The King of Corn Neil Diamond is treated with saccharine reverence in this tacky tome by Max Abelson | October 21, 2008 He Is ... I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond By David Wild Da Capo Press, 203 pages, $25 I tried so hard to like Rolling Stone editor David Wild's He Is ... I Say that at first I pretended to not see sentences like "See, I'm a Believer that Neil Diamond didn't just go on American Idol this yea--he is an American idol, year after year" or "Forty years later, 'Brooklyn Roads' remains a song that I've seen reduce grown men to tears, including a few times when I was looking in the mirror....

Neil Diamond may be cheesy, but we love it By Sean Daly, Times pop music critic In print: Saturday, October 25, 2008 TAMPA He has killer songs, Mephistophelean eyebrows and the ability to rock sparkly shirts like nobody's business. His voice has retained that husky lady-man's cool, and he's still making decent records three years removed from his 70th birthday. And yet, as Neil Diamond took a large open stage Friday at the St. Pete Times Forum, there lurked another reason why he remains one of the most bankable touring acts in pop. It has to do with ham, and cheese, and William Shatner's line readings. It has to do with the w...

Neil Diamond picks his gems Even when superstar acts avoided the region in the '70s and '80s before we scored a number of world-class venues, Neil Diamond's tours seldom missed Miami-Dade or Broward. On the heels of his first No. 1 album, the critically hailed Home Before Dark, Diamond performs Oct. 26 at Bank Atlantic Center. Plus, he has to come to South Florida. His mom, Rose Diamond, lives here and is often in the house soaking up all that Neil love. "Unfortunately, Dad passed away. But both of my parents were big supporters and it was nice to have them at my show," Diamond, 67, said in a phone interview. "Now, my mom, it's gr...

Neil Diamond wows crowd at BOK Center STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World Neil Diamond performs during the start of his concert at the BOK Center on Thursday. The 67-year-old played a two-hour set with no opening band or intermission. By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer 10/21/2008 10:17 PM Neil Diamond has completely resigned to one point in his more than 40 years of performing. Women love him. ''I love you, Neil,'' women yelled Tuesday night at the BOK Center, which was filled to the brim with fans of most ages, 30 and over. ''Go ahead. Get it out,'' he replied. ''Me too.'' Diamond, at 67 years old, played a two-h...

Neil Diamond to work with Rick Rubin again There will be at least one more pairing in the studio with producer Rick Rubin, Neil Diamond said in an interview with yours truly for The Miami Herald. Fitting, given that the first, 12 Songs, garnered Diamond's best reviews and the second, this year's Home Before Dark, became Diamond's first No. 1 album a couple weeks after he served as a guest mentor on American Idol and previewed its first single, Pretty Amazing Grace, on the reality show. "We'll do more together,'' Diamond says. "We like working together, we like what the albums are sounding like, and I've even started writing again f...

Neil Diamond to Be Honored as 2009 MusiCares(R) Person of the Year Tuesday October 21, 4:30 pm ET The 19th Annual Gala Benefiting the MusiCares Foundation(R) Will Be Held Feb. 6, 2009, During GRAMMY(R) Week SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GRAMMY®-winning recording artist Neil Diamond will be honored as the 2009 MusiCares® Person of the Year, it was announced today by Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the MusiCares Foundation® and The Recording Academy®, and John Branca, Board Chair of the MusiCares Foundation. Proceeds from the annual GRAMMY Week gala dinner and concert honoring Diamond — to be held in Los Angeles on Friday, ...

Neil Diamond brings tour to the Forum on Oct. 24 Article published on Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 ST. PETERSBURG - To the delight of his millions of fans, legendary singer, songwriter and performer Neil Diamond will return to concert stages this summer for a 37-city North American tour, promoted nationally by AEG Live. Fans can catch With a four-decade long career that has seen more than 125 million records sold worldwide, 36 Top 40 hits, a Grammy, a Golden Globe and thousands of sold-out shows all over the globe, Neil Diamond has finally reached No. 1 in the U.S. and U.K. charts. Forty-two years since his debut album The Feel of N...

Review: Fans go wild for Neil Diamond Comments 3By Tricia Pemberton Published: October 20, 2008 As expected, Neil Diamond whipped his Oklahoma City audience into a frenzy Sunday night with a two-hour set of old favorites, new ballads and autobiographical pieces from his more than 30-year career. Advertisement Diamond needed no opener. Instead, his 14-member band built the opening music into a crescendo on a purple and turquoise-lit stage until the man himself appeared in the spotlight dressed completely in black and holding his black, white and silver guitar. The crowd went wild for the first of many times throughout the night as...

