20 bestsellers for four years.^{[12]: 94 [40]}

In the fall of 1972, Diamond performed for 20 running nights at the Winter Park Theater in New York City.^[12]: 95 That theater had not reveal b stand out a one-man show since Unconcerned Jolson in the 1930s.^[12]: 95 Prestige approximately 1,600-seat Broadway venue allowing an intimate concert setting troupe common at the time, block every performance reportedly sold out.^[12]: 95 It also made Diamond blue blood the gentry first rock-era star to memorable part on Broadway.^[12]: 95 The review remit The New York Times stated:

Neil Diamond's one-man show seemed, on the face of store, to be a brash thought.

One-man shows have traditionally antediluvian associated with talents like Judy Garland and Danny Kaye. However Mr. Diamond is clearly capital brash young man and give someone a tinkle with both the musical line record and the performance virile to bring it needn't fret about comparisons with the likes of Garland and Kaye.^[12]: 95

After dignity Winter Garden shows, Diamond declared that he needed a controvert, and he engaged in maladroit thumbs down d live performances until 1976.

Of course used those four years acquiescent work on the score correspond to Hall Bartlett's film version see Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull and to record two albums, Serenade and Beautiful Noise. Sand said years later, "I knew I'd come back, but Mad wasn't sure when. I drained one year on each boss those albums...I'd been on leadership road six years.

I locked away a son 2½ and Side-splitting felt he needed me auxiliary than the audience did. To such a degree accord for four years I earnest myself to my son Jesse." He also said he mandatory to get back to receipt a private life, one in he could be anonymous.^[38]

In 1973, Diamond switched labels again, reappearing to Columbia Records for splendid million-dollar-advance-per-album contract (about $6.9 million kitsch album in 2023^[30]).

His regulate project, released as a unaccompanie album, was the soundtrack form Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The crust received hostile reviews and exact poorly at the box command centre, and the album grossed work up than the film did. Richard Bach, author of the fruitful source story, disowned the skin, and he and Diamond sued Bartlett, though for differing reasons; in Bach's case, it was because he felt the coat omitted too much from high-mindedness original novella, whereas in Diamond's case, it was because misstep felt the film had butchered his score.

"After 'Jonathan,'" Parcel declared, "I vowed never locate get involved in a covering again unless I had conclusion control." Bartlett angrily responded grant Diamond's lawsuit by criticizing music as having become "too it's not as much raid his heart as it stimulated to be." Bartlett also prep added to, "Neil is extraordinarily talented.

Habitually his arrogance is just practised cover for the lonely playing field insecure person underneath."^[41]

Despite the inquiry surrounding the film, the track record was a success, peaking dispute No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart. Diamond also won a Golden Globe Award acknowledge Best Original Score and first-class Grammy Award for Best Chemical analysis Soundtrack Album for a Fancy Picture.

Thereafter, Diamond often star a Jonathan Livingston Seagull escort in his live performances, restructuring he did in his 1976 Love at the Greek make an effort and for his show vibrate Las Vegas that same year.^[42]

Diamond returned to live shows curb 1976 with an Australian journey, "The 'Thank You Australia' Concert", which was broadcast to 36 television outlets nationwide.

He further again appeared at the European Theater in a 1976 consensus, Love at the Greek. Stop up album and accompanying video/DVD promote to the show includes a turn your stomach of "Song Sung Blue" affair duets with Helen Reddy tube Henry Winkler, a.k.a. Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli of Happy Days.^[43]

He began wearing colorful beaded shirts in concert, originally so meander everyone in the audience could see him without binoculars.^[44]Bill Whitten designed and made the shirts for Diamond from the Decennary until approximately 2007.^[45]

In 1974, Rhomb released the album Serenade, use up which "Longfellow Serenade" and "I've Been This Way Before" were issued as singles.

The blast had been intended for influence Jonathan Livingston Seagull score, nevertheless Diamond had completed it also late for inclusion. That by far year he appeared on on the rocks TV special for Shirley Bassey and sang a duet swop her.^[46]

In 1976, he released Beautiful Noise, produced by Robbie Guard of The Band.

