People have been ‘brought to tears’ after footage showed the emotional moment Neil Diamond sang ‘Sweet Caroline’, almost five years after retiring due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Diamond, 81, ‘reluctantly’ announced his retirement in January 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but it seems the singer is still going strong after belting out one of his hit songs in a Broadway performance. Watch the poignant footage here:
At the time of his retirement, the star vowed to remain ‘active’ in the music industry in as many ways as possible.
He said in a statement: “It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring.
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“I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years.
“My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows.
“I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come.”
Parkinson’s affects people in different ways, ranging from tremors and shaking to balance problems and nerve pain.
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But Diamond managed to get everyone in a Broadway theatre dancing and singing away to his hit single ‘Sweet Caroline’, having performed the tune to launch his musical A Beautiful Noise.
As soon as he began the first line, the audience erupted into applause, cheering the singer on as he continued to nail the entire song.
Posting the emotional footage on Twitter, one user wrote: “Neil Diamond singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ at the Broadway opening of his musical A Beautiful Noise this week, five years after retiring due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Beautiful.”
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Many others felt equally moved, with one commenting: “Literally brought tears. Happy and sad.”
Another said: “Well, there's me, sobbing on the floor. I heard this back in '69 on the radio and fell in love with Neil. By the time Hot August Night came out in late '72, I had all of his songs up to that time down pat. I've seen 3 of his shows. Magnificent! He's a hero and a legend to me.”
Someone else added: “I worked with [Parkinson's] patients for years. I love how he shrugged off Parkinson’s about 1/2 way through the song and just belted out the chorus. Love him.”
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A Beautiful Noise is a new Neil Diamond tribute show, which sees Fisher Stevens and his band honour the five decades of the singer's biggest hits.
It bills itself as the 'ultimate musical tribute' that's perfect for fans 'old and new', taking audiences on 'an unforgettable journey re-living the great music of one of the best singer songwriters of our times'.
Topics: Music
Jess Hardiman