| |
Neil Diamond
In the dead of winter in 1941, Neil Leslie Diamond was born into a Russian-Polish family. Life in Brooklyn was fine and normal until 1957, when at the age of 16 he received his first guitar.
Diamond immediately started writing songs, mostly to serenade his girlfriend, but after graduating from Eramus Hall High School he and friend Jack Parker would try to make that teenage pre-occupation realty. His first couple of years as a duo with Jack went nowhere, but he was able to get the executives at Columbia Records to see his potential and sign him as a solo artist.
Again, Neil had problems breaking out, instead writing hit songs for the Monkees while working at the Brill Building. Then, in 1966, Diamond signed with Bert Berns' Bang Records. The change of label meant a change of fortune and "Solitary Man" announced his arrival on the music scene. He released other hits like "Kentucky Woman" while he opened for bigger acts like The Who and Herman's Hermits.
Despite his hit singles, his work found its best success with other artists. The Monkees made "I'm A Believer" a classic and a reggae rendition of Neil's "Red, Red Wine" was a far bigger hit when UB40 covered the song in the ‘80s.
Feeling constrained and frustrated Diamond found a loop hole in the contract with Bang Records and signed with MCA Records in 1968. Neil found the change in label again gave him good luck and "Sweet Caroline" became a platinum single on Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. Brother Love's was released the same year as Diamond's first certified album, Touching You, Touching Me.
In 1970 Neil released his first certified platinum album, Tap Root Manuscript, and his first number one single, "Cracklin' Rosie". The album moved Diamond closer to national recognition, and Jonathon Livingston Seagull, released in 1973, got him there. The album was written for the movie of the same name, and while the movie was a bust, the album was certified platinum, twice.
Diamond finished off the ‘70s with strong albums, like the classic Hot August Night live double album, and looked to build on his success with a possible film career. Neil starred in The Jazz Singer in 1908, but received mixed reviews. While he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role as Jess Robin, he also won a Worst Male Actor Award from the Razzies. The one thing that was not in question was the success of the soundtrack, which was written by Diamond. The soundtrack was certified platinum five times.
Neil began to fade during the rest of the ‘80s, with his albums selling well 9gold certification), but not great (platinum certification). The celebrated singer songwriter has come back though, with help from skits on Saturday Night Live and movies about adoring fans, Saving Silverman. Diamond even received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
|
|
Neil Diamond has remained busy in 2008, launching his won station on Sirius Radio and a new album, Home Before Dark. The album is his first in three years and the tour will prove to be a long one.
