Posted on 08/28/2008 6:39:50 AM PDT by Huntress
After a subpar performance Monday night in Value City Arena, Neil Diamond yesterday apologized and offered refunds to the 11,000 people who attended the concert.
"Dear Fans in Columbus," the singer said in a statement, "I haven't let you down before, and I won't let you down now. Until you hear from me again remember, You are the sun. I am the moon. You are the words. I am the tune. Forgive me. I love you. Neil."
Diamond, whose voice was extremely hoarse throughout the show, said yesterday that he is suffering from acute laryngitis. Ordered by doctors to rest his voice, he canceled his two other shows this week -- today in Green Bay, Wis., and Friday in St. Louis.
Some industry veterans said they'd never heard of a performer offering refunds because of the quality of the show.
Tracy Tucker, former executive director of Germain Amphitheater, couldn't recall giving a refund for such a reason in the 14 years of the amphitheater.
"The only time we issued refunds was when an advertised act did not play, for some reason," she said.
A throat ailment for a singer isn't unusual, especially for someone such as Diamond, who is 67 and performing three times a week on a lengthy tour.
Still, some fans, who paid $19.50 to $120 per ticket, wondered why he went on with the show if he could barely talk, let alone sing.
When Diamond took the stage, it became immediately apparent that his voice had been reduced to a harsh rasp.
"The first five minutes were very painful," said Sharon Moitis, 66, of Galena. "It was just very sad. I got tears in my eyes when he was struggling on Solitary Man. It was a poignant song to be singing because he was indeed a solitary man."
Many fans left the show early, some demanding their money back. Value City offered some departing fans tickets for Celine Dion's Sept. 22 show in exchange for their Diamond seats.
Marci Stitzlein, who attended the show with a friend, left after the fourth song. She said issuing a refund was the least Diamond could do.
"I sing, myself, on the side, so I understand the whole thing of wanting to not let the fans down," said Stitzlein, 44. "But this was a bigger disappointment for him to have tried to do the show, knowing how sick he was."
Janene Bushey, who is 53 and has seen Diamond 14 times, said, "I about fainted when he came out and said, 'Hello, Columbus,' because I knew something was wrong."
"It was painful," Bushey added. "My heart ached for him. It was painful for him and me both."
The refund, she said, "is fine, but I would have been thrilled to have another concert."
PromoWest Productions President Scott Stienecker, who books shows in Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, also said he's never heard of a performer offering refunds for a poor performance.
"It's unfortunate, but sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. I've sat through Vince Neil falling-down drunk before. I've sat through Bob Dylan not even acknowledging that there was a crowd.
"It's unfortunate, but (Diamond) made it, he was here ready, willing and able."
That's slight consolation for fans such as Roger Moody, of Westerville.
Moody, 65, bought eight tickets with a face value of $120 each to take his wife, children and grandchildren.
"If it had just been me and my wife, I'd have gotten up and left," said Moody, who stayed for the duration of the show.
"I didn't know whether to feel sorry for the guy or appreciate that he gave it a try, but he should have known that that was so far off-base."
Like many of the more than 100 people who called The Dispatch and left comments at Dispatch.com, Moody left the show wondering why Diamond didn't acknowledge his ailing voice during the concert.
Diamond issuing refunds, however, left Moody "utterly flabbergasted."
"In all due respect," he said, "if anybody was going to do it, I would think that this gentleman would."
Others said they enjoyed the show and admired Diamond for going on with it.
"I loved it," said Carolyn Wilkins, 64, of Clintonville. "I recognized that his voice was a little raspy, but it was a gift to be there. In my book, he did great, especially knowing that he was not feeling well. He's my inspiration."
Will she take the Jazz Singer up on his refund offer?
"I don't think so," Wilkins said before pausing.
"Well, I'll mull it tonight."
abeck@dispatch.com
Some entertainers are impervious to the stains of their politics and lifestyle. Neil Diamond, IMO, is one of them.
