Neil Diamond turns 85! See his transformation over the years in 10 photos

Born in 1941 in Brooklyn, he attended Erasmus Hall High School for two years with Barbra Streisand before the family moved him to a second school. At 16, he received his first guitars, and that year he spent the summer as Surprise Lake Camp, during which time the folk singer Pete Seeger performed a small concert.

 That experience changed Neil  forever: "And the next thing, I got a guitar when we got back to Brooklyn, started to take lessons and almost immediately began to write songs," he once said.

In 1963 he married his high school sweetheart Jaye Posner, and they were together for four years, welcoming two daughters, Marjorie and Elyn. 

During this time, Neil was working as a semi-successful songwriter but he broke through in 1966 with four hit songs for The Monkees including "I'm a Believer".

In 1969 Neil moved to Los Angeles and broke through with the hit songs "Sweet Caroline" (1969), "Holly Holy" (1969), "Cracklin' Rosie" (1970) and "Song Sung Blue" (1972), the last two reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100.

In the decades since, "Sweet Caroline" has become his biggest hit, sung at weddings, parties, and sporting events worldwide.

It was during this time that he divorced Jaye and married his second wife Marcia Murphey. They welcomed two sons, Jesse and Michah, before splitting in 1994. 

Rumors abounded that he paid her $150 million, said to be the biggest divorce settlement at the time. He later denied the claims, telling the Daily Mail: "She got enough to live on for the rest of her life."

It was during this decade that Neil began to play around with his wardrobe, and began wearing colorful beaded shirts in concert.He worked with designer Bill Whitten who made shirts for Neil for five decades.

In 2008 Neil played to over 100,000 fans at the legendary Glastonbury Festival in Somerset in the "Legends" slot. Now a milestone moment for artists, Neil's performance was marred by technical difficulties, but the crowd cheered him on, clapping and chanting his name, before he was able to return.

In 2011 Neil was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with an introductory speech delivered by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel.

"It's about as good as it gets. It's a crowning moment. It's the peak. It shows acceptance by your peers," he said accepting the honor. "And also, it puts you in a club with people you love, and whose music that you love. So, it's very nice," said Diamond.

The same year, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Kennedy Center at the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors, alongside Meryl Streep and Yo Yo Ma, and in 2012 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2011, Neil announced he had proposed to his manager Katie McNeil.

"Good news coming from sunny LA/ and you’re the first I want to tell/ Katie & I just got engaged/ and I hope you wish us well," he wrote at the time on X alongside a picture of Katie. "I'm lovestruck."

The couple, who have a 14-year age difference, wed in 2012 in front of family and friends.

In 2018, Neil shocked fans by revealing he would be retiring from touring midway through the 50th-anniversary tour.

"I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years," he said. "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."