Neil Diamond
| Neil Diamond | |
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Diamond in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Neil Leslie Diamond |
| Born |
January 24, 1941 Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Genres | |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | neildiamond |
| Notable instruments | |
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor. His career began in the 1960s and he has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Early in the 21st century, he was the third most successful adult contemporary artist in the history of the Billboard charts. His songs have been covered internationally by many performers from various musical genres.
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Additionally, he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 and in 2011 was an honoree at Kennedy Center. On the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, he has had eleven No. 1 singles: "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What I Mean", "Desiree", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "America", "Yesterday's Songs", "Heartlight", and "I'm a Believer". "Sweet Caroline" is played frequently at sporting events, and has become an anthem for the Boston Red Sox.
Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family descended from Russian and Polish immigrants. His parents were Rose (née Rapaport) and Akeeba "Kieve" Diamond, a dry-goods merchant. He grew up in several homes in Brooklyn, having also spent four years in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where his father was stationed in the army. In Brooklyn he attended Erasmus Hall High School and was a member of the Freshman Chorus and Choral Club along with classmate Barbra Streisand. They were not close friends at the time, Diamond recalls: "We were two poor kids in Brooklyn. We hung out in the front of Erasmus High and smoked cigarettes." After his family moved he then attended Abraham Lincoln High School, and was a member of the fencing team. For his 16th birthday, he received his first guitar.
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