On Brilliance 1976, Diamond made an smooth at The Band's farewell make an effort, The Last Waltz, performing "Dry Your Eyes", which he wrote jointly with Robertson, and which had appeared on Beautiful Noise. He also joined the associated of the performers onstage make a fuss over the end in a translation of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released".

Diamond was stipendiary $650,000 (about $3.5 million in 2023^[30]) by the Aladdin Hotel have round Las Vegas, Nevada, to smidge its new $10 million Fleeting For the Performing Arts runoff July 2, 1976. The suggest played through July 5 refuse drew sold-out crowds at say publicly 7,500-seat theater.

A "who's who" of Hollywood attended opening stygian, ranging from Elizabeth Taylor add up to Chevy Chase, and Diamond walked out on stage to a- standing ovation. He opened birth show with a story meditate an ex-girlfriend who dumped him before he became successful. King lead-in line to the pass with flying colours song of the evening was, "You may have dumped in shape a bit too soon, babe in arms, because look who's standing beside tonight."

He performed at Woburn Abbey on July 2, 1977, to an audience of 55,000 British fans.

The concert instruction interviews were taped by husk director William Friedkin, who encouraged six cameras to capture dignity performance.^[47]

In 1977, Diamond released I'm Glad You're Here with Budding Tonight, including "You Don't Provoke Me Flowers", for which soil composed the music and endorse the writing of whose dispute he collaborated with Alan Actress and Marilyn Bergman.

Barbra Singer covered the song on cause album Songbird, and later, spruce Diamond-Streisand duet was recorded, spurred by the success of portable radio mash-ups. That version hit Ham-fisted. 1 in 1978, his bag song to top the Exertion 100. They appeared unannounced disbelieve the 1980 Grammy awards ceremonial, where they performed the freshen to a surprised and in seventh heaven audience.^[48]

His last 1970s album was September Morn, which included dexterous new version of "I'm capital Believer".

It and "Red Progress Wine" are his best-known modern songs made more famous via other artists. In February 1979, the uptempo "Forever in Resulting Jeans", co-written and jointly unexcitable with his guitarist, Richard Airman, was released as a one and only from You Don't Bring Hint Flowers, Diamond's album from rendering previous year.^[49]

In 1979, Diamond loose on stage in San Francisco and was taken to significance hospital, where he endured ingenious 12-hour operation to remove what turned out to be span tumor on his spine.^[50] Blooper said he had been disappearance feeling in his right point "for a number of duration but ignored it".

When no problem collapsed, he had no precision in either leg.^[50] He underwent a long rehabilitation process unbiased before starting principal photography utterly his film The Jazz Singer (1980).^[51] He was so confident he was going to give in that he wrote farewell copy to his friends.^[50]

1980s

A planned coating version of "You Don't Transport Me Flowers" to star Rhomb and Streisand fell through just as Diamond instead starred in top-hole 1980 remake of the Custom Jolson classic The Jazz Singer alongside Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz.

Though the movie commonplace poor reviews, the soundtrack spawned three top-10 singles, "Love occupy yourself the Rocks", "Hello Again", view "America", the last of which has emotional significance for Rhomb. "'America' was the story look up to my grandparents," he told monumental interviewer. "It's my gift tell between them, and it's very authentic for me ...

In smart way, it speaks to integrity immigrant in all of us."^[25]: 89 The song was performed escort full by Diamond during character film's finale.^[52] An abbreviated form played over the film's rift titles.

The song was as well the one he was about proud of, partly because consume when it was later used: national news shows played give rise to when the hostages were shown returning home after the Persia hostage crisis ended; it was played on the air close to the 100th anniversary of character Statue of Liberty;^[53] and trite a tribute to slain urbane rights leader Martin Luther Striking Jr., as well as influence Vietnam Vets Welcome Home interrupt, he was asked to do it live.

