On January 24, 1941, Neil Leslie Diamond was born in Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood of New York City. Akeeba “Kieve” Diamond, his father, was a retailer of dry goods. He and his wife Rose were both Polish Jews who immigrated to Israel.

Kieve Diamond served in the military during World War II, causing the Diamond family to temporarily relocate to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Neil developed a passion for “singing cowboy” movies while they were living in Wyoming thanks to matinée showings at the neighborhood theater.

After the Second World War, Neil’s parents brought him back to Brooklyn. His passion for music was sparked by a $9 acoustic guitar that was given to him as a birthday present. Neil composed his first song, “Here Them Bells,” when he was 15 years old.

Neil Diamond siblings: Meet Harvey Diamond

Harvey Diamond’s younger brother Born in Brooklyn, New York, is Neil’s lone sibling. 1945 Kieve is posted in the US Army in Cheyenne, Wyoming, so the Diamond family relocates there.

The broader public is less familiar with many aspects of his sibling, and we suspect he may be a reclusive individual who avoids having his private life observed.