In the first few weeks after Hurricane Ike, Esther Nelson's family stayed in tents, cars and for a brief period, in an RV in a cow pasture. Nelson, 66, fondly remembered the cow pasture Tuesday. "It was really nice," she reminisced. "Quiet." For the last year, the family has lived in a small trailer on their Oak Island property. It's been a long road to recovery, but Friday, the Nelsons finally will move into their new home - one built for them by pop singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Esther and Edward Nelson will be the first of 12 Oak Islanders to move into houses donated by the music legend, who by chance visited the tiny f...
Did you ever read about a frog who dreamed of being a king and then became one? Well, no. Not that I can recall. Neil Diamond may have thrown out some esoteric lines in songs he has written over the past however many decades, as in the lines above from ''I am I said.'' This makes me wonder, in reality, I am, I said? No, I guess I am not I didn't say. He was, he said. But he said he was. Oh well, you can't always hit a home run. I have pretty much liked Neil Diamond's music since the 1960s. Some of his songs sound better sung by others such as ''Solitary Man'' rendered by Chris Issak. And, of course, Diamond's ''I'm a Belie...
Diamond Wrote Lyrics While Walking Our Streets Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond was born Jan. 24, 1941 in Coney Island. During Diamond's youth, he spent time in Massapequa and at the south shore beaches during the summer months. It was in the early 1960s when Neil met Jaye Posner, a local school teacher. Jaye's father operated a menswear shop in the former Bar Harbour Shopping Center. Diamond married Jaye in 1963. They had two daughters before they divorced in 1969. While they were married Neil and Jaye made their home in Massapequa's Biltmore Shores section on Frankel Road. The one-and-a-half story wood framed home remains about the same a...
Diamond homes arrive in Oak Island Mary McAlpin and Darlene Pagels do the 'happy' dance as Mary's Neil Diamond home arrives By Theresa Barrett Residents in Oak Island are doing the happy dance and singing the praises of Neil Diamond. Four of the twelve brand new homes, courtesy of the music legend Neil Diamond rolled into the community this past week end It has been well over a year since hurricane Ike and many families are still struggling and living in temporary housing. Twelve residents are giving Diamond the credit for their new lease on life This week, contractors will begin installing four brand new mo...
Ike-ravaged Oak Island getting new homes thanks to Neil Diamond by Rucks Russell / 11 News Posted on November 17, 2009 at 8:19 AM OAK ISLAND, Texas ? Residents in the Chambers County community of Oak Island are singing the praises of music legend Neil Diamond. Still struggling to recover more than a year after Hurricane Ike, they are crediting Diamond with single-handedly giving their town a new breath of life. ''I think he's helped bring us closer together than ever before,'' said Wayne Dearman, an 85-year-old Chambers County native. ''I think his parents must have instilled good values in him because he cares about his ...
I'll be the first to admit I'm not the biggest Neil Diamond fan, and any suggestion he should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is met with a shrug of indifference (you know, in the same way a suggestion that any band should be inducted into something as ridiculous as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). But over the weekend I was shaking my bits to the disco hits down at Videodrome, and then it happened - Mr. Diamond hovered over the crowd on the giant projector screen, his 1986 semi-hit ''Headed For the Future'' synced up perfectly from the DJ booth to the big screen above, and in unison everyone at the bar joined in for a little Neil-...
Long Player: The album that made Diamond a music gem Home » Entertainment » Music Sat, 31 Oct 2009 In the age of the single download, Jeff Harford rediscovers the album... A Neil Diamond fan is a loyal creature. Under attack, it will hold its lovingly worn copy of Hot August Night high, shielding itself from the stinging rain of musical snobbery. For every critic who accuses Diamond of padding out his canon with pretentious, overblown fluff, there's a supporter who will point to the statistics that prove him to be one of soft rock's most successful acts, perhaps failing to realise that the evidence supports both positions....
Drilling for Diamonds in Oak Island Stab Cat Inc. employees drill the holes and set the pylons, at Mary McAlpins property, for the first of twelve Neil Diamond homes to be built in Oak Island. Photo By Theresa Barrett By Theresa Barrett Dreams are coming true as the drilling and setting of the first pylons for Neil Diamond homes. The island is a buzz with excitement, it is very real and is not just for those who are receiving the famous Neil Diamond homes. Everyone in the community is excited to see the huge plyons being set. Seeing the trucks deliver these huge beams and the large pieces of equipment come ro...
