Friday, September 6, 2013

How To Be A Neil Diamond Impersonator

By Helene Norris


Neil Diamond is an American singer-songwriter. Born Neil Leslie Diamond (NLD) in 1941, he began his career in the 1960s and has been going strong ever since. He has a unique velveteen voice and he is popular with all generations. His folksy-rock music, most of which he writes himself, is timeless and ageless. This is why it is so easy to find a Neil Diamond impersonator. He is one of the top three adult contemporary artists on the Billboard charts. The other two are Barbra Streisand and Elton John.

Among his many, many top hits are "Cracklin' Rosie, " "I'm A Believer, " "Sweet Caroline" and "I Am, I Said." His Jewish parents raised him in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended Abraham Lincoln HS. It was at Lincoln that he learned fencing, and attained the skill to join the NCAA men's championship team in 1960.

In terms of entertainment roles, Barbra Streisand has done it all. She started out as a singer-actress and then graduated to fill the roles of songwriter, author, film director and producer. Some of her most popular numbers have been, "People, " "Evergreen, " "The Way We Were" and "Memories." Streisand has collected Best Actress Oscars for her performances in, "Funny Girl, " "Yentl, " "Hello Dolly, " "The Owl and the Pussycat, " "Funny Lady" and "Nuts."

Sir Elton Hercules John was born in 1947 under the name Reginald Dwight. Like Diamond and Streisand, his career has spanned more than sixty years. He has won countless awards for his records, among them Golden Globes, Brits, Grammy's, Tony's and Oscars. Her performed a reprised and updated version of his hit, "Candle In The Wind" at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

Contemporary adult artist #4 in the Billboard Charts (BBC) is a surprising Elvis Presley. This is not surprising that he is listed, but surprising that the King is so far down on the list! He has been listed 53 times, compared to Diamond's 58, Streisand's 64 and Elton's 69.

Fifth on the list is Barry Manilow, who, in 1943, was born Barry Alan Pincus. In his 70s, he is still touring and has a huge international following. Among his greatest hits are "Copacabana, " "Looks Like We Made It" and "Mandy."

Numbers 6 to 10 on the BBC are Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra ("Old Blue Eyes"), Kenny Rogers, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Dionne Warwick, with 49, 48, 47, 46 and 45 entries in the adult contemporary artists chart, respectively. Up and coming singers in the Billboard Hot 100 include the likes of Katy Perry, Robin Thicke and Lady Gaga.

Anyone aspiring to be a Neil Diamond impersonator would have a tough job emulating that golden velveteen voice. The singer himself remains in huge demand, having performed at the centenary Royal Variety Performance in 2012. In the wake of the Boston bombing, NLD penned the "Freedom Song, " which he performed for the first time in July 2013, three months after the tragedy.




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