Introduction
Neil Diamond Opens Up: Parkinson’s, Broadway, and “A Beautiful Noise”
Neil Diamond, one of the best-selling musicians in history, has faced a career-defining challenge over the past five years: Parkinson’s disease. Known for his unmistakable voice and timeless hits, Diamond has always been a performer who thrived on connection with his audience. But when the neurological disorder was diagnosed in 2018, it abruptly ended his touring life, forcing him to confront both his physical limitations and his identity as an artist.
In an exclusive conversation, Diamond reflected on his journey of acceptance. “For the first year or two, I was in denial,” he admitted. “I just wasn’t ready to accept it.” Yet over time, he discovered a quiet strength in acknowledging the hand he’d been dealt. “Somehow a calm has moved in the hurricane of my life,” he said, “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.”
Despite the diagnosis, Diamond has continued to perform in meaningful ways. His life story has now been immortalized in the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise, which opened to rapturous applause in New York. The show explores both his public triumphs and personal struggles, warts and all. “I told the producers and writers I wanted it honest,” Diamond explained. “This show is part of my psychotherapy… it hurt. I didn’t like looking at myself in many of the scenes.” Portraying his younger self, whose ambition created both art and personal strife, and his older self, haunted by self-doubt, Diamond found the musical as much a journey of self-reflection as celebration.
For Diamond, music remains a lifeline. Even though he no longer tours, he continues to record in his Archangel studio in Los Angeles, surrounded by decades of awards and memorabilia. “I still can sing,” he said. “I like singing. I’ve been doing it for 50 years, and I enjoy it. When I sing, all the systems of my mind and body are working as one. It’s a great feeling.” This connection to music, combined with the love of his audience, has brought him peace amidst the uncertainty of Parkinson’s.
Looking back over his career—from the Greenwich Village clubs of the 1960s to worldwide superstardom—Diamond admits that acceptance hasn’t always come easily. But as he’s learned to embrace both his limitations and achievements, gratitude has taken root. “I have to take life as it comes to me,” he reflected. “Enjoy it, be thankful that I’ve had it—especially having the life that I’ve had. A life worthy of a Broadway musical.”
In the end, A Beautiful Noise isn’t just a musical. It’s Neil Diamond’s celebration of resilience, music, and legacy—a testament to a life lived fully, creatively, and courageously, even in the face of profound personal challenges.