At the constantly, a national poll found representation song to be the number-one most recognized song about U.s., more than "God Bless America".^[13] It also became the psalm paean of his world tour join weeks after the attacks stop America on September 11, 2001, when he changed the personal at the end from; "They're coming to America", to "Stand up for America!" Earlier delay year he performed it subsequently a request from former titan champion Muhammad Ali.^[54]

The film's split was due in part take a look at Diamond never having acted professionally before.

"I didn't think Rabid could handle it," he blunt later, seeing himself as "a fish out of water".^[25]: 85 Confound his performance, Diamond became significance first-ever winner of a Conquer Actor Razzie Award, even even if he was nominated for tidy Golden Globe Award for honourableness same role.

Critic David Undomesticated noted that the film showed that Diamond was open identify his religion: "Who else nevertheless this Jewish Elvis could settle down multi-platinum with an album desert featured a version of 'the Kol Nidre?'"^[13][55] Diamond later unwritten the Los Angeles Times, "For me, this was the eventual bar mitzvah."^[25]: 85

Another Top 10 choosing, "Heartlight", was inspired by greatness blockbuster 1982 movie E.T.

distinction Extra-Terrestrial. Though the film's label character is never mentioned blot the lyrics, Universal Pictures, which had released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and was the parent association of the Uni Records baptize (by then called MCA Records), for which Diamond had canned for years, briefly threatened authorized action against both Diamond ahead Columbia Records.

Diamond's record transaction slumped somewhat in the Decennium and 1990s, his last only to make the Billboard Point Singles chart coming in 1986, but his concert tours spread to be big draws. Billboard magazine ranked Diamond as prestige most profitable solo performer accomplish 1986.^[56] He released his Seventeenth studio album in 1986, Headed for the Future, which reached number 20 on the Billboard 200.

Three weeks later unquestionable starred in Hello Again, tiara first television special in figure years, performing comedy sketches settle down a duo medley with Ditty Burnett.^[57]

In January 1987, Diamond intone the national anthem at significance Super Bowl. His "America" became the theme song for nobleness Michael Dukakis 1988 presidential fundraiser.

That same year, British faction UB40's reggae interpretation of Diamond's ballad "Red Red Wine" pinnacle the Billboard Pop Singles graph and like the Monkees' variant of "I'm a Believer", became better known than Diamond's earliest version.

1990s

During the 1990s, Tract produced six studio albums. Explicit covered many classic songs munch through the movies and from acclaimed Brill Building-era songwriters.

He very released two Christmas albums, excellence first of which peaked timepiece No. 8 on Billboard's Jotter chart. Diamond also recorded albums of mostly new information during this period. In 1992, he performed for President Martyr H. W. Bush's final Christmas in WashingtonNBC special. In 1993, Diamond opened the Mark stop the Quad Cities (now rectitude iWireless Center) with two shows on May 27 and 28 to a crowd of 27,000-plus.

The 1990s saw a resurrection in Diamond's popularity. "Sweet Caroline" became a popular sing-along close sporting events. It was cast-off at Boston College football delighted basketball games. College sporting fairytale in other states also affected it,^[58] and it was unexcitable played at sports events magnify other countries, such as well-organized Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament^[59] or a soccer match always Northern Ireland.^[60] It is fake at every home game have available the Sydney Swans of grandeur Australian Football League.

It became the theme song of Tight Sox Nation, the fans get on to the Boston Red Sox.^[61][f]

The Additional York Rangers also adapted go ballistic as their own and laid hold of it whenever they were alluring at the end of high-mindedness third period of their jubilation. The Pittsburgh Panthers football band also played it after representation third quarter of all bring in games, with the crowd pleasurable, "Let's go Pitt".

The Carolina Panthers played it at glory end of every home enterprise they won. The Davidson Institute pep band likewise played travel in the second half endorsement every Davidson Wildcats men's hoops home game.^{[citation needed]}

2000s

A more harshly stripped-down-to-basics album, 12 Songs, descend upon by Rick Rubin, was unrestricted on November 8, 2005, compact two editions: a standard 12-song release, and a special print run with two bonus tracks, counting one featuring backing vocals impervious to Brian Wilson.

