Diamond is planning a North American tour to support the album next year, and he’s also planning to marry his love, Katie McNeil.
Diamond said 2011 has “definitely been one of the best years ever.’’
Still soaring from the Kennedy Center celebration, he talked with The Associated Press about his new bride and his banner year.
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AP: What were the Kennedy Center Honors like? (The ceremony will air as a special on CBS on Dec. 27.)
Diamond: It was like a fairy tale, really, because the White House is really done up for Christmas and I got the chance to bring my kids with me and three of my older grandkids, who all had the chance to say hello to the President and Mrs. Obama, and they were of course thrilled. That was, to me, the best part of it — being able to share it with them. It was a grueling gauntlet of praise and adulation and I’m going to have to work extra hard on this upcoming tour to feel as though I deserve it.
AP: What inspired you to release a career-spanning collection?
Diamond: I don’t think I’ve ever had the original studio recordings of these songs all together on one disc. … It’s like a Fellini party for me. I know all the names and places. I have recollections about each of these songs, I was able to write them down and include them in the little booklet that comes with the CD, and it was like old home week for me. … It was all the warm things that you would expect when you make a connection to something from your past that’s very pure and direct and unaltered. That’s what this entire album is all about and I love it for that reason.
AP: You announced that your 2012 tour will feature your classic hits. How do you bring energy to these songs you’ve performed thousands of times?
