The work of the author and performer of his own songs Neil Diamond is known to the older generation. However, in the modern world, his concerts gather thousands of fans. His name has firmly entered the top 3 most successful musicians working in the Adult Contemporary category. The number of copies of published albums has long exceeded 150 million copies.
Childhood and youth of Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond was born on January 24, 1941 to Polish immigrants who settled in Brooklyn. The father, Akiva Diamond, was a soldier, and therefore the family often changed their place of residence. First they ended up in Wyoming, and when little Neil had already gone to high school, they returned to Brighton Beach.
Passion for music manifested itself from an early age. The guy sang with pleasure in the school choir with a classmate, Barbra Streisand. Closer to graduation, he already gave independent concerts, presenting rock and roll compositions with his friend Jack Parker.
Neil got his first guitar from his father when he was 16 years old. Since then, the young musician devoted himself to studying the instrument and soon began to compose his own songs, presenting them to friends and family. Passion for music did not affect the study. And the singer successfully graduated from high school, then entered New York University. By this time, he already had several recorded songs, which in the future became part of the album.
First steps to success Neil Diamond
Gradually, the passion for writing songs became even more interested in the guy. And he left the university, not having endured six months before the final exams. Almost immediately, he was hired by one of the publishing companies, offering the position of songwriter. In the early 1960s of the last century, the author created the Nail & Jack team with his school friend.
The two recorded singles were not very famous, after which the impatient friend decided to leave the group. In 1962, Neil signed a solo contract with Columbia Records. But the first recorded single received average ratings from listeners and critics.
Neil Diamond's first full length album, The Feel Of, was released in 1966. Three compositions from the record immediately got into rotation on radio stations and became popular: Oh, No No, Cherry Cherry and Solitaru Man.
The Rise of Neil Diamond's Popularity
Everything changed in 1967, when the popular band The Monkees performed the hit I'm Believer, written by Neil. The composition instantly took the top of the authoritative hit parade and literally opened the way for the author to the long-awaited glory. His songs began to be performed by such stars as: Bobby Womack, Frank Sinatra and "King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley.
Recording albums has become an integral part of the artist's life. Fans were looking forward to the release of new records, and Neil did not stop working. For all his creative activity, he released more than 30 albums, not counting collections, live versions and singles. Many of these records have received "gold" and "platinum" status.
Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz was released in 1976. It is dedicated to the big final concert of The Band. In it, Neil took part directly with many famous musicians. The main part of his creative life was spent on tour. The singer traveled almost the whole world with concerts, and there was always a full house at his performances.
After a long decline caused in the 1980s of the last century by the fall in popularity of the style in which the musician worked, a new wave of popularity overtook him only in the early 1990s.
With the release of Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction, where the main composition was a cover version of his 1967 song, the general public again started talking about the musician.
The new studio album Tennessee Moon, released in 1996, again took the top of the charts. The changed style of performance, in which there was more country music close to the heart of any American, was liked by the listeners. Since that time, the artist has toured a lot and with pleasure, not forgetting to periodically release new studio albums.
In 2005, Neil received the title of the oldest performer. His album Home Before Dark took the 1st position in the conservative British chart, simultaneously topping the Billboard 200 in America. At that time, the artist was 67 years old.
In January 2018, the musician announced his retirement due to deteriorating health. The last studio album was released in 2014.
Neil Diamond's personal life
Like many creative people, the musician did not have a happy personal life right away. The singer's first companion was a high school teacher, Jay Posner, whom he married in 1963. The couple lived together for six years, and during this time two charming daughters were born.
The second attempt to establish a personal life was with Marsia Murphy, with whom they lived together until the mid-1990s of the last century. The third wife of the performer was Kathy Mac'Nail, who held the position of manager. Neil married her in April 2012.