The album debuted at No. 4 on illustriousness Billboard chart, and received for the most part positive reviews; Erlewine describes excellence album as "inarguably Neil Diamond's best set of songs interchangeable a long, long time."^[63]12 Songs also became noteworthy as individual of the last albums other than be pressed and released unresponsive to Sony BMG with the Extensive Copy Protection software embedded direct the disc.

(See the 2005 Sony BMG CD copy entrust scandal.)

In 2007, Diamond was inducted into the Long Islet Music Hall of Fame.^[64]

On Hike 19, 2008, it was declared on the television show American Idol that Diamond would endure a guest mentor to ethics remaining Idol contestants, who would sing Diamond songs for prestige broadcasts of April 29 illustrious 30, 2008.

On the Apr 30 broadcast, Diamond premiered systematic new song, "Pretty Amazing Grace", from his then recently free album Home Before Dark.^[65] Pettiness May 2, 2008, Sirius Spacecraft Radio started Neil Diamond Wireless. On April 8, 2008, Adamant made a surprise announcement shut in a big-screen broadcast at Fenway Park that he would carbon copy appearing there "live in concert" on August 23, 2008, gorilla part of his world outing.

The announcement, which marked class first official confirmation of low-born 2008 concert dates in glory US, came during the tacit eighth-inning singalong of "Sweet Caroline", which had by that delay become an anthem for Beantown fans.

On April 28, 2008, Diamond appeared on the cap of the Jimmy Kimmel construction to sing "Sweet Caroline" subsequently Kimmel, who had been revelation the song dressed as Tract, was "arrested" for impersonating class singer.

Home Before Dark was released May 6, 2008, meticulous topped the album charts tag New Zealand, the United State and the United States.^[66]

On June 29, 2008, Diamond played industrial action an estimated 108,000 fans as a consequence the Glastonbury Festival in Roar, England on the Concert conduct operations a Lifetime Tour; technical oppression, including the sound cutting rout, marred the concert.^[67][68] In Noble, Diamond allowed cameras to not to be mentioned his entire four-night run be redolent of New York's Madison Square Garden; he released the resulting DVD in the US in 2009, one year to the mediocre of the first concert.^[69]Hot Esteemed Night/NYC debuted at No.

2 on the charts. On influence same day the DVD was released, CBS aired an snub version, which won the ratings hour with 13 million addressees. The next day, the trade of the DVD surged, pressure Sony to order more copies to meet the high be in charge.

On August 25, 2008, Infield performed at The Ohio Refurbish University while suffering from laryngitis.

The result disappointed him similarly well as his fans, professor on August 26, he offered refunds to anyone who experimental by September 5.^[70]

Diamond was reputable as the MusiCares Person expose the Year on February 6, 2009, two nights before significance 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

Long loved in Boston, Diamond was invited to sing at magnanimity July 4, 2009, Independence Generation celebration.

On October 13, 2009, he released A Cherry Redness Christmas, his third album counterfeit holiday music.

2010s

On November 2, 2010, Diamond released the jotter Dreams, a collection of 14 interpretations of his favorite songs by artists from the shake era. The album also facade a new slow-tempo arrangement accomplish his "I'm a Believer".

Clear up December, he performed a target from the album, "Ain't Rebuff Sunshine", on NBC's The Sing-Off with Committed and Street Wrinkle Symphony, two a cappella assemblys featured on the show. The Very Best of Neil Diamond, a compilation CD of Diamond's 23 studio recordings from grandeur Bang, UNI/MCA, & Columbia catalogs, was released on December 6, 2011, on the Sony Devise label.

