Neil Diamond, an iconic American singer-songwriter who is 82 years old and well known for his song “Sweet Caroline,” was given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease five years ago. A frank interview with the singer that took place three months ago showed that he has just recently acknowledged and come to terms with his illness. The conversation took place three months ago.
During the discussion portion of an interview that took place on a Sunday morning in April, Diamond said that for the first year or two of his life with Parkinson’s, he had disputed that he had been diagnosed with the condition. When his doctor told him about his illness, he was in a state that he characterized as being hesitant to believe what he had just heard. He said that he was in denial.
After informing his doctor that he would come see him for follow-up appointments whenever they were required, Diamond’s first reaction upon learning that he had Parkinson’s disease was to move on and remark that he still had work to do. He carried on with his life as if nothing was out of the ordinary until he finally realized the gravity of the situation and accepted it for what it was. Diamond revealed the following information when discussing his eventual acceptance:
“…somehow, a calm has crept in and the cyclone of my life and things have grown quite peaceful. I don’t know how or why this happened. And I appreciate that. I’ve come to realize that I like being myself more… I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be, but the rhythm keeps going and it will keep going long after I’m gone.
Nevertheless, in a different section of the interview, Diamond revealed that despite the fact that he has come to terms with his illness, there are many instances when he finds it challenging to cope with the notion. In 2018, the singer of “Cracklin’ Rosie” was in the midst of his 50th-anniversary tour when he received the news of his illness. Before calling his quits as a traveling musician, he performed his last gigs in both the United States and Europe.
During the course of the conversation, not only did they go over his condition, but they also touched on the Broadway musical “A Beautiful Noise,” which is based on the celebrity’s career and life. Following his disclosure of the spectrum of feelings he had while watching the event, Diamond made the following remarks about the impact that his illness has on his ability to make music:
“I’m still able to sing. I’ve been doing it for the last half-century, and I still find it rewarding. It’s almost as if all of the parts of my body and mind are cooperating to form a single entity.
At the age of 71, the tenacious musician tied the knot for the third time in 2012, when he wed Katie McNeil, who was his manager. After making the announcement of his engagement in September 2011, the couple celebrated their nuptials on a Saturday in Los Angeles with just immediate family and a few close friends. Despite the fact that there was a difference of 29 years between them, the artist said that he was smitten with love and stated:
“I’ve finally found someone who can handle the responsibility of being my wife because I am very…high maintenance,” the man said.
When pressed to clarify what he meant by being high maintenance, Diamond replied that he expects his wife to stop whatever she may be doing the second he wants some type of company. This response came in response to a question that asked Diamond to explain what he meant by being high maintenance. He reaffirmed that he is prepared to do the same for his spouse and acknowledged that the endeavor would not be an easy one for him.
Diamond has been married twice before, and he has voiced some sadness about the way things ended with both of his prior wives. He complimented both women by saying that they were great and stated that he had plenty of chances to do his efforts at marriage right.
McNeil, Diamond’s doting wife, provides support, care, and supervision for her husband as he works to overcome the challenges posed by Parkinson’s disease.
Diamond is still the strong and powerful creative genius he has always been, despite the fact that he is in the sixth year of coping with his disease. The singer who sang “Song Sung Blue” always takes a notebook or a piece of paper with him so that he may scribble down his thoughts whenever he thinks of anything new. These ideas are then developed into fully-fledged conceptions when he has more time to devote to the process.
In addition, Diamond does not feel that the condition has prevented him from singing, and in fact, he believes that he has been singing better than he ever has before. He attributes this to the fact that he is no longer on tour, during which his voice would not have the time to recover in between consecutive performances.
Diamond said that ever since he came to terms with the fact that he would have to live with Parkinson’s disease for the rest of his life, he has been able to cope with others and himself better. He also thinks that he is more young. The legendary guitarist revealed the following:
“I most certainly do not feel my age, which is 71. I have the same sense of self that I had when I was between the ages of 30 and 40. The body ages with time. The intellect, however, does not.”
