Neil Diamond Fell Totally In Love At 71 With 29-Years-Younger Wife & Muse Kate McNeil

Dec 15, 2021 by apost team

Neil Diamond is one of the biggest names in music. For years he's not only been singing for huge crowds around the world, but he's also been writing and producing his own music. Through his songs, Diamond has shown that no matter what he accomplishes or how rich he becomes, he has never lost touch with the common person. Diamond knows how to touch people's hearts.

After he got his start in the 1960s, Diamond delivered hit after hit, including such classic songs as "Sweet Caroline," "America," "Song Sung Blue" and many more. In fact, "Sweet Caroline" is played at every Red Sox game at Boston's Fenway Park. In 2019, the song was selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Recording Registry due to its cultural significance.

Diamond has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. The singer has had 10 singles reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. Diamond was also in the musical drama film “The Jazz Singer.” He has received many accolades, including being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Now 80, Diamond is done performing live but still plans on releasing music whenever inspiration hits him. From the way he talks about his wife, Katie McNeil, it sounds like he has the perfect inspiration right at home. Katie was Diamond’s muse for his 2016 Christmas album “Acoustic Christmas,” according to the singer. Keep reading to learn more about this couple and how Katie inspires Diamond. 

For Christmas in 2016, Diamond released new music, including an original song that instantly became a timeless Christmas classic. Titled "Christmas Prayers," the song is a slow ballad that recalls nostalgic Christmas moments of years past. His poignant verses express everyone's deepest yearnings for lost loved ones during the holidays.

Fans were left in tears when they first heard the song, as they remembered past holidays with the people they love who are no longer with them. The song is both a heartfelt tribute to memories of past Christmases and a reminder to appreciate all you have today. What makes the song even more special is that he wrote it in honor of his wife, Katie, after her beloved grandmother had passed away.

While she was grieving and feeling the difficult loss, Katie reflected on past Christmas celebrations and attempted to grasp the fact that special times like that wouldn't come again. The feeling is a universal one in which everyone who has experienced loss feels around the holidays. Everyone understands that Christmas isn't exclusively jolly and happy.

In an interview with Billboard, Diamond spoke about how he and his wife decided to try and write a song to cheer her up after the loss of her grandmother. Not only did he write "Christmas Prayers," but he had such a creative urge that he ended up making more songs, which all ended up on the album "Acoustic Christmas." Fans might be surprised to realize that the album was somewhat of an accident, but since then, the entire LP has received a ton of praise from critics and loyal followers alike.

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Katie has become a muse for Diamond and “Christmas Prayers,” but it wasn’t the only song she inspired. The singer explained, “There’s no better inspiration or motivation for work than being in love. It’s what you dream of as a creative person. I was able to complete this album — start it, write it and complete it — under the spell of love, and I think it shows somehow.”

Diamond was married twice before he met Katie, but this is her first marriage. The singer married his high school sweetheart Jayne Posner in 1963, and they were divorced in 1969. They had two children, Elyn Diamond and Marjorie Diamond. Also in 1969, Diamond married Marcia Murphey, and they had two children as well, Jesse Diamond and Micah Diamond. The couple stayed married until 1995. 

In 2009, Diamond met Katie when she produced his TV documentary “Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC.” They hit it off, and later she became his manager. On Sept. 7, 2011, Diamond announced his engagement to Katie on Twitter. He said, “Good news coming from sunny LA/ and you’re the first I want to tell/ Katie & I just got engaged/ and I hope you wish us well.” Diamond was 71 and Katie was 42 when they got married in 2012. 

Diamond told Parade that year, “I’m throwing myself back in because I like being married. I don’t want to end this whole fabulous journey alone. I want someone by my side who I love and who loves me. I’ve finally found somebody who’s up to the task of being my wife because I’m very … high maintenance.”

Do you think it’s sweet that Katie inspires Diamond to write songs? What is your favorite Neil Diamond song? Let us know, and feel free to pass this along to your friends and family.