Neil Diamond has written some of the most famous and well-known songs of all time, such as “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Cherry, Cherry,” and “Song Sung Blue.” For decades, the singer-songwriter entertained crowds with live shows. But in 2018, Diamond was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which put an end to his famous concert touring career. A few weeks ago, the 82-year-old musician talked about finally accepting that he had the cancer.
Diamond told CBS Sunday Morning that it took him a while to understand that he had Parkinson’s disease. “In a way, I was on the outside for the first year or two,” Diamond said. “I was not ready to accept what the doctor told me when he told me. I replied, “Okay.” You know, I’ll see you whenever you want to. I’ll see you later, though, because I need to get some work done.
As part of his 50th anniversary tour in 2017, Diamond went on the road in the US and Europe. But in 2018, he said he was canceling the tour’s stop in Australia and New Zealand because Parkinson’s disease made it too hard for him to keep going on the road. “It is with great regret and sadness that I have to say I am retiring from concert touring.” In a news release at the time, Diamond said, “It has been an honor to bring my shows to people for the past 50 years.”
Diamond told CBS that it was “very hard” to stop traveling. He also said that it had taken him a long time and a lot of work to fully accept his diagnosis and retirement. He said that “in the last few weeks” he’s finally come to terms with it, though. “What was once a hurricane in my life has become calm, and things are as quiet as this recording studio,” Diamond said. “I like it too.” I feel better about myself. I’m not as hard on myself or other people. The beat keeps going, and it will keep going after I’m gone.”
Neil Diamond is no longer acting, but he still has a lot of fans all over the world. A Beautiful Noise, a historical musical about his life, is currently running on Broadway. Diamond called it “absolutely wonderful” and “a dream come true.” It was part of my therapy to watch this show. It hurt too. He told CBS, “I didn’t like seeing myself in a lot of the scenes.” Fans who saw the first episode of that show last year were treated to a very special treat: Diamond himself sang “Sweet Caroline” during the curtain call.
Diamond also sang “Sweet Caroline” at a Boston Red Sox game in June 2022. At Fenway Park, the song is played every night. Even though Neil Diamond can’t tour because of Parkinson’s, it’s clear that he can still sing and is happy to give it his all in rare performances, which fans love. Being told you have Parkinson’s disease is very hard, but we’re glad Neil Diamond has come to terms with it.