Neil Diamond is an American singer, songwriter, and actor who has, in his illustrious career, sold more than 100 million records globally, thus gaining universal acclaim as one of the most commercially successful artists of all time. He was inducted into the ‘Songwriters Hall of Fame’ in 1984, the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 2011, and was honored with the ‘Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2018.
Born Name
Neil Leslie Diamond
Nick Name
Neil, The Jewish
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Neil had attended the Erasmus Hall High School and Abraham Lincoln High School, both in Brooklyn. After his high school graduation, he had joined New York University as a pre-med major on a fencing scholarship. He had dropped out in his senior year, just 10 units short of graduation after a company called Sunbeam Music Publishing had offered him a 16-week songwriting job.
Occupation
Singer, Songwriter, Actor
Family
- Father – Akeeba ‘Kieve’ Diamond (Dry-Goods Merchant)
- Mother – Rose Diamond (née Rapaport)
- Siblings – Harvey Diamond (Younger Brother)
- Others – Avraham Damenstein (Paternal Grandfather), Zelda Damenstein (Paternal Grandmother), (Ex-Daughter-in-Law) (Actress)
Genre
Pop, Rock, Folk, Country, Soft Rock
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar
Labels
- Bang Records
- Uni Records
- MCA Records
- Columbia Records
- Capitol Records (US)
- Virgin EMI Records (UK)
Build
Average
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
80 kg or 176.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Neil has dated –
- Shirley Bassey
- Connie Hamzy
- Carole Bayer Sager
- Jaye Posner (1958-1969) – Neil had started dating Jaye Posner in 1958 when they were in high school together. They got married in 1963 and have 2 daughters together named Elyn Diamond and Marjorie Diamond. They had parted ways in 1967 and got divorced in November 1969.
- (1968-1995) – He began dating production assistant Marcia Murphey in 1968 and the couple got married on December 5, 1969. They have 2 sons together named Micah Diamond (b. February 14, 1978) and Jesse Diamond. Through Jesse, he has a grandson named Elijah Diamond (b. May 2, 2000) (Model). After more than 25 years of wedlock, they parted ways in 1995.
- Rae Farley (1996-2008) – He was in a live-in relationship with an Australian woman named Rae Farley between 1996 and 2008. He had met her in Brisbane when he was touring for a concert.
- Katie McNeil (2010–Present) – Neil started dating Katie McNeil in 2010 and the couple got married on April 21, 2012. Katie had later served as his manager and Neil revealed that his 2014 album titled Melody Road was inspired by their relationship. She had also produced a documentary titled Neil Diamond: Hot August Nights NYC.
Race / Ethnicity
Caucasian
He is of Ashkenazi Jewish (Russian and Polish) descent.
Hair Color
Gray
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Short-cropped, side-parted hair
- Deep, grainy voice
- Cheerful smile
- Often sports a rugged beard
Religion
Judaism
Neil Diamond Facts
- While studying at Erasmus Hall High School, Neil was a member of the school’s ‘Freshman Chorus and Choral Club’, with his classmate and future singing legend .
- At Abraham Lincoln High School, he was on the fencing team with his best friend and future Olympian Herb Cohen.
- His legendary song Sweet Caroline (1969) was picked for preservation by the National Recording Registry due to its cultural and historical significance.
Featured Image by Neil Diamond / Instagram
Facts of Neil Diamond
- full nameNeil Diamond
- Date of Birth January 24, 1941
- Age 83 years 9 months
- Horoscope Aquarius
- Lucky Number 4
- Lucky Stone Amethyst
- Lucky Color Turquoise
- Best Match for Marriage Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius
- weight80 kg
- height6 ft