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Neil Diamond retires from touring, says he has Parkinson’s

Updated January 22, 2018 - 8:06 pm

NEW YORK — Neil Diamond is retiring from touring after he says he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Days shy of his 77th birthday, the rock legend is canceling his tour dates in Australia and New Zealand for March. He was on his 50th anniversary tour.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer offered his “sincerest apologies” to those who planned to go to his shows and says he plans to still write, record and work on other projects “for a long time to come.”

Diamond’s numerous hits include “Sweet Caroline,” ”America,” ”Love on the Rocks” and “Hello Again.”

Diamond turns 77 on Wednesday and will get the lifetime achievement award at Sunday’s Grammy awards.

Diamond in Las Vegas

Diamond made his first Las Vegas run in 1976, when he was the first ever act to play the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts (now the Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort). He didn’t play Vegas again until 1996, when he played the MGM Grand for a three-show set.

Diamond played MGM Grand again in 1998, a two-night stand that included a New Year’s Eve show, and in 2012, ending his summer tour with a September show.

He performed at Mandalay Events Center in 2015, but missed Las Vegas during the southwestern U.S. leg of his 50th anniversary tour, playing in Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles.

Even if Diamond won’t be back to Las Vegas, his voice is part of every Vegas Golden Knights home hockey game. The arena scoreboard changes the lyric “Sweet Caroline” to “Sweet Golden Knights” and fans eagerly sing along.

Review-Journal writer Matthew Crowley contributed to this report.

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