Why Has Neil Diamond Been Shut Out by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? October 1st, 2009 by MikeV Not only has he not been inducted, but on the eve of the Rock Hall's 25th Anniversary, Diamond still has NEVER appeared on the ballot! Jon Bream, author of Neil Diamond Is Forever: The Illustrated History of The Man and His Music, wants to tackle that ''egregious oversight'' with YOU and your audience JON BREAM WILL BE IN PHILLY – PRESS TOUR (with Neil Diamond memorabilia!) Friday 10/9/09 Says Bream, for 35 years the pop music critic at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: ''The elitist club that runs the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame d...
Neil Diamond still a Brooklyn cowboy New book chronicles the musician's life, from Brooklyn cowboy to singing superstar By Meredith Deliso For all his fame and fortune, at heart, Neil Diamond is still a Brooklyn cowboy. In ''Neil Diamond is Forever,'' an illustrated history of the musician, with exclusive photos and interviews, including coverage of his 2008 tour and this year's Grammy gala salute, Jon Bream chronicles the pop icon's rise to fame, starting with his Coney Island roots. ''There's a lot of stuff about Brooklyn in there,'' says Bream. ''I think one of the things I didn't know was that he was born and Brookly...
Shrek the Musical Adds "I'm a Believer" to Broadway Score By Andrew Gans 30 Sep 2009 Brian d'Arcy James in Broadway's Shrek photo by Joan Marcus Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer," which was featured in the 2001 "Shrek" film, will be added to the Broadway score of Shrek the Musical beginning Oct. 2. "Since the musical opened on Broadway last year, an instrumental version of the classic 1960s song was played as patrons left the theatre. Now, beginning with the performance on Friday, October 2nd, the entire company will perform 'I'm a Believer,'" according to a Sept. 30 press announcement. Composed by Diamond and reco...
Neil Diamond's Christmas Collection 'A Cherry Cherry Christmas' Sparkles With Holiday Classics As Well As Newly Written Originals Available Everywhere Tuesday, October 13 NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Records announces the release of A Cherry Cherry Christmas, the new Neil Diamond holiday collection, available in stores and online Tuesday, October 13. The title song, "Cherry Cherry Christmas," is filled with references to many of Diamond's greatest hits. Newly written and recorded by Neil Diamond for Christmas 2009, it is destined to become a new Christmas standard. Newly in...
Neil Diamond Covers Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song" for New CD September 29, 2009 9:52 p.m. by Tony Sclafani Give Neil Diamond credit for having a sense of humor. Lately, he seems to be reveling in the fact that a new generation of fans like his music for ironic or campy reasons, thanks to things like that Neil Diamond cover band in the film "Saving Silverman." And he also seems to be making it a point to connect with people under, oh say, age 50. He's apparently down with both Limp Bizkit and the Jonas Brothers, and now he's gone and covered Adam Sandler's comical "Chanukah Song" for his forthcoming Christmas CD, "A Cherry, C...
About 28 years ago, a fisherman escaped with his wife from Vietnam, where he had been imprisoned and beaten by the Communists. David Pham and his wife, Son, became the first of 25 refugee families to settle in Oak Island, a fishing village nestled on Trinity Bay in Chambers County. Wayne Dearman came to the same area a decade earlier while working as a manager for Hughes Tool. Dearman, now 85, loved the serenity of the lapping waters so much he decided to spend his retirement enjoying the view from his bayfront home. Yet the water that drew them there became the storm surge that demolished their homes along with 350 others - making i...
NEIL DIAMOND turns to a fencing medal he won as a teenager when he's feeling low - because he thinks the prize is a good luck charm. The Sweet Caroline hitmaker admits the swordfighting honour he won as a high school student in New York gave him the boost he needed to follow his musical dreams. He says, "This really tiny fencing medal has been a good omen for me. I do believe in luck, and I somehow think this medal brings me good fortune. "(Winning it) was a defining moment for me. It really did change me because it raised my self-esteem."
Author Jon Bream Talks Neil Diamond is Forever By Christina Lee on August 26, 2009 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) The man had stood before Jon Bream dozens of times over the course of four decades, as an interview subject and as a performer. But Bream's perception of Neil Diamond has remained the same throughout, even as other critics changed their minds, because after every conversation the two ever had, Diamond would tell Bream, "Stop by the show and say hi." Through a collection of interviews, mementos and memorabilia, such candor becomes the main focus in Bream's Neil Diamond is Forever: The Man and His Music, out Oct. 15. A...
