Neil Diamond - Songwriters, Career and Life
Neil Diamond's Personal Details
Neil Diamond is a famous American singer-songwriter from the 1960s
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | January 24, 1941 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Jewish Singers, New York University, Lyricists & Songwriters, Singers, Singer-songwriter, Songwriters |
| City/State | New Yorkers |
| Spouses | Jayne Posner, Katie McNeil, Marcia Murphey |
| Known as | Neil Leslie Diamond |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Brooklyn |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Height | 183 |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Kieve Diamond |
| Mother | Rose |
| Net Worth | $175 Million as of Apr 29,2017 |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Born in | Brooklyn |
| Famous as | Singer-songwriter |
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Neil Diamond's photo
Who is Neil Diamond?
Neil Diamond is a famous American singer-songwriter, a trouper of the ‘Brill Building’ song factory and one of the most successful artists of his time. His trademark style was his quasi-gospel, baritone voice, which helped him sell nearly 125 million records around the world, with over 18 platinum-certified albums. He wrote his first song, ‘Hear them bells’ for his girlfriend, which was recorded a number of years later. He has had the privilege of working with several with record groups including ‘Columbia Records’ ‘Bang’ and ‘MCA’. His songs such as ‘I’ve Been this Way Before’, ‘Song Sung Blue’, ‘Cracklin’ Rose’ and ‘Desiree’ became extremely popular during his time and went on to become the ‘third most successful adult contemporary artist’ on a number of popular music charts. The last of his albums that was released was a compilation CD of some of his best records from his career, which was compiled into ‘The Very Best of Neil Diamond’. Career aside, he is known to have been a solitary and insecure person beneath all his fame and success and was also known to many as arrogant, though he was in true spirit; a performer and a showman.
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Childhood & Early Life
Neil Leslie Diamond was born on January 24, 1941 to Rose and Akeeba ‘Kieve’ Diamond, a Jewish couple, in Brooklyn, New York.
He attended Abraham Lincoln High School, where he received his high school diploma. During his school years that he was a part of the fencing team. He was later offered a fencing scholarship to New York University, where he specialized in saber.
During his time at the university, he was a member of 1960 NCAA men’s championship team. In his senior year at the university, a music publishing company made him an offer of $50 per week to write songs, which he took up.
Career
In 1962, he signed his first recording contract as ‘Neil and Jack’, with his high-school friend, Jack Parker. The duo recorded two singles ‘You Are My Love At Last’ b/w ‘What Will I Do’ and ‘I’m Afraid’ b/w ‘Till You’ve Tried Love’; both of which, became unsuccessful.
In 1962 itself, he signed a solo contract with Columbia Records. After releasing a couple of singles under the record label, Columbia dropped him from the label because he was not very successful with singles like ‘Clown Town’. He then went back to writing songs.
In 1965, he had his first success as a songwriter with the song, ‘Sunday and Me’, which he wrote for ‘Jay and the Americans’. A string of other successful singles followed including, ‘I’m a Believer’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’. The next year, he signed a record deal with ‘Bang Records’.
His first hit was ‘Solitary Man’. He later followed this hit with a number of singles such as ‘Cherry, Cherry’, ‘Kentucky Woman’ and ‘Do It’. Despite working with ‘Bang Records’, he felt that he had not yet reached his maximum potential. Thus, in 1968, he signed a record deal with MCA Records.
In 1970, he moved to Los Angeles and delivered hits like ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, ‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’, which all rose to the top of music charts. The next year, he came up with one of the best hits of his career, ‘I Am… I Said’, which took nearly 4 months to complete.
1972 was an extremely busy year for the singer-songwriter as he performed in 10 full-house concerts at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. All of his performances were compiled and released the same year in a live double album titled, ‘Hot August Night’. He also performed at the Winter Garden Theatre the same year.
He switched back to Columbia Records once again in 1973 after they offered to give him a million dollars in advance for each of his albums. His first album received positive reviews and peaked in the top positions on charts, despite being used as a soundtrack for a flop film.
In 1976, Diamond released ‘Beautiful Noise’, which was his tenth studio album overall. He performed the song ‘Dry Your Eyes’ with ‘The Band’ on their sendoff show. This album became a critical hit because it showcased his production style and compositional variety. The same year, he performed at the ‘Theater for Performing Arts’ which gathered sold-out crowds.
He released ‘I’m Glad You’re Here With Me Tonight’ in 1977. Two years later, he released his last album for the decade titled, ‘September Morn’, which featured hits like, ‘I’m a Believer’ and ‘Dancing in the Street’.
He was cast in the American drama film, ‘The Jazz Singer’ alongside Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in the film. Some of the singles in the movie’s soundtrack such as, ‘Love on the Rocks’ and ‘America’, became hits.
In the 1980s, his record sales collapsed with the last single making the Billboard charts in 1986.
