Neil Diamond is releasing a new album eight years after retiring from touring due to his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The Sweet Caroline star, 85, stepped away from live performances back in 2018 after confirming he was battling the degenerative neurological condition but he’s now treating fans to a new record called Wild At Heart featuring songs created during his studio sessions with superproducer Rick Rubin marking the pair’s third project together after 2005’s 12 Songs and 2008’s Home Before Dark’.
Neil said in a statement: “My work with Rick was a labor of love, and I’m so gratified that these songs will finally be set free into the world to complete our trilogy of work.”
The album features 10 tracks which blend archived material with newly completed recordings. The tracklist contains nine previously unreleased songs as well as alternative version of Forgotten, which featured on Home Before Dark.
Wild At Heart is due for release on May 8.
Neil previously opened up about his health issues in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning in 2023, revealing it took him several years to fully accept his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The music legend explained: “When the doctor told me what it was, I was just not ready to accept it. I said: ‘Oh, OK, I’ll see you whenever you want to see me, but I have work to do, so I’ll see you later’ …
“I think this has just been in the last few weeks. But somehow, a calm has moved in and the hurricane of my life and things have gotten very quiet.
“And I like it. I find that I like myself better. I’m easier on people. I’m easier on myself and the beat goes on and it will go on long after I’m gone.”
He went on to add: “I’m still doing it [accepting the condition] and I don’t like it. OK, so this is the hand that God’s given me and I have to make the best of it. And so I am.
“There’s no cure, there’s no getting away from it. You can’t just say, OK, enough already, let’s get back to life. It doesn’t work like that. But I’ve come to accept what limitations I have and still have great days.”