Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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DIAMOND, Neil

(b 24 Jan. '43, Brooklyn) Singer/songwriter. Saw Pete Seeger perform, learned guitar and began writing songs alongside pre-med study. Became part of Brill Building crowd after meeting with Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. First hit for Jay and the Americans ('Sunday And Me' no. 18 USA '65); joined Bert Berns's Bang label that year, wrote early hits for the Monkees ('I'm A Believer', 'A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You'); own first big hit 'Cherry, Cherry' no. 6 '66: 36 own top 40 hits USA '66--83 incl. first no. 1 '70 with 'Cracklin' Rosie' (also first UK hit at no. 3); had no. 1 'Song Sung Blue' '72, no. 2 'Love On The Rocks' '80; also no. 1 duet with Barbra Streisand '78 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'. Songs have been covered by the Hollies, Elvis Presley, UB40 (no. 1 UK with 'Red Red Wine' '83), many others. Twenty-seven LPs charted in Billboard '66--84 incl. Tap Root Manuscript '70 (incl. 'Rosie', also 'African Trilogy', celebrating African contribution to popular music), live concert LPs Neil Diamond/Gold '70, Hot August Night '72, Live At The Greek (Theatre) '76; soundtracks Jonathan Livingston Seagull '73 (first LP after signing with Columbia for seven-figure sum), The Jazz Singer '80 (remake co-starred Sir Laurence Olivier; LP yielded three hits but film was heavily panned); hits compilations on Bang, MCA, CBS incl. Classics -- The Early Years '83 (Bang stuff now on CBS); Beautiful Noise '76 prod. by Robbie Robertson, led to incongruous appearance in the Band's Last Waltz '77 film and soundtrack. A pop superstar well entrenched in lucrative MOR market: LPs Heartlight '82, Primitive '84, Headed For The Future '86 infrequent but selective. Tennessee Moon (The Nashville Collection) '96 on Columbia incl. guests such as Waylon Jennings.