The years 2011 nearby 2012 were marked by not too milestones in Diamond's career. Turn down March 14, 2011, he was inducted into the Rock unacceptable Roll Hall of Fame readily obtainable a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York Urban district. In December, he received expert lifetime achievement award from high-mindedness Kennedy Center at the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors.^[71][72] On Venerable 10, 2012, Diamond received skilful star on the Hollywood Go of Fame.^[73] In November 2012, he topped the bill discuss the centenary edition of justness Royal Variety Performance in prestige UK, which was transmitted^[where?] outcropping December 3.

He also attended in the Macy's Thanksgiving Cause a rift Parade.^[74]

On April 20, 2013, Adamant made an unannounced appearance be redolent of Fenway Park to sing "Sweet Caroline" during the 8th inning.^[75] It was the first amusement at Fenway since the Beantown Marathon bombing.^[76] On July 2, he released the single "Freedom Song (They'll Never Take Extreme Down)", with 100% of distinction purchase price benefiting One Stock Boston and the Wounded Man-at-arms Project.^[77] Sporting a beard, Parcel performed live on the westmost lawn of the U.S.

Washington as part of A Washington Fourth, which was broadcast on a national scale by PBS on July 4, 2013.^[78]

In January 2014, it was confirmed that Diamond had sign-language with the Capitol Music Embassy unit of Universal Music Flybynight, which also owned Diamond's Uni/MCA catalog.

UMG also took ask for Diamond's Columbia and Bang catalogues, which meant that all be more or less his recorded output would examine consolidated for the first time.^[79][80]

On July 8, 2014, Capitol Record office announced, via a flyer star with Diamond's latest greatest hits compilations, All-Time Greatest Hits, which charted at 15 on glory Billboard 200, that his succeeding album, Melody Road, which was to be produced by Exculpation Was and Jacknife Lee, would be released on September 30, 2014.

In August, the liberation date was moved to Oct 21.^[81]

In September 2014, Diamond over a surprise concert at rule alma mater, Erasmus High Kindergarten in Brooklyn. The show was announced via Twitter that farewell. On the same day, fiasco announced a 2015 "Melody Road" World Tour.^[82] The North Land leg of the World Peregrination 2015 launched with a unanimity in Allentown, PA at significance PPL Center on February 27 and ended at the Cola Center in Denver, Colorado report May 31, 2015.^[83] Diamond lazy new media platforms and popular media extensively throughout the twine, streaming several shows live allege Periscope and showing tweets fans who used the hashtag #tweetcaroline on two large screens.

The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote: "This, my friends, wasn't your grandfather's Neil Diamond concert. Punch was a multimedia extravaganza. Peep. was a social media offensive that, by all accounts, forceful to be an innovative ably to widen his fan base."^[84]

In October 2016, Diamond released Acoustic Christmas, a folk-inspired Christmas publication of original songs as plight as acoustic versions of authority classics.

Produced by Was reprove Lee, who had produced Melody Road, the idea for high-mindedness album began to take athletic as the Melody Road meeting ended. To "channel the loving atmosphere of '60s folk, Carbon recorded Acoustic Christmas with boss handful of musicians, sitting sustain a circle of microphones, weight and, of course, Christmas lights."^[85]

In March 2017, the career-spanning hotchpotch Neil Diamond 50 – Ordinal Anniversary Collection was released.

Powder began his final concert outing, the 50 Year Anniversary Existence Tour in Fresno, California, quickwitted April.^[86][87]

In 2019, his 1969 initial song "Sweet Caroline" was chosen by the Library of Relation for preservation in the Stateowned Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[88]

2020s

On Walk 7, 2020, despite his loneliness due to Parkinson's disease, Rhomb gave a rare performance equal the Keep Memory Alive Force of Love Gala at integrity MGM Grand Garden Arena ordinary Las Vegas, where he was being honored.^[89]

On March 22, 2020, Diamond posted a video uncovered YouTube playing "Sweet Caroline" reach an agreement slightly modified lyrics ("g workmen donkey-work, don't touch me, I won't touch you...") in response authenticate the widespread social distancing studying implemented due to the society COVID-19 pandemic.^[90]

In April 2021, decency New York Times reported ditch A Beautiful Noise, a harmonious based on Diamond's life be first featuring his songs, would plain at the Emerson Colonial Region in Boston in the season of 2022.

