10/10/2013

Enjoy An Evening Of Great Music With A Neil Diamond Tribute Band

By Rhea Solomon


He is one of the greatest songwriters in the history of popular music. Almost everyone knows at least one of his songs, even if they don't know that he composed it. His career has been spanning more than five decades and even though he's already in his seventies, he is still going strong. People tend to sing along to his songs as soon as these are playing. If you want to enjoy an evening of great music, you can't go wrong with a show by a Neil Diamond tribute band.

While many bands compose their own songs, a tribute band doesn't. Instead, it performs the songs of one particular artist, as a way to show their appreciation for that person's talent. Some bands play at social events like weddings or birthday parties while others draw large audiences with the shows they perform in theaters.

Neil Diamond is one of Brooklyn's most famous sons. Growing up in this New York borough, he won a fencing scholarship and got to attend New York University. The plan was to follow a career path in the medical field but things changed when, as a student, he was offered a job as songwriter for a company that published music.

Diamond began his entertainment career in the Sixties. At first he focused on performing. However, several artists had hits with songs that he had penned and especially after his 'I'm A Believer' became a huge hit for The Monkees, he gained recognition as a songwriter of note.

By the end of the Sixties and the early Seventies, his career had reached new heights. Songs like 'Cracklin' Rosie' and 'Sweet Caroline' became instant classics. The album 'Hot August Night' still counts as one of the best live albums ever produced and the award-winning soundtrack to 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' is better known than the film itself.

As the Eighties began, the singer and songwriter tried his hand at another aspect of the movie business. He starred in the film 'The Jazz Singer' and was the first lead actor to receive a Razzie, the awards for the worst of the movies. However, he was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance and the soundtrack produced some of his best songs. A couple of years later another of his songs once again hit the spotlight when UB40's rendition of 'Red Red Wine' topped the charts all around the world.

By the 1990s, Diamond's fan base consisted largely of older people. Younger music lovers thought of him as quaint and regarded his songs as a little kitsch. This changed with the release of '12 Songs' in 2005. Producer Rick Rubin, who also revamped Johnny Cash's sound, stripped the music of all unnecessary frills, highlighting how extraordinary the songs were.

With the legend's shows once again being sold out almost all the time, you may find it hard to get tickets. If you love the songs, though, a Neil Diamond tribute band may be the answer. You will find information about these bands' performances in your local listings or online. Be warned though that after one of these shows, you won't be able to get 'Sweet Caroline' out of your head.




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