OurBiography

Singer and songwriter Neil Diamond wrote “I’m A Believer” for The Monkees, and peformed his own pop hits, including “Heartlight” and “Sweet Caroline.”

Who Is Neil Diamond?

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 24, 1941, Neil Diamond began writing songs while studying at New York University. His own hits include "Sweet Caroline," "America" and "Heartlight." He also wrote "I'm A Believer," performed by The Monkees, and his song "Red, Red Wine" was a big hit for band UB40 in 1983. Diamond's recent albums include 12 Songs (2005) and Home Before Dark (2008).

Career Beginnings

Born on January 24, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, Neil Leslie Diamond was is best known as a successful pop music singer who scored a number of hits during the 1960s, '70s and '80s. Diamond wrote the hits "I'm A Believer" (1966) and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (1967) for the Monkees, and had his own first No. 1 hit with "Cracklin' Rosie" (1970).

The son of a shop owner, Diamond spent most of his youth in Brooklyn. He did live in Wyoming for a time while his father served in the military. Diamond got his first guitar at age 16. Before long, he began writing his own songs. Diamond landed a fencing scholarship to New York University. While a premed student at the university, he continued to pursue his interest in music. In the early 1960s, Diamond released his first single, "What Will I Do," which he recorded with Jack Packer. The duo released the song under the name "Neil & Jack."

Early Hits

Eventually dropping out of college, Neil Diamond worked as a song writer for several companies. He joined forces with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, two talented songwriters and producers. The trio began to market Diamond as both a singer and songwriter. Diamond had his first taste of pop success with the 1966 single "Solitary Man." That same year, he penned the Monkees' No. 1 hit "I'm a Believer."

Diamond continued to score hits on his own over the next few years, including "Cherry, Cherry" and "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon." His popular 1969 single, "Sweet Caroline," was reportedly inspired by Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy. In 2014, during an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Diamond put that particular rumor to rest saying the song was written about his wife. The song made it into the Billboard Top 5. That same year, Diamond's "Holly Holy" reached the No. 6 spot on the pop charts.

Top Pop Star

In 1970, Neil Diamond scored his first solo No. 1 pop single with "Cracklin' Rosie." He hit the top of the charts again with "Song Sung Blue" two years later. Also in 1972, Diamond released the hugely popular Hot August Night, which was recorded at a series of concerts he did at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. He also composed the soundtrack for the 1973 film Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, based on the Richard Bach book. While the movie was a flop at the box office, the soundtrack earned Diamond a Grammy Award.

Diamond scored another big hit with "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," his 1978 duet with Barbra Streisand. In 1980, he tried for success on the big screen with his remake of The Jazz Singer. Critics were less than kind regarding his efforts, but the film's soundtrack featured such hits as "Love on the Rocks" and "America." The Jazz Singer album sold more than 5 million copies.

Other artists have also made the charts with their own renditions of Diamond's songs. The British band UB40 hit it big with "Red, Red Wine" in 1983, and Urge Overkill's cover of "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" was featured on the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994).

In 1996, Diamond released the album Tennessee Moon, which marked his first foray into country music. He teamed up with Rick Rubin for 12 Songs (2005), which was heralded as a comeback for Diamond. "They call it a 'comeback.' For me, I never thought that I was away," Diamond later told Newsweek. While Diamond hadn't been on the charts in a while, he remained a very popular live act. 12 Songs put him back on the album charts, reaching as high as the No. 4 spot.

In Recent Years

In 2008, Diamond reached the top of the album charts with Home Before Dark, his next effort with Rick Rubin. He even appeared on American Idol to help promote the release. Diamond's musical contributions were honored in 2011, when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He received the Kennedy Center Honor that same year. Diamond had previously been admitted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in the 1980s.

Diamond made headlines for his latest marriage in 2012; he wed his manager, Katie McNeil, in Los Angeles on April 20, 2012. They met in 2009, during the making of the documentary Neil Diamond: Hot August Night NYC. McNeil worked as an executive producer on the project. Diamond has been married twice before, and has four children from those marriages.

Diamond continued to record and tour into his 70s. He released his latest album Melody Road in 2014. Working with producer Don Was, Diamond created a record that reminded many of his best work from the 1970s, and took to the road in 2014 and 2015 to support this latest effort. 

As for the future, Diamond told Daily Variety that "I'd like just to continue to write songs that express my own life and feelings. Writing songs and performing for an audience is such a satisfying creative outlet that I can't think of anything else I could do to top it."

Retirement from Touring

On January 22, 2018, Diamond abruptly announced his retirement from touring due to his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. In the midst of the year-long 50th Anniversary World Tour, he canceled the final leg, scheduled for Australia and New Zealand.

“I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows," he said in a statement. "My thanks go out to my loyal and devoted audiences around the world. You will always have my appreciation for your support and encouragement. This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you."

Despite the diagnosis, Diamond said he fully expected to continue writing and recording. He also showed he wasn't completely through with performing, as he delivered a surprise one-man show for firefighters who were battling Utah's massive Lake Christine Fire that summer.