Neil Diamond on embarrassing Glastonbury moments and why he's happy doing the housework By Amanda Cable Neil Diamond's gravelly tones have sold millions of records worldwide, providing him with homes in Los Angeles, New York and Colorado. The 68-year-old has been married twice, has four children, and his 1995, £75 million divorce from his wife, Marcia Murphey, is in the top ten of costliest settlements. What is your earliest memory? Walking along a railroad track in Cheyenne, Wyoming with my parents. My dad was in the army, and about to be sent to fight in World War II. They were both very scared. I remember picking up...
Neil Diamond Remembers Songwriter Ellie Greenwich 8/31/09, 3:22 pm EST Photo: Winter/Getty(Diamond), Michael Ochs Archive/Getty (Ellie) Last week songwriter Ellie Greenwich died after a heart attack at age 68. Rolling Stone spoke with her frequent collaborator Neil Diamond, who shared his memories of working with the woman he credits with keeping his career on track: ''If I hadn't met Ellie Greenwich I wouldn't have had a career. I met her at a demo session. I had enough in my budget to hire a few background singers and even though Ellie was one of the hottest writers in the country, she still did background dates just because s...
Neil Diamond: People covering my songs is like sex Monday, August 24, 2009 Neil Diamond: covers are like sex American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond tells Metro about supporting the Who in their '60s heyday, what he thinks of American Idol and why cover versions are an erotic experience. What's the new album all about? It's an actual representation of my live show. It was recorded from a glamorous night on my concert tour at Madison Square Garden. I'm not sure I've ever done a live release before so I'm a little nervous about it, even after all this time. I just want people to love the show. What made you choose this perform...
"I AM," he said. OK, no he didn't. But I doubt Neil Diamond will mind me making stuff up. Five minutes into our interview, and the pop music legend has given me carte blanche: "Write whatever you want." Oh, Mr Diamond. What a beautiful noise. He was the soundtrack to my 1970s childhood. The day Elvis Presley died, my father said: "The King is dead. Oh well. Let's play some Neil Diamond." At age six, I was convinced Sweet Caroline was about my mother (even though her name is Carolyn). "That's nice," says Diamond, and he sounds sincere. Actually, he confirms, the song's title was inspired by a magazine cover of Caroline Kennedy ...
Neil Diamond Owes His Career to the Brooklyn Dodgers Posted on Aug 19th 2009 12:30PM by Steve BaltinComments (0) Neil Diamond's recent return to the Brooklyn, N.Y. neighborhood where he grew up -- filmed for his new live DVD, 'Hot August Night: NYC' -- brought up plenty of memories for the singer. More than 50 years later, Diamond is still hurt by the move of his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. "The Dodgers were part of my existence so I have mixed feelings," Diamond tells Spinner of now rooting for the team. "They left me. They abandoned me." That hurt may still resonate, something any Dodgers fan of the '50s can rela...
s expected, the King of Pop steps aside for the King of Country as George Strait's "Twang" replaces Michael Jackson's enduring "Number Ones" as the best selling album in the country. Strait's new set sold 155,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, earning the country legend his fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. "Twang" follows in the footsteps of Strait's 1997 album "Carrying Your Love With Me," 2004's "50 Number Ones," 2005's "Somewhere Down In Texas" and 2008's "Troubadour." The last time one of Strait's studio albums opened with less than 100,000 was in 1994, when "Lead On" started with 56,000. It's also his 23...
Few artists have had the commercial impact of 69-year-old Neil Diamond, a performer who has sold 120 million records and convinced an equal number of middle-aged men of the value of the shiny shirt. Today, Diamond is more popular than ever, thanks in part to his last two critically approved records produced by Rick Rubin. After playing a series of delirium-inducing, sold-out shows, Diamond is now releasing the DVD Hot August Nights, a sort-of sequel to his 1972 album of the same title recorded at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Ben Kaplan caught up with Diamond at his home in California and asked him to reflect on his five decades of son...
Back Home, Neil Diamond Catches Up With CBS 2 Brooklyn Legend Featured In CBS Special, 'Hot August Night' Reporting Kristine Johnson NEW YORK (CBS) ¯ Click to enlarge1 of 1 It's a hot august night and singer Neil Diamond is ready to heat things up even more. The legendary singer from Brooklyn has been churning out hits from "Sweet Caroline" to "America" for nearly five decades, and still commands the stage in front of legions of loyalists. "Cracklin' Rosie" makes Neil Diamond smile, and it has his audiences smiling, singing, and dancing along with him. His fans are exuberant, passionate, and devoted. From teenagers, grandpa...
