Neil Diamond is a name that instantly brings to mind iconic songs like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and “America.” His deep voice and emotionally charged lyrics have made him one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of the 20th century. But behind the fame, the sold-out concerts, and the glittering stage lights lies a quieter, more surprising truth: Neil Diamond has long had a personal obsession that fans rarely hear about—and it has nothing to do with music.
That passion? Stone carving and sculpture.
Yes, the man whose lyrics moved millions also finds peace and purpose in chiseling rock.
Diamond first discovered this hidden hobby in the late 1980s during a break from touring. After years of high-pressure performances and intense songwriting sessions, he was looking for something meditative, something that would bring him back to himself. He tried painting and gardening but found a unique connection with stone when he visited a sculptor friend’s studio in California.
The process fascinated him—the way raw stone could become something expressive and permanent, shaped not by words or melody but by the slow, deliberate rhythm of the hammer and chisel. For someone whose life had been defined by sound, the silence of sculpting was revolutionary.
Over the years, Neil Diamond began to practice the craft more seriously. He built a small studio on his property, complete with ventilation, proper tools, and large blocks of limestone and soapstone. He never intended to showcase his work publicly; this was for himself, a personal ritual that kept him grounded. Friends describe his sculptures as abstract but deeply emotional—“shapes that sing without sound,” one friend once said.
He often works in the early morning, before breakfast. It’s a time of solitude and clarity for him. In interviews, Diamond once hinted that he saw sculpting as “writing without language”—a way of shaping feelings with his hands rather than his voice. The same emotional thread that runs through his lyrics can be found in the curves and edges of his stonework.
While his sculptures are rarely shown to the public, a few pieces have been gifted to close friends or quietly donated to charity auctions. One such sculpture reportedly sits in the garden of a hospital in Los Angeles—a smooth, wave-like formation titled “Stillness.”
This hobby has also helped Neil cope with challenges in his later years, including his Parkinson’s diagnosis. The slow, intentional pace of sculpting allows him to focus, meditate, and stay physically engaged without overwhelming demands. In many ways, it has become not just a passion but a form of therapy.
It may seem unexpected that someone so deeply connected to sound would turn to stone, but perhaps that’s the point. Neil Diamond has always chased depth and meaning—whether in lyrics or in life. His love of sculpting reveals a side of him few fans ever get to see: the quiet, patient artist who doesn’t need a stage to feel whole.
As he once said, “Music is what I give to the world. Stone is what I give back to myself.”