(Mali
Sewell, Barry Thomson, Dawn Selby & Jason Andrew)
Rhumbelow Theatre in Durban will present Hot August Night - The Music of Neil Diamond,
from November 29 to December 16, 2019.
Born in January 1941, Neil Diamond is an
American composer, singer, musician and actor. With 38 songs in the Top 10 on
the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, Diamond has sold more than 125 million
albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2018, Diamond received the Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Paying respect to the music of this
legendary artist composer and performer are Durban’s own tribute band, The
Reals, with Barry Thomson on guitar and vocals, musical director Dawn Selby on
keyboards and vocals, Mali Sewell on drums and vocals and Jason Andrew on bass
guitar and vocals. Included in the repertoire of Hot August Night are Diamond’s hit songs Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, Longfellow Serenade, Desiree, You
Don't Bring Me Flowers, America, Heartlight, Sweet Caroline and I’m A Believer. A show not to be missed!
Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York, to
a Jewish family descended from Russian and Polish immigrants. He attended
Erasmus Hall High School and was a member of the Freshman Chorus and Choral
Club, along with classmate Barbra Streisand. ‘We were two poor kids in
Brooklyn. We hung out in the front of Erasmus High and smoked cigarettes.’
At the age of 16, Diamond spent a number of
weeks at Surprise Lake Camp, a camp for Jewish children, where folk singer Pete
Seeger performed a small concert. Watching the children singing songs they
wrote themselves, had an immediate effect on Diamond, who became aware of the
possibility of writing his own songs. For his 16th birthday, he was given his
first guitar, started lessons and began to write songs. He said his attraction
writing songs was the ‘first real interest’ he had growing up, besides helping
him release his youthful frustrations.
Often bored in class, he found writing song
lyrics more to his liking. Diamond also used his newly-developing skill to
write poetry. By writing poems for girls he was attracted to in school, he soon
learned it often won their hearts. His male classmates took note and began
asking him to write poems for them which they would sing and use with equal
success. He began cutting classes and taking the train up to Tin Pan Alley,
where he tried to get some of his songs heard by local music publishers. Ten
units short of graduation in his senior year, Sunbeam Music Publishing offered
him a 16-week job writing songs for $50 a week and he dropped out of college to
accept it.
Diamond spent his early career as a hired
songwriter in the Brill Building where some of the most popular American hit
songs were written, published and recorded. Neil’s first success as a
songwriter came in November 1965, with Sunday
and Me and greater success followed with The Monkees recording I'm a Believer which became a gold
record within two days of its release, voted the Popular Music Song of the Year
in 1966. Other notable artists who recorded his early songs were the English
hard-rock band Deep Purple, Lulu, Cliff Richard and UB40 with Red Red Wine.
His early concerts saw him as opening act
for artistes including Herman's Hermits and The Who and he was shocked to see
Pete Townshend swinging his guitar like a club, then throwing it against walls
and off the stage until the instrument's neck broke. It was the first time he
had seen a band smashing their instruments and amplifiers to pieces.
Developing into a dynamic concert performer,
in 1971 Diamond played seven sold-out concerts at the Greek Theatre in Los
Angeles. A leading newspaper called it ‘the finest concert in Greek Theatre
history.’ Throughout the decades up to 2017, Diamond recorded over 40 albums
and has toured the world marking his ascension to superstar status. In January
2018, Diamond announced his retirement from concert touring after 50 years. ‘It
is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from
concert touring. I have been so honoured to bring my shows to the public for the
past 50 years. My thanks go out to my loyal and devoted audiences around the
world. You will always have my appreciation for your support and encouragement.
This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you.’
Hot
August Night - The Music of Neil Diamond runs at Rhumbelow Durban from
November 29 to December 16, 2019. Performances Friday and Saturdays at 20h00
and Sundays at 14h00. The show on December 16 also starts at 14h00. The venue
opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner.
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners, students
with a valid student card and tables of eight or more). Discounts apply to the
first weekend only.
Take along food picnic baskets. Braais will
be available and food is available to purchase at the venue. There is limited
secure parking and booking is essential. A cash bar is available (no alcohol
may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow Durban is situated at 42
Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo.
Booking is through Computicket or contact
Roland on 082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net (also for group booking
discounts of 20 or more) or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com
(“Hot
August Night” also has a performance at Rhumbelow Pietermaritzburg at the Allan
Wilson Shellhole on November 24, 2019.)
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