Key Takeaways:
- Neil Diamond credits Bob Dylan with revolutionizing the music industry by empowering songwriters to perform their own material.
- The two icons shared memorable moments, including a famous backstage joke at “The Last Waltz” concert film.
- Bob Dylan privately recorded a version of “Sweet Caroline” and publicly praised Diamond’s 2014 album, “Melody Road.”
- Diamond has paid tribute to Dylan by covering his songs and continues to listen to his work, calling it “always interesting.”
Two of America’s most legendary songwriters, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan, share a history of mutual respect that has spanned decades. Diamond has often credited Dylan with paving the way for artists like himself, fundamentally changing how the music industry viewed the role of the songwriter.
A New Era for Songwriters
In a 2010 interview, Diamond reflected on the monumental shift that occurred in the 1960s. “History was made musically by the advent of Bob Dylan,” he explained. “The whole change in the thought processes of people in the music world, where suddenly the songwriter came to the fore and became an important element in the music business.”
Before Dylan and The Beatles, singers and songwriters were often separate entities. Diamond noted that this new era was “very fertile” for him as an artist who wanted to both write and sing his own songs, a passion born from the desperation of not finding others to perform his work.
Friendly Advice and a Legendary Concert
The two musicians eventually met, and their interactions became part of music lore. Diamond once recalled a piece of advice Dylan gave him about performing into old age. “Bob Dylan told me, ‘Don’t write songs with a lot of words in them. Because when you get older you just got to sing a lot of words,’” Diamond said in a 1992 interview.
They famously shared the stage in 1976 for The Band’s farewell concert, “The Last Waltz.” An urban legend claims Diamond told Dylan, “Top that!” after his performance. However, Diamond later clarified it was a pre-show joke. “I came over to him and I said, ‘You know, Bob, those are really my people out there.’ I said it as a joke, but I think it spurred him a little bit. He gave a hell of a performance,” Diamond recalled.
Mutual Admiration Through Music
The respect was clearly a two-way street. According to a 2008 book, Dylan recorded his own version of Diamond’s mega-hit “Sweet Caroline” and sent it to him privately. That recording was officially released in 2021. Decades later, Dylan’s admiration hadn’t faded. In 2014, Diamond tweeted his excitement after a personal call from the folk icon. “Wow, Bob Dylan just called me and said, ‘If any record connects with me, this one does,’ about Melody Road. How cool is that? Thanks Bob!”
For his part, Diamond has honored Dylan’s work by performing “Lay Lady Lay” live and including a cover of “Make You Feel My Love” on his 2008 album Home Before Dark. Even today, Diamond cites Dylan as an artist whose work he still enjoys. In a 2014 Q&A, when asked what he listens to, he said, “Bob Dylan is always interesting.”
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