Neil Diamond, 84, sang Sweet Caroline and worked with Cher as well as Barbra Streisand… see him now

by

Neil Diamond is a singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1960s.

He’s famous for popular songs like “Sweet Caroline,” “Forever In Blue Jeans,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and “Song Sung Blue.”

Neil Diamond has sold over 130 million records globally, establishing him as one of the most successful music artists ever.

He’s also penned songs that were recorded by popular artists like the Monkees, Jay and the Americans, the Ronettes, and Sonny & Cher.

The 84-year-old icon was celebrated at the Carousel Of Hope Ball in Denver on Saturday, accompanied by his wife, Katie, and son, Jesse.

Dana Davis, the event chairman, hosted the 39th Annual Carousel Ball at the Hyatt Regency Denver. Dexcom sponsored the event.

As a long-time admirer, I was thrilled to see the event back this year! It was wonderful to witness Diamond receive the ‘Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award’ – so well deserved! And the MacMillan Family were truly honored with the High Hopes Tribute Award, and it really warmed my heart to see their contributions recognized.

Patrons of the evening were treated to a show-stopping performance from the Goo Goo Dolls. 

The event raised $2 million this year, and has raised $119 million to date.

The 39th annual Carousel Ball honored the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC) and its decades of progress in diabetes care and research. The event celebrated the center’s achievements and impact since it was founded in 1978.

The Ball is an event dedicated to increasing understanding of type 1 diabetes and raising funds for the BDC. The BDC provides expert care for young people living with this serious condition and conducts important research to help prevent and eventually find a cure.

Dana Davis began the event by welcoming everyone and honoring her parents, Barbara and Marvin Davis, who founded CDF and the BDC fifty years prior, inspired by her initial diagnosis.

The Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center have achieved incredible progress – far beyond what my parents dreamed of. Working together, we’ve helped develop technologies that are truly making a difference in the lives of children with diabetes. And because of your support, we’ve raised over $117 million to continue this important work.

However, we have a lot more work to do. We’re aiming to make the same amount of progress in the next 25 years that’s been made over the last 50 – meaning we want to get closer to preventing Type 1 diabetes, improving care for those who have it, and ultimately finding a cure.

Mr. Diamond received a lifetime achievement award recognizing his outstanding contributions to the BDC and his significant impact on improving type 1 diabetes care and research.

The music icon accepted the award alongside his wife and son, Katie and Jesse Diamond.

Diamond, a long-time supporter of CDF who has served on their Advisory Board and performed at their fundraising galas, expressed her continued dedication, saying, ‘I’ve experienced everything with CDF, and I’m excited to keep being involved.’

I’ll never forget being a teenager in Brooklyn and hoping for a moment like this. I’m truly grateful to Barbara and Dana Davis for inviting me to this wonderful event.

I’m honored to support this important cause and thrilled to be involved in an evening that offers hope to so many people. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity.

Neil received a surprise congratulatory video message from Hugh Jackman, who is starring in the upcoming musical drama *Song Sung Blue*. The film features Jackman and Kate Hudson as members of a tribute band honoring Neil Diamond. In the video, Jackman said, ‘I’m so happy you’re receiving this award because you’re truly inspiring – not only with your music and creativity, but with your kindness and generosity. As a performer, you inspire me daily. Your ability to connect with audiences and your music, and the genuine person you are, means everything to me.’

Luke Bryan congratulated the artist, saying he’s a big fan and appreciates their contributions to music. He shared a funny story about how playing ‘Sweet Caroline’ always wins back a losing crowd, and added that his wife is also named Caroline, making the song even more special to him.

Barbara Davis, the honorary event chair and co-founder of CDF, shared her joy at seeing Neil again and expressed how happy she was for him. She presented him with the award, saying he brings so much love to others and is beloved by everyone. She concluded by wishing Neil and his wife, Katie, a lifetime of happiness.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe what happened! Neil Diamond actually performed ‘Sweet Caroline’ live, and not just anyone joined him – Nick Fradiani, the guy who *plays* Neil on Broadway! It was from ‘A Beautiful Noise,’ the musical about his life, and it was magical. Seriously, seeing Neil and Nick sing together… it reminded me of that incredible moment back in 2012 when Neil sang with George Clooney! That went viral, and this was just as amazing. I’m still buzzing from it all!

Neil Diamond has had an incredibly successful music career lasting over 50 years. He’s sold more than 130 million albums, making him one of the best-selling rock artists of all time. Throughout his career, he’s released 18 albums that reached the Top 10 and nearly 40 singles that landed in the Top 40 – 10 of which went all the way to number one. A GRAMMY winner and member of both the Rock & Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame, Diamond has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe, 13 GRAMMY nominations, an American Music Award, and a Billboard Icon Award, as well as the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award and Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting.

The MacMillan family received the ‘High Hopes Tribute Award’ recognizing their more than 30 years of dedicated support. Darius Anderson, a family member who lives with type 1 diabetes, accepted the award for them. Based in Denver, where the organization is located, the MacMillans have consistently volunteered on committees, donated items for auctions, given generously, and invited many guests to support the organization’s events.

The Goo Goo Dolls, a band nominated for four GRAMMY Awards, finished the night with a fantastic performance of their most popular songs, including ‘Iris,’ ‘Slide,’ ‘Name,’ ‘Sympathy,’ and ‘Better Days.’ With over 15 million records sold globally, John Rzeznik and Robby Takac have earned nearly a dozen platinum and gold singles and achieved an impressive 15 songs that reached the Top 10. This success has earned them the record for the most Top 10 singles of all time on the radio.

After becoming a sensation on TikTok, the Goo Goo Dolls’ hit song ‘Iris’ has officially been certified Diamond, exceeding 5 billion streams. The song is still gaining popularity with new listeners worldwide, demonstrating the lasting appeal of the band’s incredible music.

One of the highlights of the event was definitely the auction! We had some incredible items up for grabs – a jersey signed by Travis Kelce was a huge hit, and a gorgeous 18-karat white gold necklace with over two carats of natural diamonds really caught everyone’s eye. But the biggest winner snagged a four-night stay at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Anguilla for $14,000 – talk about a dream getaway!

I’ve been following the work of the Barbara Davis Center for years, and it breaks my heart to see how Type 1 diabetes is becoming more and more common. It’s honestly terrifying – over 9.5 million people *worldwide* are dealing with this! Here in the US, about 64,000 people get diagnosed every year – and so many of them are kids! That’s why I’m so obsessed with the Carousel Balls – they’ve already raised nearly $119 million for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, which directly supports the BDC. It’s incredible because the BDC helps over 8,000 patients – people are coming from all over the world to get care there! And it’s not just the wealthy; a huge percentage of their patients are struggling financially – 35% are at or below the poverty line, and another 45% don’t have good insurance, or any at all. It’s just… amazing what they do, and I’m so happy to support them any way I can.

The 2025 Carousel Ball is sponsored by Dexcom, a company dedicated to helping people manage their health with advanced glucose monitoring technology. Sanofi is a major underwriter of the event. Additional generous support comes from 5280 Magazine, the official media partner, along with the Abrams and MacMillan families, Hyatt Regency Denver, The Corley Legacy Foundation, RBC Wealth Management, Eva Schoonmaker, Iris & Michael Smith, and 7Cellars Wines by John Elway. CBS Colorado will broadcast the event, and KBCO is the official radio partner.

Read More

2025-10-13 22:05