Many people know Sweet Caroline, but not everyone knows that Neil Diamond’s 27th album, Home Before Dark, reached number one on the Billboard 200 and broke a Bob Dylan record. It was quiet, heartfelt, and a reminder that his music still stands beside the greats.
Home Before Dark was not a flashy comeback stunt. It was a quiet set of original songs that carried real weight and heart. The success felt personal, like the world was finally catching up to what longtime fans already knew.
Years later, Hugh Jackman ended up at Neil’s house in Colorado after starring in a film about a Neil Diamond tribute act. Neil watched the movie, called Hugh in tears, and invited him over for “a cup of tea” that turned into an overnight stay.
After dinner, Neil looked across the table and said, “You wanna do some karaoke?” Minutes later they were trading lines on Sweet Caroline, Elvis’s Can’t Help Falling in Love, and even I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables. At one point, Neil put his arm around Hugh, kissed him on the forehead, and called the song “such a pretty tune.”
There is even a house rule. If anyone says “so good,” two other people must answer, “so good, so good.” Every time.
The album that beat Dylan. The movie that made Neil cry. The karaoke night no fan would ever expect.
When Hugh Jackman did karaoke with Neil Diamond | The Graham Norton Show – BBC
While promoting the film about a Neil tribute band, he and co star Kate Hudson walked into Old Mates Pub in New York City and turned an ordinary post awards hangout into a singalong. They stepped into character as Lightning and Thunder and ripped through Sweet Caroline, Forever in Blue Jeans, and Crunchy Granola Suite while the whole bar joined in on the chorus.
Kate Hudson And Hugh Jackman Perform Neil Diamond Songs Live In NYC From “Song Sung Blue”
Neil’s life story became a Broadway show, A Beautiful Noise, and he returned to a theater stage as a storyteller. He moves from Solitary Man into Sweet Caroline with the same drama and control you would expect from a musical star.