According to Consequence, iconic American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond made rare appearance at Boston’s Fenway Park on June 18 to perform his hit classic “Sweet Caroline.” The performance marks one of the rare appearances he has made over the past few years after announcing his retirement from touring in 2018 following his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
The 1969 single is a staple at Red Sox games. It has been a tradition for over 25 years to play the hit during the 8th inning of every game. This is not Diamond’s first rodeo, he has previously performed the song at the iconic ballpark back in 2010 and 2013. This time around, he was promoting his Broadway play Neil Diamond: A Beautiful Noise which will debut this fall. The star of the play, Will Swenson, joined him in the stands during the performance.
Back in the early days of the pandemic, Diamond reworked the “Sweet Caroline” lyrics to encourage handwashing, one of the earliest defenses against the spread of Covid-19. He changed the lyrics to the comical yet helpful: “Hands, washing hands / Reaching out / Don’t touch me / I won’t touch you.”
In more recent news, in February, Diamond sold his publishing catalogue to Universal Music Group. The deal included 110 unreleased singles, an unreleased album, archival video footage and more. He is only one of the many musicians who have sold their catalogues including Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and many more.
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