MUSIC
Neil Diamond gives rare interview on living with Parkinson’s disease
The musician gave a candid interview about how his life has changed since the 2018 diagnosis.
Singer and musician Neil Diamond found it difficult to accept that he was diagnosed with Parkinsons’ disease, but since then, the ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’ singer has found calm within the storm.
The on-set of Diamond’s health battle in 2018 is what led to his announcement that he would be retiring from touring. The news came while he was in Australia during his 50th anniversary tour, after already performing in the United States and Europe.
A long time to accept
The 82-year-old singer told CBS Sunday Morning journalist Anthony Mason in a rare and forthcoming interview that after he learned of the diagnosis, he was in denial “for the first year or two” but now he is finally starting to digest the news.
“When the doctor told me what it was, I was just not ready to accept it,” Diamond revealed. “I said, ‘Oh, OK, I’ll see you whenever you want to see me, but I have work to do, so I’ll see you later.’”
“I think this has just been in the last few weeks,” the musician confessed. “But somehow, a calm has moved in and the hurricane of my life and things have gotten very quiet.”
“And I like it. I find that I like myself better. I’m easier on people. I’m easier on myself and the beat goes on, and it will go on long after I’m gone.”
Diamond still doing it
Diamond went into detail on the process of moving forward despite the disease.
“I’m still doing it and I don’t like it,” Diamond said, “OK, so this is the hand that God’s given me and I have to make the best of it. And so I am.”
“There’s no cure, there’s no getting away from it,” he continued. “You can’t just say, OK, enough already, let’s get back to life. It doesn’t work like that. But I’ve come to accept what limitations I have and still have great days.”
Still performing despite health setback
In the interview, Diamond touched on the Broadway musical ‘A Beautiful Noise’, which has been performing since December 2022 and is based on the singer’s life and music, where Diamond himself surprised the audience one night and joined the actors onstage for a rendition of his classic hit, ‘Sweet Caroline’.
“I can still sing,” Diamond said. “I’ve been doing it for 50 years and I enjoy it.”
“It’s like all the systems of my mind and my body are working as one,” he continued.
“I’ve had a pretty amazing life, it’s true.”