A DIAMOND is forever KATHY WILLENS / Associated Press By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer 10/19/2008 Last Modified: 10/19/2008 2:51 AM Matchmaker. Healer. Namesake. Fans explain how he does it for them Neil Diamond's career spans more than 40 years with sing-along American hits like "Sweet Caroline," "I'm a Believer," "Song Sung Blue," "America" and more. He's sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, and close to 50 million in the United States alone. His recent album "Home Before Dark" was produced with perhaps the most influential producer of any generation: Rick Rubin. Diamond's current to...

Neil Diamond donates sales to Ike relief By Bronwyn Turner Correspondent Published October 19, 2008 Singer Neil Diamond donated 100 percent of gross merchandise sales from concerts in Houston and Dallas this week to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. He told the crowd at Tuesday night's concert at the Toyota Center in Houston that he would match the total from Houston concert merchandise sales out of his own pocket. The final total from the Houston concert was more than $200,000, including the venue’s cut of profits, according to reports. Diamond also donated gross merchandise sales from Thursday night's Dallas concert, acc...

'Reverend' Neil Diamond?! Friday October 17, 2008 Categories: Celebrities, Entertainment, Music, Pop Culture, Trends I've heard Neil Diamond's music before and loved it. But I never thought it'd be time to call him Reverend Neil! Let me explain. What do you do when you're 67 years old, on a world-wide tour, after having lost your voice on one stop and having been on the road for most of the year? Well, if you're Neil Diamond, you schedule some more dates! The venerable veteran has boldly added swings through the South, the Midwest, the Northeast and the West Coast and he's extended the "Home Before Dark" tour into next year. I h...

Neil Diamond shows why he's a classic at Dallas concert Thursday's Neil Diamond concert at American Airlines Center reminded me of a couple of things that were easy to forget during the 1980s-'90s era of glittery, over-the-top Neil: what a fine songwriter the man is, and how rare it is these days to encounter a performer who truly seems to inhabit every word he writes and sings. Also Online Playlist: Neil Diamond on the music blog Watching him in concert, it's impossible to imagine a day when he might write a song just because it would satisfy some transient, populist appetite. When Diamond sings "I Am ... I Said," for in...

Neil Diamond?s voice has aged beautifully By PRESTON JONESpjones@star-telegram.com Related Content Special to the Star-Telegram/Rachel Parker Neil Diamond gets a packed house on its feet Thursday night at the American Airlines Center. Special to the Star-Telegram/Rachel Parker Related Tags (BETA) mouse over a tag to see related stories Neil DiamondHome Before DarkAmerican Airlines Center onRick RubinvoiceStar-TelegramAmerican Airlines Center Neil Diamond RELATED STORIES Neil Diamond in concert on Thursday (2008-10-10) Today's agenda: TCU Frogs for the Cure... (2008-10-16) Fall's must-reads (2008-09-29) ...

Neil Diamond adds shows, raises funds for Ike relief Published October 16, 2008 11:10 AM0 CommentsBuzz up! print email By Tjames Madison / LiveDaily Contributor Neil Diamond [ tickets ] has added a pair of new dates to his current concert trek since last check, and has also been busy raising money for victims of last month's deadly Hurricane Ike. The singer--who continues the run tonight (10/16) in Dallas--shows two new shows at the end of his itinerary: a Jan. 2 concert in Las Vegas, followed by a Jan. 4 appearance in Ontario, CA. The full itinerary is shown below. On the road, Diamond is mixing classic hits from his massive catal...

Neil Diamond brings musical relief to Houston Nick de la Torre: Chronicle Neil Diamond strummed up the hits Tuesday night at Toyota Center. Click here to see more photos from Neil Diamond's Houston show. Neil Diamond for president. OK, maybe soft rock's commander-in-chief won't be running for political office anytime soon. But a Diamond concert -- specifically, Tuesday night's feel-good affair at Toyota Center -- has the uncanny ability to bring people together and make them, well, happy. It was almost two hours of warm smiles and unfettered pop joy. "Black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight," Diamond offere...

Neil Diamond, in concert Thursday in Dallas, talks about long career 05:38 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 By THOR CHRISTENSEN / The Dallas Morning News tchristensen@dallasnews.com Also Online Event info: Neil Diamond at American Airlines Center Neil Diamond has left his mark on the pop charts, but his place in the history books is hazy at best. At age 67, he became the oldest musician to score a No. 1 album with this year's Home Before Dark, a cherry on top of a career in which he's sold more than a 100 million records. Yet for all his hits, he still doesn't get much respect. Many critics dismiss him as middle-...

