Neil Diamond

Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singersongwriter and musician with a career that began in the 1960s. Diamond has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the worlds bestselling artists of all time. He is the third most successful adult contemporary artist on the Billboard charts behind Elton John and onetime duet partner Barbra Streisand. His songs have been covered internationally by many performers from various musical genres.

Neil Leslie Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family descended from Russian and Polish immigrants. His parents were Rose and Akeeba Kieve Diamond, a drygoods merchant. He grew up in several homes in Brooklyn, having also spent four years in Cheyenne, Wyoming where his father was stationed in the army. In Brooklyn he attended Erasmus Hall High School and was a member of the Freshman Chorus and Choral Club along with classmate Barbra Streisand.155 They were not close friends at the time, Diamond recalls We were two poor kids in Brooklyn. We hung out in the front of Erasmus High and smoked cigarettes. After his family moved he then attended Abraham Lincoln High School, and was a member of the fencing team.

Source: Wikipedia