Though the now 81-year-old music legend retired from touring in 2018, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Neil Diamond made a rare appearance to perform ‘Sweet Caroline’ on Broadway.
Though he’s performed the mega-hit a handful of times, including at the Boston Red Sox in June, on Sunday (12.04), the superstar singer/songwriter performed the signature song at the opening night of ‘A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical’ at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. Neil was joined by Broadway star Will Swenson, who portrays the legendary musician in the play.
The ‘America’ singer announced that he was retiring from touring with “reluctance and disappointment”, after being stricken by the degenerative condition. In a statement at the time, he said: “It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.” “My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows.”
Despite not touring, Diamond vowed to continue writing and recording music for a “long time to come” adding “I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come.” “My thanks goes out to my loyal and devoted audiences around the world. You will always have my appreciation for your support and encouragement. This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you.”
Earlier this year, Diamond sold his entire song catalogue to Universal Music Group that included all of his hit singles and albums, 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased LP and archive videos.
He said: “After nearly a decade in business with UMG, I am thankful for the trust and respect that we have built together and I feel confident in the knowledge that Lucian, Jody, Bruce, Michelle and the global team at UMG will continue to represent my catalogue and future releases with the same passion and integrity that have always fuelled my career.”
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Author: Al Denté