"Yesterday's gone, now all I want is a smile," superstar singer-songwriter Neil Diamond sang during Love On the Rocks Friday night in Glendale. The request was returned a hundredfold by the near-sellout crowd at Jobing.com Arena, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took fans on a journey back through the decades to his late-'60s roots. Concertgoers, most of them middle-aged or older, stood often and grinned as they swayed to the music of their youth. Backed by a powerful 11-piece band and three singers, Diamond showed that at 67 he still can deliver an arena show full of over-the-top pop-rockers like Sweet Caroline and intimate ball...

Neil Diamond: satisfied man Singer says he's 'always restless,' but rates his happiness at '8 or 8 1/2 ' By JON BREAM Minneapolis Star Tribune Oct. 10, 2008, 4:14PM1 2 3 PHILIPP GUELLAND AFP/GETTY IMAGES At 67, Neil Diamond continues to be a top-selling recording artist and an arena mainstay. Share Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! Buzz Resources NEIL DIAMOND When: 8 p.m. Tuesday Where: Toyota Center, 1510 Polk Tickets: $55-$120; 866-446-8849 Neil Diamond talks in a brooding Brooklyn baritone. It's hard to tell when he's done making his point, because his tone never wavers, his voice never drops at the e...

Neil Diamond in concert on Thursday Related Content AP Hitmaker Neil Diamond performs Thursday in Dallas. AP Related Tags (BETA) mouse over a tag to see related stories Neil DiamondRick Rubin Does Neil Diamond really need an introduction? The list of instantly hummable tunes he has penned - Cherry, Cherry; I'm a Believer; Sweet Caroline; I Am, I Said; Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show; Love on the Rocks - is reason enough to celebrate his place in the pop-music canon, let alone the fact that he has sold (by our conservative estimate) a kajillion records during the course of his still-going-strong career. Lately, ...

Neil Diamond still loves his job READcomments Neil Diamond Where: At&T Center, AT&T Center Parkway at East Houston Street When: 8 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $53.65-$118.65 at Ticketmaster outlets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Web Neil Diamond official site -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil in S.A. Neil Diamond has been almost like clockwork when it comes to playing San Antonio in the past decade. His most recent shows: Oct. 9, 2005, SBC Center: Oddly enough, Diamond hit the Spurs' playpen on his "12 Songs" tour four day...

Working keeps sparkle in Diamond by Larry Rodgers - Oct. 7, 2008 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Neil Diamond stepped away from the pop-flavored music that made him a superstar to take a stripped-down approach for his past two albums, recorded with innovative producer Rick Rubin. This year's solid Home Before Dark finds the singer-songwriter in an introspective mood at 67, with restrained backing and no drums. It's the same formula that Rubin used to expose Johnny Cash's masterful songwriting to a younger audience in the country legend's waning years. But that doesn't mean that the fans who have filled arenas since the '70s won't...

Neil Diamond Keeps Selling Out Venues, Loves In-And-Out Burger 10/9/08, 12:17 pm EST Photo: Getty Showtime was over at the Hollywood Bowl, and Neil Diamond wasted no time making his exit. He stepped offstage and right into the passenger seat of a waiting SUV, twisting open a water bottle as the car glided downhill and out of the parking lot under police escort, motorcycle lights flashing. A fan saw him roll past and yelled an excited hello, but he was already gone. ''That's one way to get through traffic,'' said Diamond with a grin, still wearing a sparking black shirt, his dark hair streaked with gray, as the SUV turned towa...

Bottom Line: A showman and his songs By Darryl Morden Oct 2, 2008 Neil Diamond (Getty Images photo) Weds., Oct. 1 (Hollywood Bowl) "This is like the Greek Theatre with goiter" Neil Diamond said Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl, referencing his performance 36 years ago that resulted in his hit album "Hot August Night." The first of two dates at the much larger Bowl was more like "warm October night" as the 67-year-old pop music icon delivered a career-spanning two-hour concert that showed why he's been an enduring entertainer and skilled songwriter for more than four decades. Dressed in black, his trusty longtime 14-membe...

Recently Reviewed Neil Diamond (Staples Center; 18,342 seats; $120 top) By PHIL GALLO Diamond Presented by AEG Live. Reviewed Oct. 4, 2008. Band: Neil Diamond, Alan Lindgren, Reinhold Press Jr., Raymond Rhone, Ronald Tutt, Thomas Hensley, Hadley Hockensmith, Donald Markese, Arturo Velasco, John Fumo, Lawrence Klimas, Linda Press, Julia Tillman, Maxine Waters. Only four songs from his two stripped-down albums of the past three years made it into his two-hour show Saturday, but the approach on those albums, "12 Songs" and "Home Before Dark," is permeating the bulk of Diamond's current world tour. Those releases, produced by ...

