Guide Note:

Neil Diamond is a popular American singer and songwriter whose career began in the 1960s and has continued up through his highly successful 2005 album 12 Songs, which was produced by Rick Rubin.

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Neil Diamond sang in the school choir alongside Barbra Streisand. He got his first record contract with Duel Records in 1960, sparking a career that would last a lifetime. His initial releases did not meet with the anticipated success, and Diamond split his singing time with songwriting as well. In 1966 he got his first Billboard hit with "Solitary Man". He continued to score hit songs well into the 1970s and 1980s. He has sold over 120 million records worldwide.

Neil Diamond was married in 1963 to a school teacher named Jaye Posner. After having two children together, their relationship ended in a divorce in 1969. That same year Diamond married his second wife, with whom he had two additional children. That marriage was to last another 16 years. At the divorce he was ordered to pay a $150 Million dollar settlement, which was the fourth largest divorce settlement in history up to that time. In 1996 he married Rachel Farley, who is 31 years younger than him. They met while he was on tour in Australia.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: January 24, 1941
2. Birthplace: New York City, New York
3. Full Name: Neil Leslie Diamond
4. Career began in 1958
5. Genre: Pop, Country, Folk
6. Inducted into Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1984