Neil Diamond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Neil Diamond
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Diamond in 2012
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Neil Leslie Diamond
January 24, 1941 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1962–present |
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| Children | 4 |
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Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is a famous American singer and songwriter. He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold over 130 million records around the world.
Diamond has had ten songs reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Some of his most famous hits include "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", and "Sweet Caroline". He also recorded the popular duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Barbra Streisand. Another of his well-known songs is "America". He also acted in the 1980 movie The Jazz Singer.
For his amazing career in music, Diamond has received many awards. He was welcomed into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2018, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Neil Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family. His grandparents came to the United States from Poland and Russia. He grew up in Brooklyn but also lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming for four years while his father was in the army.
In high school, Diamond was in the school chorus with a classmate who would also become a superstar: Barbra Streisand. He later said they weren't close friends back then, just "two poor kids in Brooklyn." Another famous classmate was chess champion Bobby Fischer.
For his 16th birthday, Diamond got his first guitar. That same year, he went to a summer camp where he saw the folk singer Pete Seeger perform. Seeing Seeger and other kids singing their own songs inspired Diamond. He realized he could write his own songs, too. "I got a guitar... started to take lessons and almost immediately began to write songs," he said.
Diamond also discovered he was good at writing poetry. He wrote poems for girls he liked, and it often won them over. His friends noticed and started asking him to write poems for them to use.
After high school, Diamond went to New York University on a fencing scholarship. He planned to become a doctor, but he found himself more interested in writing songs than in his classes. He started skipping class to visit Tin Pan Alley, a famous area for music publishers in New York, to try to sell his songs. Before he could graduate, a music company offered him a job writing songs for $50 a week. He dropped out of college to follow his dream.
Career
The 1960s: Becoming a Star
Diamond's first few years as a songwriter were tough. He wrote songs wherever he could, even on buses. He barely earned enough money to get by. But during this time, he wrote some of his first important songs, like "Solitary Man" and "Cherry, Cherry".
His big break came as a songwriter for other artists. In 1965, he wrote "Sunday and Me" for the group Jay and the Americans. He then wrote several huge hits for the band the Monkees, including "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You". "I'm a Believer" was a massive success and made Diamond famous as a songwriter.
In 1966, Diamond signed with Bang Records and released his own hits, including "Solitary Man" and "Kentucky Woman". He began to feel that the record label wanted him to only write simple pop songs. He wanted to write more personal and serious music, which led to disagreements with the label.
The 1970s: A Decade of Superstardom
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Diamond's career exploded. He released a string of classic songs like "Sweet Caroline" (1969), "Holly Holy" (1969), "Cracklin' Rosie" (1970), and "Song Sung Blue" (1972). "Sweet Caroline" became one of his most beloved songs. For years, people thought he wrote it about Caroline Kennedy, but in 2014 he said he wrote it for his wife at the time, Marcia.
In August 1972, he performed a series of concerts at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. One of these shows was recorded and released as the live album Hot August Night. The album was a huge success, especially in Australia, where it stayed at No. 1 for 29 weeks. Many fans and critics consider it one of his best works.
Later that year, Diamond became the first rock star to perform a one-man show on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. After these shows, he took a four-year break from performing live to spend time with his family. During this break, he wrote the music for the movie Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The soundtrack was a hit and won him a Grammy Award.
He returned to the stage in 1976. He started wearing his famous colorful, beaded shirts in concert so that people in the back of large arenas could see him. In 1977, he released the song "You Don't Bring Me Flowers". After Barbra Streisand also recorded it, a radio DJ mixed their two versions together. This "mash-up" became so popular that Diamond and Streisand recorded an official duet, which went to No. 1.
The 1980s: Movies and "America"
In 1980, Diamond starred in a new version of the movie The Jazz Singer. While the movie itself got poor reviews, its soundtrack was a huge success. It included the hit songs "Love on the Rocks," "Hello Again," and "America".
The song "America" was very special to Diamond. He said, "'America' was the story of my grandparents. It's my gift to them." The song became an anthem and was used at many important national events, like the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.
In the 1980s, Diamond continued to be a popular concert performer. In 1987, he sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The British band UB40 had a huge hit with their reggae version of his song "Red Red Wine".
1990s and 2000s: A Lasting Legacy
In the 1990s, Diamond's song "Sweet Caroline" found a new life. It became a popular sing-along song at sports games, especially for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Fans at Fenway Park in Boston sing it together during the eighth inning of every home game.
In 2005, Diamond worked with producer Rick Rubin on the album 12 Songs. The album had a simple, acoustic sound and was praised by critics. In 2008, his album Home Before Dark reached No. 1 in the United States and the United Kingdom. This was the first No. 1 album of his career in the U.S.
2010s: Honors and Final Tours
The 2010s were a time of great recognition for Diamond. In 2011, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On April 20, 2013, just after the Boston Marathon bombing, Diamond made a surprise appearance at Fenway Park. He led the crowd in singing "Sweet Caroline" in a moment of unity and healing for the city.
In 2017, he began his 50th Anniversary World Tour. In 2019, "Sweet Caroline" was chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Recording Registry because of its cultural importance.
Retirement from Touring
In January 2018, Diamond announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Because of this, he had to stop touring. He cancelled the last shows of his 50th Anniversary tour in Australia and New Zealand.
Although he no longer performs large concerts, Diamond has not retired from music. He said he would continue to write and record. He has made a few rare public appearances since his announcement. In March 2020, he posted a video online of himself playing "Sweet Caroline" with new lyrics about washing hands to support public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2022, he made a surprise visit to Fenway Park and sang "Sweet Caroline" with the crowd, delighting his fans.
Personal Life
Neil Diamond has been married three times and has four children. He married his high school sweetheart, Jaye Posner, in 1963. They had two daughters and divorced in 1969.
Later that year, he married Marcia Murphey. They had two sons and were married for about 25 years.
In 2012, he married Katie McNeil. She is also his manager. Diamond has said that his love for her was the inspiration for his 2014 album, Melody Road.
Discography
Filmography
- Mannix, "The Many Deaths of Saint Christopher", 1967, as himself
- The Jazz Singer, 1980, starring role as Jess Robin
- Saving Silverman, 2001, appearing as himself
- Keeping Up With The Steins, 2006, appearing as himself
- Trevor Noah: Where Was I, 2023, appearing as himself
Images for kids
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Diamond performing on opening night of the Theater For the Performing Arts at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino, on July 2, 1976.
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The handprints of Diamond in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
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Diamond performing in 2015
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A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical, opened at the Broadhurst Theater on Broadway in December 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Neil Diamond para niños