It Was A Hot August Night!: Relive the Magic with Neil Diamond 12-Aug-2009 Written by: Adam Sosnik "Neil Diamond: Hot August Night: NYC" to air Friday at 8pm on CBS "It was a hot august night and the leaves hanging down and the grass on the ground smelling sweet." And so begins the start of legendary Neil Diamond's hit "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show." The song, and that particular line, was the title of Diamond's 1972 live groundbreaking pop double album that set standards for how live albums should sound. ''Hot August Night'' was recorded during one of the ten sold-out concerts that Diamond performed at Los Angeles' G...
Neil Diamond Goes Home For First and Last Live DVD Posted on Aug 14th 2009 11:00AM by Steve BaltinComments (0)Neil Diamond is as any worthy of being the subject of a live DVD as anybody. The man's built his more than four-decade career as much on his energetic and unabashedly crowd-pleasing live show, which has set attendance records around the world, as his brilliant songwriting. There's one problem though: like many artists, Diamond doesn't enjoy watching himself. "I don't really like looking at myself. Really, all I see are the things I'm doing wrong and the things I would change," he tells Spinner. "So I usually have other peo...
Love him or hate him, the legend continues 'There are two kinds of people in the world," theorized Bill Murray in the 1991 film What About Bob? "Those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't." Slowly but surely, the latter group is coming around. Still going strong at 68, Neil Diamond tours constantly and turns out a new album every few years - no small feat for a singer-songwriter whose first hit single, Solitary Man, came out way back in 1966. Nobody has ever been able to accurately define Diamond's unique musical stylings - was he rock, folk, country or schmaltzy pop? - but he's still managed to sell more than 125 million recor...
Neil Diamond brings his show to DVD, network TV LOS ANGELES – Neil Diamond is so excited about his two latest projects, it's like he has twins on the way. They're due Friday, when Diamond's concert DVD, "Hot August Night/NYC," lands in Walmart stores and a companion hourlong TV special airs on CBS. "Basically I feel like an expectant father and I'm just nervously sitting around the waiting room hoping that the baby is healthy and happy," the 68-year-old entertainer said in an interview Tuesday. The DVD, filmed during his performance at Madison Square Garden last summer, features more than two dozen songs, including cla...
Neil Diamond reprises 'Hot August Night' in NYC August 10, 2009 By JAY BOBBIN. For Neil Diamond, a hot August night has a different meaning than it might for anyone else. In 1972, the veteran music star debuted one of pop music's seminal albums with "Hot August Night," which captured one of the 10 sold-out concerts he performed that year at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. He revisits that triumph - and much of that music - in the new CBS special "Neil Diamond: Hot August Night: NYC" Friday at 8 p.m. Culled from four shows the Grammy Award winner staged a year ago at Madison Square Garden, the hour spans Diamond hits from "Cherry, C...
Neil Diamond's 'Hot August Night/NYC' Comes To DVD by Gary Graff, Detroit | August 10, 2009 11:08 EDT Though he's "basically still recovering" from his last concert tour, Neil Diamond isn't ruling out a return to the stage even before he releases his next album. "I'd like to have a (song) writing period first, but there are things that come in, interesting things, and I do like to keep busy," Diamond -- who releases the new live DVD/CD "Hot August Night/NYC" on Friday -- tells Billboard.com. "Performing is very physical work, and I do like to stay at it. It keeps me in shape. It keeps my voice in shape. I'm going to have to pl...
BOSTON (WBZ) ¯ Neil Diamond talks to WBZ after his sound check at the Hatch Shell July 3. WBZ Neil Diamond talks to WBZ after his sound check at the Hatch Shell July 3. 1 of 1 Neil Diamond posted on Twitter Friday that he was having trouble getting to Boston for a 4th of July sound check on the Esplanade. Diamond is the star attraction at this year's July 4th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on WBZ-TV Saturday night. He was due in Boston for a 9 a.m. sound check at the Hatch Shell. But he was struggling with flight delays overnight. Here's what he posted on his Twitter page early Friday morning. "Pl...
Neil Diamond will sing ''Sweet Caroline'' with the Boston Pops at the July 4 celebration, and conductor Keith Lockhart expects the musical equivalent of a ball soaring over the Green Monster. ''I always thought all he has to do is come here and sing 'Sweet Caroline' and 'America' and we'd have a home run,'' said Lockhart, who will conduct the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in its Fireworks Spectacular for the 15th time. ''Everybody in sight will be singing along and howling with him. I think it will rock the joint.'' Lockhart will be meeting Diamond for the first time, but the legend?s hit ''Sweet Caroline'' is like an old friend. It's...