Sunday was opening night on Broadway for A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical and the man himself came out to see it. The audience was already in for a treat, but they got more than that when he decided to sing Sweet Caroline with them.
Since Diamond revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, he rarely sings in public anymore. Therefore, this had to be so thrilling for everyone in the Broadhurst Theatre, including the cast, who sing his songs every day, but Monday.
I think Neil Diamond still sounds great, and I wish, if he is healthy enough, would do a residency in Los Angeles. I would love to see him sing because I have always heard it is an experience. And it is all about me.
Sweet Caroline is a mainstay at baseball games. Therefore, when the singer was spotted at the Red Sox game over the weekend, they asked him to sing his song. And he did. Much to the delight of everyone at Fenway Park.
Although, they all wished that Will Swenson, who is playing the beloved singer in the biocal A Beautiful Noise, would shut the fuck up.
Swenson is lucky they weren’t in The Bronx because Yankees fans would not have put up with that bullshit. Is it too late to recast him?
Back to Diamond, he looks and sounds great. This is the first time we saw him perform since 2018, the year he revealed that he is battling Parkinson’s.
Last month, Neil Diamond asked everyone in the World to send him a video of themselves singing his 1969 hit Sweet Caroline. The World heard his call and responded. Today, we got to see what happens when the people of Earth can put their differences aside and let music unite them.
I can’t stop crying happy tears because I am so verklempt. In the words of Jackie Gleason, “How sweet it is!”
What is also sweet is that Diamond just released 14 Classic Diamonds with new vocals. Those new vocals were given a twist with a new interpretation by the London Symphony Orchestra.
I said sweet so many times in this post, I gave myself a cavity.
Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline has been part of sing-alongs at his concerts, in subways, and on planes. Now, he wants to create an international one. Therefore, he is asking you to record yourself singing the song and send the video to him. Then he will make a compilation video of the winning submissions.
Here’s what you have to do:
Step 1: Grab some headphones.
Step 2: Set up either a laptop or a phone to record yourself.
Step 3: Start the record.
Step 4: Press play on the lyric video above and get singing along!
Step 5: Fill in the form on the Sweet Caroline Sing-Along page and drag and drop your video file into the box.
Step 6: Upload your video by 9th December and come back to see the results on 16th December!
I tried to record the video, but my cat was not having my singing. Since I can’t do it, do it for me.
I can’t wait to see the final product. I am sure it will be some of the much-needed happiness we are all going to need by the 16th.
Before Neil Diamond starred in The Jazz Singer, he talked to Dick Clark about getting into acting on American Bandstand. He looks the same now as he did when he was 25 in that 1967 episode.
If you want to laugh, then you have to watch Diamond’s really bad interview with Clark from a year earlier. What was Clark thinking? To see it, then click here!