From 1993 to 1998, there was a resurgence in his popularity when he released a number of albums under Columbia Records including, ‘Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building’, ‘The Christmas Album 2, ‘Tennessee Moon’ and ‘The Movie Album: As Time Goes By’.
In the new millennium, Diamond continued to record and tour. His ‘12 Songs’, which released in 2005, is regarded as one of his finest albums till date. Other albums that followed were ‘The Best of Neil Diamond’ and ‘Classic-The Universal Masters Collection’.
‘Home Before Dark’, one of his albums released in 2008, was featured at the top of the charts in New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States and became one of his greatest selling albums till date. The next year, he released another hit album, ‘A Chery Cherry Christmas’.
His most recent albums from 2009 to 2011 include, ‘Dreams’ and other compilation albums including ‘The Essential Neil Diamond’, ‘Icon’, ‘The Bang Years’ and ‘The Very Best of Neil Diamond: the Original Studio Recordings’.
In 2013, he made an impromptu entrance at Fenway Park to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ during the 8th inning.
Major Works
‘Beautiful Noise’, his 1976 album, was his 10th album overall and is considered his ‘finest all around alum’. After his career slumped a bit, it was this album that brought him back to the forefront and marked the advent of a highly successful career then on. The album featured hit singles including ‘Stargazer’, ‘If You Know What I Mean’ and ‘Dry Your Eyes’. It reached the number 1 position on the Australian Kent Music Report and was certified Platinum in the US and Gold in UK.
‘Home before Dark’, which released in 2008, received positive reviews upon its release and topped music charts in USA, UK and New Zealand and was certified 4X Gold and Platinum in USA and UK, respectively. The album also featured hit singles like ‘If I Don’t See You Again’ and ‘Forgotten’.
Awards & Achievements
He was presented the Sammy Cahn ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, in 2000.
In 2007, he was inducted into the ‘Long Island Music Hall of Fame’.
In 2009, he was honored as the ‘MusiCares Person of the Year’.
He obtained a Golden Globe Award for ‘Best Original Score’ for the film version of ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’.
He also won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture’ for ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’.
In 2011, he became an honoree at the Kennedy Center.
In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1963, he married Jaye Posner with who he has two daughters. The couple divorced six years later in 1969.
In 1979, he collapsed on stage while giving a performance and it was diagnosed that he had a tumor growing on his spine. Despite having surgery for the tumor, he continued to have persistent, severe back pain.
He then married Marcia Murphey, with whom he had two sons. He divorced his second wife in 1994 or 1995, according to different sources.
On April 12, 2012, he married Katie McNeil in front of family and friends. Prior to marrying Katie, he was in a brief relationship with Rae Farley.
Trivia
This popular American singer-songwriter is known to wear colorful beaded shirts for his concerts so that people can vividly spot him in the audience without using the help of binoculars.
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Neil Diamond's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Golden Globe Awards | ||
| 1974 | Best Original Score - Motion Picture | Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973) |
ASCAP Film And Television Music Awards | ||
| 1991 | Most Performed Feature Film Standards | The Jazz Singer (1980) |
Grammy Awards | ||
| 1974 | Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture | Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973) |
Neil Diamond biography timelines
- // 24th Jan 1941Neil Leslie Diamond was born on January 24, 1941 to Rose and Akeeba ‘Kieve’ Diamond, a Jewish couple, in Brooklyn, New York.
- // 1960During his time at the university, he was a member of 1960 NCAA men’s championship team. In his senior year at the university, a music publishing company made him an offer of $50 per week to write songs, which he took up.
- // 1962In 1962, he signed his first recording contract as ‘Neil and Jack’, with his high-school friend, Jack Parker. The duo recorded two singles ‘You Are My Love At Last’ b/w ‘What Will I Do’ and ‘I’m Afraid’ b/w ‘Till You’ve Tried Love’; both of which, became unsuccessful.
- // 1962In 1962 itself, he signed a solo contract with Columbia Records. After releasing a couple of singles under the record label, Columbia dropped him from the label because he was not very successful with singles like ‘Clown Town’. He then went back to writing songs.
- // 1963 To 1969In 1963, he married Jaye Posner with who he has two daughters. The couple divorced six years later in 1969.
- // 1965In 1965, he had his first success as a songwriter with the song, ‘Sunday and Me’, which he wrote for ‘Jay and the Americans’. A string of other successful singles followed including, ‘I’m a Believer’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’. The next year, he signed a record deal with ‘Bang Records’.
- // 1968His first hit was ‘Solitary Man’. He later followed this hit with a number of singles such as ‘Cherry, Cherry’, ‘Kentucky Woman’ and ‘Do It’. Despite working with ‘Bang Records’, he felt that he had not yet reached his maximum potential. Thus, in 1968, he signed a record deal with MCA Records.
- // 1970In 1970, he moved to Los Angeles and delivered hits like ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, ‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’, which all rose to the top of music charts. The next year, he came up with one of the best hits of his career, ‘I Am… I Said’, which took nearly 4 months to complete.
