Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond was born Noah Kaminsky on January 24, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. For his sixteenth birthday, Kamisnky was given a guitar and began composing music for fun.

His interest and ability grew and, while studying at NYU, he dropped out to work as a professional songwriter for $50 a week. He struggled along for a few years before being rewarded with work at Bang Records, in 1965.

With Bang behind him, 'Neil Diamond' wrote the hits Solitary Man and I’m A Believer, the song that took The Monkees to the top of the US charts. His own debut album, The Feel of Neil Diamond did not not enjoy the same success.

Diamond moved to work at MCA and produced a series of pop hits that won him a more loyal audience. Hot August Night (1972) established him as a major performer in adult pop, both as a recording artist and as a live performer. Columbia signed him to a controversial multi-million dollar deal, and his first album for them, Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973), went double-platinum and won him a Grammy.

Ducking out to be with his family for a few years, Diamond again went on tour in 1976; his shows sold out and his several albums went platinum in a row. Diamond remained a top concert draw for years. His next long-awaited album, 1996's Tennessee Moon, departed from Diamond's usual pop style into country territory, reaching No. 3 in the country charts.

Over two decades, Neil Diamond songs have also become hits for UB40 with Red Red Wine, and Urge Overkill's Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon.