Neil Diamond

St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture by Linda Ann Martindale

In a career spanning four decades, Neil Leslie Diamond offered his listeners a collection of songs that were sometimes schmaltzy, sometimes openly patriotic, but always melodic and well-sung. Beginning his career while a student at New York University, Diamond worked as a Tin Pan Alley writer before starting his solo career. His songs, ranging from "Solitary Man" (1966) to "Headed to the Future" (1986), reflected the condition of the era in which they were written and performed, while songs like "Heartlight" (1982) reflected a nation's consciousness. Known for his pop hits, Diamond also tried his hand at country music and traditional Christmas songs. Diamond's ventures into films include Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973) and The Jazz Singer (1980), in which he starred. Diamond's works have been performed by such diverse groups as the Monkees and UB40.