What do a Brooklyn songwriter with a stadium anthem and a kid from Canada with a time machine have in common? More than you might think.
At 84, Neil Diamond walked back onto a Denver stage in October 2025, not as the tireless touring star he once was, but as a man who has learned to live with Parkinson’s and Type 2 diabetes.
He accepted an Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award, smiled at his wife and son beside him, and said quietly, “I’ve been through it all now, and I’m still coming back for more.” Then he led a room full of people in Sweet Caroline, his voice strong enough to make strangers sing like family.
Michael J. Fox knows that tightrope too. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s more than three decades ago, he is stepping back in front of the camera again in Season 3 of Shrinking, playing a character who also has Parkinson’s. For once, he does not have to hide the tremors or worry if he looks tired. He just gets to be honest, on screen and off.
Neil Diamond surprises fans with rare appearance at sold-out show
This recent 2025 performance of Sweet Caroline puts everything into focus. At the curtain call of his own musical, Neil steps out, shoulder to shoulder with Nick Fradiani, the younger singer who plays him on stage. The crowd gasps, then roars. His voice is steady, his timing sharp, and thousands of people instantly sing with him on that warm summer night.
Neil Diamond Performs ‘Sweet Caroline’ With ‘A Beautiful Noise’ Tour Cast
Before the awards, before the 2025 sing alongs, there was a hard announcement in 2018 that he would retire from touring because of Parkinson’s. This short news piece explains that turning point, from the shock of the cancelled 50th Anniversary tour to the reality of a serious illness. Seeing that chapter first makes every recent performance, every shared chorus of Sweet Caroline, feel less casual and more like a quiet, hard earned victory the next time you listen.