Sunday, October 5, 2008 Clarity of a Diamond 'It's been 42 years since 'Solitary Man.' I'm still performing, I'm still loving it.' By Nancy Sheehan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF nsheehan@telegram.com Add a comment Neil Diamond Enlarge photo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil Diamond concert When: 8 p.m. Dec. 6 Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. How much: $121.25, $86.25 and $55. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Even with agents, tour managers, a backup band, brokers, bankers, assistants, family, friends, gr...

Live: Neil Diamond at the Hollywood Bowl Diamond's classic pop schtick is as sweet as Caroline at his Bowl set. By Ann Powers, Times Pop Music Critic October 3, 2008 NEIL DIAMOND looked about ready to unleash another zinger after the umpteenth rousing chorus of "Sweet Caroline" on Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl. He arched his iconic black eyebrows and gave a little grin. What would it be, a loving insult thrown at a fan trying to sneak out to use the bathroom, or a lightly wry reminiscence of growing up a Brooklyn boy? But wait -- the crowd was still up and dancing. They knew the drill. "Well," Diamond purred, uttering the instru...

Neil Diamond keeps 'em happy at the Bowl Review: Yet it was during intimate new material, not the usual staples, when he shined most at first of four local shows. By BEN WENER The Orange County Register Comments 3| Recommend 5 No one attending any of Neil Diamond's four shows this week and next throughout Southern California ? his first local dates in three years ? will likely agree with me on this, but it's really a shame the 67-year-old entertainer is essentially stuck performing the typical Neil Diamond show. By "typical" I mean fairly obvious, well-packaged, both cheesy-cool and cheesy-cheesy, knowingly Vegas-y (he doesn't g...

The world may be crumbling around us, but Neil Diamond is forever. Wednesday night at KeyArena, the ageless pop icon sounded just like he did 40 years ago, as he reprised some of his earliest hits, including "Cherry, Cherry," "Holly Holy," "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Sweet Caroline," bringing cheers and standing ovations from a near-capacity crowd. He cherry-picked other highlights from throughout his career, right up to several songs from his current "Home Before Dark" album, the first No. 1 of his career. Diamond, 67, had to cancel some tour dates last month due to laryngitis, but he sounded fine at the Key. The smiling legend seemed...

Mixing maudlin ballads with rousing pop tunes, the Brooklyn-bred pop star thrilled a near-capacity crowd at KeyArena on Wednesday night with a nostalgic, hit-packed show that never strayed from his tried-and-true formula. The generous set included such songs as "Sweet Caroline" (which he performed twice), "Solitary Man," "I'm a Believer," "Amazing Grace" and "Beautiful Noise," as well as songs from his current album, "Home Before Dark." The curious teens and young hipsters who turned out for Diamond just a few years ago, when nostalgia for his music was hitting its peak and producer/record guru Rick Rubin was paying him tribute, were in...

Neil Diamond has added 13 new dates to his North American tour in support of the album "Home Before Dark." The freshly added shows begin Nov. 22 in Grand Forks, N.D., and wrap Jan. 8 in Portland, Ore. As usual, Diamond is doing huge business on the road. According to Billboard Boxscore, he's grossed more than $62 million from 41 shows, all of which were sell-outs, with combined attendance of more than 597,000. "Home Before Dark" debuted at a career-best No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in May and has sold 371,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Here are Neil Diamond's new tour dates: Nov. 22: Grand Forks,...

Man names 4.68-carat diamond 'Sweet Caroline' 3 hours ago MURFREESBORO, Ark. (AP) — The good times have never seemed so good for one Michigan man who found a diamond Saturday in an Arkansas state park. Richard Burke, a retired high school counselor and golf coach from Flint, found a 4.68-carat white diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. He named the diamond "Sweet Caroline," after his wife Carol and their favorite song by Neil Diamond. The couple had been in Colorado panning for gold and hunting for fossils and then drove 950 miles to Murfreesboro to dig at Crater of Diamonds. Burke, a retired high scho...

Neil Diamond is an audience's best friend Kevin Chong, Vancouver Sun Published: Sunday, September 21, 2008 With his unstoppable blend of songcraft and crowd-pleasing schmaltz, Neil Diamond seems to attract a new throng of fans every decade or so. In some ways the troubadour is like a male version of Cher: campy, often sequined, and remarkably long-lasting. Diamond's most loyal constituency remains the now-middle-aged women who've followed the singer from his hit-making days in the 1970s and still regard him with smouldering ardour. In the past three decades, younger fans have come to his music through karaoke sing-a-longs and cov...