GMTV2001

Helen Morton interviewed
Neil for UK morning television.
The small interview was split and shown over two mornings -
5th and 6th September 2001

Part One

The interview began with Neil singing You Are The Best Part Of Me from his new album Three Chord Opera. Neil said this was a very personal album. It tells the story in songs of the average person.portraying regrets from the past and hopes for the future. All situations in the album are shared by all.

	Helen asked Neil how he handled fame. He replied that there were many pluses to it. He found it easy to get tickets to shows very quickly. It was also good to get seats easily in restaurants.
	However there was a heavy price to pay for all this fame. He had come to prize his privacy because it is so fleeting and elusive now.
	He gave an example of something that had happened a few days previously. Whilst walking along the street in New York he had seen a down and out sitting there. He dropped the man a dollar. To his surprise the man, who was hardly aware of his surroundings, looked up and said "Neil Diamond!"
	Neil could hardly believe that the man could recognise him. A crowd of people heard the man cry out "Neil Diamond" and came over to check this out. The biggest price to pay is that there are so many that know you.

Want to download a sound file of this interview? Visit Steve's Focus on Neil Diamond