Neil Diamond to Work on Musical of His Life?

Singer/songwriter Neil Diamond has had a strong presence in the entertainment industry for more than fifty years. Across his career, which brings him to Manchester on tour next month, Diamond has earned a dozen Grammy nominations and millions of albums sold - and surely the singer has also picked up some interesting stories along the way. What better way to tell his life story than in musical form?

"I've been intrigued with the possibility of writing a theatrical presentation for some years now," he tells Manchester Evening News. "Maybe now is the time to do it. I would like to be able to tell the story of my life and my career and my inner self through some kind of musical presentation."

Across a musical career stretching nearly 50 years, Neil Diamond has sold more than 128 million albums worldwide. He has charted a staggering 37 Top 10 singles and 16 Top 10 albums. His last studio album, Home Before Dark (2008), debuted at #1 in the U.S. and internationally.

His 2009 DVD, Hot August Night/ NYC, has been certified double platinum. A Grammy Award-winning artist, Diamond is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters. Diamond's many other achievements include a Golden Globe Award and 12 Grammy nominations. He was NARAS's 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year. 

Diamond, who was inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame this March, is also a veteran of the Broadway stage - he appeared in a limited engagement one-man concert that played the Winter Garden Theatre for two weeks in October 1972.