Neil Diamond Didn’t Let Parkinson’s Stop Him from Giving Surprise Concert for Firefighters

Music legend Neil Diamond retired in January because of Parkinson’s Disease, but that didn’t stop him from performing for Colorado firefighters who have been battling wildfires for weeks.

The fire near Lake Christine, west of Denver, swallowed up over 12,000 acres of land since July 3rd. Diamond lives in the area and wanted to boost the spirit of the firefighters and thank them for working so hard to protect everyone.

The legendary singer showed up at Basalt High School for a surprise performance during a briefing for the firefighters. When he sang fan favorite “Sweet Caroline,” the firefighters joined in and it became a sing-along. Diamond was thrilled to be there bringing smiles to these hard-working heroes.

“I love these faces,” Diamond told the audience. “I want to take you all home. I want to give you a kiss. I want to make dinner for you. I just want to say thank you from the people of this area … I’ve been here for 20 years, and you made everybody happy. The heaviness on our hearts is gone … We thank you for making the trip and to our local guys as well.”

The firefighters certainly enjoyed being Diamond coming out of retirement to perform for them. Millions of people would have loved to see him sing live again, but he did this rare performance for these heroes rather than for money.

WATCH:

Inside Edition has more information on Diamond’s surprise concert in the video below. The singer was grateful to be able to perform for these firefighters.

In January, Diamond abruptly ended his concert tour by announcing his retirement from live shows. Diamond had been touring for over 50 years, but his Parkinson’s diagnosis was preventing him from continuing. The physical constraints of the disease limited the singer from performing at the level he expected.

Earlier this week, M*A*S*H* actor Alan Alda announced that he also has Parkinson’s Disease. Like Diamond, Alda is facing this debilitating illness in a positive light by focusing on what he is able to do rather than what he can’t.

Source: WCMH-TV Columbus