Neil Diamond Picks His Gems

From the Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/people/story/739220.html

Neil Diamond Picks His Gems by Howard Cohen

Even when superstar acts avoided the region in the '70s and '80s before we scored a number of world-class venues, Neil Diamond's tours seldom missed Miami-Dade or Broward. On the heels of his first No. 1 album, the critically hailed Home Before Dark, Diamond performs Oct. 26 at Bank Atlantic Center.

Plus, he has to come to South Florida. His mom, Rose Diamond, lives here and is often in the house soaking up all that Neil love.

''Unfortunately, Dad passed away. But both of my parents were big supporters and it was nice to have them at my show,'' Diamond, 67, said in a phone interview. "Now, my mom, it's great to have her there. She doesn't watch me. She's facing the audience and seeing how they are responding. She never watches me.''

Besides being a home for your mom, what does South Florida mean to you?

"I've been playing Miami and South Florida and Florida, as a whole, for years. Since the beginning of my touring, my first professional dates were in Florida. I played Tampa and St. Petersburg and Clearwater was my first professional paid date. I love Florida. The people have been great to me. It's a beautiful state. I'm looking forward to bringing my tour there.''

Do any Miami hot spots stand out for you? Any must-visits?

"Not really. I'm down there to sing and we focus in on that. Occasionally, I have the chance to travel around and spend days off. But we're moving fast on this tour so we will do the shows and that's the focus.''

Can we count on Mom watching us, watching you at the BankAtlantic Center?

"No. Mom will be in California at that time.''

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