For decades, Neil Diamond has been celebrated as one of the most gifted songwriters in American music — a man whose pen created timeless hits like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and “Song Sung Blue.” But few fans know that at the height of his fame, Diamond once found himself at the center of a storm — accused of plagiarism over one of his best-loved songs.
It happened in the late 1970s, during a period when every new Neil Diamond release was practically guaranteed to top the charts. His songwriting — emotional, poetic, and instantly memorable — had made him a household name. But success, as always, came with shadows.
A young songwriter at the time claimed that one of Diamond’s melodies sounded “suspiciously similar” to a lesser-known track he had written years earlier. The accusation quickly made headlines, with tabloids running sensational headlines about the “dark side” of Diamond’s creativity. Some critics even hinted that Neil’s massive success might have “come at the cost of originality.”
For a moment, it looked like a scandal was about to erupt. But Neil Diamond didn’t hire a flashy PR team, nor did he lash out in anger. Instead, he did something few expected: he invited the accuser to meet him in person.
According to those who were there, Diamond sat at the piano, played both songs side by side, and calmly said, “Music has only so many notes — but it’s how you feel them that makes a song yours.” The room fell silent. By the end of that meeting, the songwriter reportedly apologized and withdrew his claim.
Neil never spoke bitterly about the incident. When later asked about it in an interview, he simply said:
“When you’ve written for as long as I have, you realize music lives in all of us. Sometimes two hearts just find the same rhythm — that’s not theft, that’s connection.”
That quiet wisdom — humble, poetic, and unmistakably Neil Diamond — won back every doubter. Fans and fellow musicians praised the way he handled the moment: no outrage, no lawsuits, just music and grace.
In the years since, that brief controversy has faded into legend, remembered less as a scandal and more as a testament to Diamond’s character. His songs continue to echo across generations, untouched by cynicism, carrying the same sincerity that has always defined him.
Because for Neil Diamond, it was never about proving who was right — it was about letting the music speak for itself. And in the end, it did — more powerfully than any defense ever could.