True class and respect always shine through. With this act of self contrition, his star shines even brighter.
That's not what he said. You're reading way too much into his comments about Caroline.
Diamond has a new song out that I love! Here are the lyrics.
Pretty amazing grace is what you showed me
Pretty amazing grace is who you are
I was an empty vessel
You filled me up inside
And with amazing grace
Restored my pride.
Pretty amazing grace is how you saved me
And with amazing grace, reclaimed my heart
Love in the midst of chaos
Calm in the heat of war
Showed with amazing grace
What love was for.
You forgave my insensitivity
And my attempt to then mislead you
You stood beside a wretch like me
And pretty amazing grace was all I needed.
Stumbled inside the doorway of your chapel
Humbled and awed by everything I found
Beauty and love surround me
Freed me from what I feared
Asked for amazing grace
And you appeared.
You overcame my loss of hope and faith
Gave me a truth I could believe in
You led me to a higher place
Showed your amazing grace
When grace was what I needed.
Look in a mirror I see your refection
Open a book you live on every page
I fall and you’re there to lift me
You share every road I climb
And with amazing grace
You ease my mind.
I came to you with empty pockets first
When I returned I was a rich man
Didn’t believe love could quench my thirst
But with amazing grace, you showed me that it can.
In your amazing grace I had a vision
From that amazing place, I came to be
Into the night I wandered, wandering aimlessly
Found your amazing grace to comfort me.
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
Pretty amazing
You overcame my loss of hope and faith
Gave me a truth I could believe in
You led me to that higher place
Showed me that love, and truth, and hope, and grace
Were all I needed.
Neal Diamond has been sounding raspy lately. Hope he’s ok...
You may have meant your reply for someone else.
If people want to go listen to these performers, why should you care? What do you think the people who constitute Neil Diamond's audience (and it wouldn't be me) should do? Go see Nine Inch Snails or Ludicrap?
I saw a video of a concert in which he pulled a very pretty girl up to the stage, got down on the floor, and started kissing her “passionately” on the mouth. She pulled away, aghast.
Here comes the really sleazy part: He looked surprised, and said “Don’t you know how great my kisses are? I’m the greatest. You should be honored” Not an exact quote. Something like that, actually even worse.
Is that not creepy?
What he said is that the song was about Caroline Kennedy. The lyrics to the song tell what he was thinking. I realize he was just trying to ingratiate himself in her presence when he said that, but to forget what his biggest hit song was about and say something that stupid is so Neil Diamond or schmuck'ish.
I won't argue with you there. No matter what you think about Neil, he doesn't deserve to be labeled a pedophile from a single ambiguous comment.
Lyrics to Sweet Caroline(5 years old) Where it began, I can't begin to know when
But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo
And spring became the summer
Who'd believe you'd come along
Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
I've been inclined to believe it never would
And now I, I look at the night, whooo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you
Oh, one, touching one, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
Oh I've been inclined to believe it never would
Ego out of control!! Sounds like something Barocker Obambo would do if that big goon of a wife wasn’t around to turn him into pusilanimous pudding.
I've always liked Diamond but he should have retired a number of years ago when he lost his singing voice and then stayed retired..........
Like I said, a filthy mind.
I feel like that when I think of holding my Daughters when they were young, what Father wouldn’t?
Take the filth and politics out of your mind for a minute.
Those were good times for our Country, and the image of the Kennedy’s, a beautiful young couple, in the White House, and of that sweet little girl frolicking on the lawn. It was a metaphor for all that is right and good and full of hope for our future.
How old are you, anyway?
51, and I have a 5 year old daughter.
Amazing that you can be that age and still think in those terms.
I feel sorry for you.
A Neil News day is a good day to me!!!
I do a lot of creative writing. The road between inspiration and product is very often long and full of twists and turns. Too much is being read into this.
I just cannot keep that in my mind about you. I think too well of you.
Otherwise.
Beautiful poem. Grace is what we all need.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.