:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1038x706:1040x708)/neil-diamond-kids-1-13daf906da5b49908b0111bb24a9d68f.jpg)
At 55, Jesse Diamond has lived most of his life in the shadow of a towering musical legacy. As the son of Neil Diamond, one of the most beloved singer-songwriters of all time, Jesse grew up not only hearing his father’s music in concert halls around the world, but also hearing it in the quiet hum of everyday life.
Now, with Neil Diamond’s public battle with Parkinson’s disease, Jesse has begun to speak more openly about his father’s life today—offstage, away from the glare of the spotlight.
“My dad’s life now is quieter, but it’s still full,” Jesse shared. “He may not be touring anymore, but he still loves music—it’s in him. He plays at home, he writes, he hums tunes when he’s walking around the house. Music is still his companion.”
Neil, who retired from touring in 2018 after his diagnosis, has found a new rhythm to life. Instead of endless travel, he spends more time with family, enjoying the slower pace and the chance to focus on his health. Jesse describes these moments as precious, especially after so many years when the demands of the road kept his father away.
“I think he’s learning to embrace this chapter,” Jesse said. “It’s not easy for someone who lived for the stage to step back, but I see a peace in him now. He’s surrounded by love, and that’s the most important thing.”
For Jesse, watching his father adjust to life with Parkinson’s has been both heartbreaking and inspiring. “He’s still Neil Diamond—still the same man who taught me about hard work, passion, and resilience. Only now, I get to see a softer side of him. He laughs more. He tells stories. We spend time without an agenda.”
While fans around the world miss seeing Neil Diamond under the stage lights, Jesse believes his father’s legacy has already been written in the hearts of millions. “The songs are still out there. They still mean something to people. And my dad is still here—living, loving, and still creating in his own way.”
In the end, Jesse’s words paint a portrait not of a fading legend, but of a man embracing a new verse in the song of his life—one sung at a slower tempo, but with no less depth or beauty.