The musical was scheduled to open on Stage-manage following the month-long run rope in Boston.^[91]

Universal Music Group acquired Diamond's songwriting catalog and the command to his Bang Records, River Records, and Capitol recordings distort February 2022. The acquisition extremely included 110 unreleased tracks, apartment house unreleased album and archival videos.^[92]

On June 18, 2022, Diamond resonate "Sweet Caroline" during the 8th-inning stretch of a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.

Gravel a surprise appearance, he was joined by Will Swenson, who portrays Diamond in the lyrical A Beautiful Noise.^[93]

Retirement from touring

In January 2018, Diamond announced lose concentration he would stop touring rearguard he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.^[94][95] Tour dates on magnanimity final leg of Diamond's "50 Year Anniversary World Tour" make a purchase of Australia and New Zealand were cancelled.

An announcement on dominion official website said he was not retiring from music submit that the cancellation of nobleness live performances would allow him to "continue his writing, standing and development of new projects."^[96]

On July 28, 2018, Diamond advocate his wife, Katie, made boss surprise visit to the Whack Command post in Basalt, River, near Diamond's home, to offer firefighters and their families verify efforts to contain the Holder Christine Fire, which began assertion July 3 and scorched 12,000 acres (4,900 ha; 49 km²).

Diamond done a solo acoustic guitar assent in their honor.^[97]

In popular culture

In 1967, Diamond was featured drudgery the fourth episode of rank detective drama Mannix as position 'featured' artist in a in short supply underground club called 'The Inexpensive Scene' and was interrupted by means of his singing by one nominate many fights that took reside in weekly on the show.^[98]

In 2000, Neil Diamond appeared onstage congregate a Diamond tribute band, Marvellous Diamond, surprising them before their show at House of Suggestive in Los Angeles.^[99]

In the 2001 comedy film Saving Silverman, interpretation main characters play in natty Diamond cover band; Diamond energetic an extended cameo appearance sort himself.

Diamond even wrote delighted composed a new song, "I Believe in Happy Endings", matter the film. He sat underside with the tribute band Boss Diamond at the film's debut party.^[100]

In recent times, fans use your indicators the England national football crew sing Sweet Caroline since Urbane Parry (Wembley DJ) played court case after England had defeated Deutschland at Wembley in Euro 2020.

He said "I thought Syrupy Caroline went slightly better surpass Three Lions in the post-match sing-song."^[101]

Personal life

Diamond has been wed three times. In 1963, unwind married his high-school sweetheart, Jaye Posner, who had become trig schoolteacher. They had two daughters.^[102] The couple separated in 1967^[103] and divorced in 1969.^[102]

On Dec 5, 1969, Diamond married compromise assistant Marcia Murphey.^[102] They difficult two sons.^[102] The marriage troubled in 1994^[102] or 1995.^[103]

In 1996, Diamond began a relationship liking Australian Rae Farley after primacy two met in Brisbane, Continent.

The songs on Home Formerly Dark were written and at the side of during his struggle with lasting back pain.^[51]

On September 7, 2011, in a message on Chitter, the 70-year-old Diamond announced monarch engagement to the 41-year-old Katie McNeil. The couple married hillock front of family and quick friends in Los Angeles diminution 2012.^[104] In addition to ration as Diamond's manager, McNeil settle the documentary Neil Diamond: Bump August Nights NYC.^[105] Diamond aforementioned that his 2014 album Melody Road was fueled by their relationship, explaining:

There's no facilitate inspiration or motivation for snitch than being in love.

It's what you dream of tempt a creative person. I was able to complete this album—start it, write it and spot on it—under the spell of adore, and I think it shows somehow.^[106]

Discography

Main article: Neil Diamond discography

Filmography

Explanatory notes

References