After Neil Diamond announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – canceling concerts in Australia and New Zealand – fans responded by overwhelmingly donating the refunded money to Parkinson’s research and other charities.
“This makes me smile. Thank you. Thank to you everyone for your outpouring of love and support. It makes a difference,” Diamond wrote on Twitter.
His wife, Katie, also wrote, “I’ve received a bunch of messages from people in Aus & NZ who are donating their ticket refunds to good causes: Parkinson’s research, animal rescue groups, fire victim funds, etc.,” she tweeted. “My heart is so full of joy to see this silver lining. Faith in humanity = restored. Thank you!”
The 77-year-old songwriter canceled the remaining legs of his 50th Anniversary tour, citing his doctor’s advice. Despite his plan to retire from live performance, he emphasized his plan to “remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come.”
Diamond issued his most recent studio album, holiday set Acoustic Christmas, in 2016. Last year, he marked a half-century of recording with the career-spanning box set 50th Anniversary Collection.
