I’ll admit I felt nostalgic and sad when I first heard Neil Diamond will no longer be touring due to the complications of Parkinson’s disease.

I’ve never met the man nor interviewed him. Never seen him in concert. But his songs have been a part of my life for so long, as is true for millions of other Americans — and fortunately, with the click of a few buttons, I can play virtually any of them at a moment’s notice.

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“Song Sung Blue,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “America,” “Solitary Man” — these were all soundtracks for me at various points in my life, and they remain dear to my heart because of the times they bring me back to and help me recall with fondness and warmth.

The Brooklyn-born singer, in a statement earlier this week, said it has become “difficult [for him] to travel and perform on a large-scale basis,” because of his battle with Parkinson’s.

He also said, “I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come. My thanks goes 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,” he added, in a reference, of course, to lyrics from his still ultra-popular “Sweet Caroline.”

Now, at this year’s Grammy Awards, the singer, who just turned 77 this week, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to music and the entertainment industry.

Scores of people have tweeted their support for, and admiration of, Diamond these past few days. Among the comments:

  • “So much respect for Neil Diamond. Feel honored to have seen him live. Wishing him strength and good wishes.”
  • “Much love, Neil. You are a force of nature.”
  • “So sad to hear he has Parkinson’s.”
  • “After canceling his tour due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Neil Diamond fans started receiving their ticket refunds and donated their refunds to Parkinson’s research along with other causes like animal rescue groups and fire victim funds. Beautiful.”

Fellow musicians have also taken to social media to show support for Diamond and celebrate his long and influential career.

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Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. He’s sold 130 million albums worldwide (that’s all?). On top of that, on the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, Diamond has had 10 number-one singles over the course of his career, including “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Longfellow Serenade,” “Desirée,” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”

LifeZette will be covering the major developments at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night — follow us!

(photo credit, homepage image: Neil Diamond Acer Arena, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Eva Rinaldi; photo credit, article image: Neil Diamond – Glastonbury festivalCC BY-SA 2.0, by neal whitehouse piper)