Neil Diamond had a music career that started in the early 1960s but he didn’t have his first #1 song until 1970 with “Cracklin’ Rosie.” It was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of Oct. 3 – 10. Then the week Oct. 11 – 17 it was #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. Hard to believe that “Sweet Caroline” released in 1969 and probably his most played song never hit #1.

Neil wrote “I’m a Believer” and “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You” for the Monkees. His “And the Grass Won’t Pay No Mind” was covered by Elvis Presley.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2018, Diamond received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 2018, Neil announced that he would retire from touring due to having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. On March 22, 2020, Neil posted a video to YouTube playing “Sweet Caroline” with slightly modified lyrics about social distancing measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.