Neil Diamond announces that he has Parkinson’s and is retiring from touring
January 24, 2018
Sad music news to report. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has announced his retirement from touring due to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.
Neil, who is celebrating his 77th birthday today, created the songs many of us grew up with, such as “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Coming to America” and “Heartlight”. He wrote “I’m a Believer” for the Monkees and “Red Red Wine,” the 1983 cover of which was a hit for reggae rockers UB40. Of course, Neil is probably best known for the crowd participation staple “Sweet Caroline” (bum-bum-bum), which he performed in the freezing cold this past New Year’s Eve on FOX’s Steve Harvey-hosted NYE extravaganza. And he didn’t even ask for tea. Take that, Mariah.
The singer announced the cancellation of the third leg of his 50th anniversary tour, which was set to head to Australia and New Zealand in March, on his website. In his statement, he said, “It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. 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.”
Although Neil won’t be hitting the road anymore, he’s not leaving the public eye entirely. He adds, “I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come.” He thanked his fans for their love and support, telling them, “This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you.” Neil, who was inducted in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Grammy during Sunday night’s ceremony.
I’m a child of the 70s, and grew up with Neil Diamond’s music. This is sad news to hear, especially since I still haven’t gotten over losing Tom Petty and David Cassidy. I hope he is around and writing music for years to come.
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