It wasn’t just a medical decision. It was a promise—a promise he could never break.
On January 22, 2018, Neil Diamond announced his retirement from touring due to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The world mourned. Most believed health was the sole reason. But behind the curtain was a quieter, deeper truth—a vow he made to his daughter, Marjorie.
Marjorie – The Daughter He Once Let Down
A small moment, a lifelong ache
Marjorie, the youngest daughter of Neil and his second wife Marcia Murphey, graduated from high school in 2003. Her graduation ceremony clashed with a concert in Europe during Neil’s “World Affection” tour. He chose to perform. That night, Marjorie cried and told her mother: “Why am I never important enough for Dad?”
Neil said nothing, but he kept a photo of Marjorie in her graduation gown—pressed between the pages of his personal tour binder—for over 15 years.
“You’re the reason I stop.”
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Neil still went forward with his 50th Anniversary Tour. But just a few shows in, his right hand began to tremble visibly. Backstage in New Zealand, he pulled out the old photo and whispered: “This time, I won’t miss it.”
He canceled the rest of the tour—not only because of his health, but because he finally realized: this was his last chance to be a father the way he never was before.
In a rare interview, he said: “I missed what truly mattered. Marjorie forgave me long ago. I’m just learning to forgive myself.”
👉 Listen: “I Am… I Said” – Neil Diamond