- // 19721972 was an extremely busy year for the singer-songwriter as he performed in 10 full-house concerts at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. All of his performances were compiled and released the same year in a live double album titled, ‘Hot August Night’. He also performed at the Winter Garden Theatre the same year.
- // 1973He switched back to Columbia Records once again in 1973 after they offered to give him a million dollars in advance for each of his albums. His first album received positive reviews and peaked in the top positions on charts, despite being used as a soundtrack for a flop film.
- // 1976In 1976, Diamond released ‘Beautiful Noise’, which was his tenth studio album overall. He performed the song ‘Dry Your Eyes’ with ‘The Band’ on their sendoff show. This album became a critical hit because it showcased his production style and compositional variety. The same year, he performed at the ‘Theater for Performing Arts’ which gathered sold-out crowds.
- // 1976‘Beautiful Noise’, his 1976 album, was his 10th album overall and is considered his ‘finest all around alum’. After his career slumped a bit, it was this album that brought him back to the forefront and marked the advent of a highly successful career then on. The album featured hit singles including ‘Stargazer’, ‘If You Know What I Mean’ and ‘Dry Your Eyes’. It reached the number 1 position on the Australian Kent Music Report and was certified Platinum in the US and Gold in UK.
- // 1977He released ‘I’m Glad You’re Here With Me Tonight’ in 1977. Two years later, he released his last album for the decade titled, ‘September Morn’, which featured hits like, ‘I’m a Believer’ and ‘Dancing in the Street’.
- // 1979In 1979, he collapsed on stage while giving a performance and it was diagnosed that he had a tumor growing on his spine. Despite having surgery for the tumor, he continued to have persistent, severe back pain.
- // 1986In the 1980s, his record sales collapsed with the last single making the Billboard charts in 1986.
- // 1993 To 1998From 1993 to 1998, there was a resurgence in his popularity when he released a number of albums under Columbia Records including, ‘Up on the Roof: Songs from the Brill Building’, ‘The Christmas Album 2, ‘Tennessee Moon’ and ‘The Movie Album: As Time Goes By’.
- // 1994 To 1995He then married Marcia Murphey, with whom he had two sons. He divorced his second wife in 1994 or 1995, according to different sources.
- // 2000He was presented the Sammy Cahn ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, in 2000.
- // 2005In the new millennium, Diamond continued to record and tour. His ‘12 Songs’, which released in 2005, is regarded as one of his finest albums till date. Other albums that followed were ‘The Best of Neil Diamond’ and ‘Classic-The Universal Masters Collection’.
- // 2007In 2007, he was inducted into the ‘Long Island Music Hall of Fame’.
- // 2008‘Home Before Dark’, one of his albums released in 2008, was featured at the top of the charts in New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States and became one of his greatest selling albums till date. The next year, he released another hit album, ‘A Chery Cherry Christmas’.
- // 2008‘Home before Dark’, which released in 2008, received positive reviews upon its release and topped music charts in USA, UK and New Zealand and was certified 4X Gold and Platinum in USA and UK, respectively. The album also featured hit singles like ‘If I Don’t See You Again’ and ‘Forgotten’.
- // 2009 To 2011His most recent albums from 2009 to 2011 include, ‘Dreams’ and other compilation albums including ‘The Essential Neil Diamond’, ‘Icon’, ‘The Bang Years’ and ‘The Very Best of Neil Diamond: the Original Studio Recordings’.
- // 2009In 2009, he was honored as the ‘MusiCares Person of the Year’.
- // 2011In 2011, he became an honoree at the Kennedy Center.
- // 2012In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- // 12th Apr 2012On April 12, 2012, he married Katie McNeil in front of family and friends. Prior to marrying Katie, he was in a brief relationship with Rae Farley.
- // 2013In 2013, he made an impromptu entrance at Fenway Park to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ during the 8th inning.
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Neil Diamond's FAQ
What is Neil Diamond birthday?
Neil Diamond was born at 1941-01-24
Where is Neil Diamond's birth place?
Neil Diamond was born in Brooklyn
What is Neil Diamond nationalities?
Neil Diamond's nationalities is American
Who is Neil Diamond spouses?
Neil Diamond's spouses is Jayne Posner, Katie McNeil, Marcia Murphey
What was Neil Diamond universities?
Neil Diamond studied at New York University, Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn, NY, New York University (dropout)
What was Neil Diamond notable alumnis?
Neil Diamond's notable alumnis is New York University
What is Neil Diamond's religion?
Neil Diamond's religion is Jewish
How tall is Neil Diamond?
Neil Diamond's height is 183
Who is Neil Diamond's father?
Neil Diamond's father is Kieve Diamond
Who is Neil Diamond's mother?
Neil Diamond's mother is Rose
What is Neil Diamond's sun sign?
Neil Diamond is Aquarius
How famous is Neil Diamond?
Neil Diamond is famouse as Singer-songwriter