Even global superstars have moments that remind them fame doesn’t always open every door — or in this case, keep them inside a taxi. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond once shared a story so absurd and endearing that fans still laugh about it decades later: he was kicked out of a cab because the driver refused to believe he was actually Neil Diamond.
The incident took place in New York City sometime in the late 1970s, when Diamond was at the peak of his fame with hits like “Sweet Caroline” and “Forever in Blue Jeans.” He had just finished a recording session and decided to hail a cab instead of using his chauffeur — a rare attempt to “blend in” with ordinary life, as he later put it.
According to Diamond, he climbed into the backseat and gave the driver an address in Midtown. The driver, making small talk, soon asked what he did for a living. “I told him I was a musician,” Diamond recalled in an old interview with Rolling Stone. “He asked if he’d know any of my songs, and I said, ‘Maybe. I’m Neil Diamond.’”
The cabbie wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, sure, buddy,” the driver allegedly shot back. “And I’m Elvis Presley.”
Amused, Diamond tried to prove his identity. “I started singing Sweet Caroline right there in the backseat,” he said, laughing. “He turned around, gave me this look, and said, ‘You sound nothing like him.’ Then he pulled over and told me to get out.”
Still chuckling, Diamond stepped out of the cab in the middle of a busy Manhattan street. “I paid the fare, of course,” he said. “I didn’t want to ruin his night. I just figured — somewhere down the line, he’s going to realize what happened and laugh too.”
The story became a fan favorite, not only because it’s hilarious but because it perfectly captures Neil Diamond’s humility and good humor. Despite selling over 130 million records and filling stadiums worldwide, he never took himself too seriously.
“I guess that’s the price of trying to be normal,” Diamond later joked. “Sometimes, you get treated like a normal guy — even when you’re not.”
The moment has since taken on a life of its own, retold by fans and radio hosts as one of the most charming “only-in-New-York” tales in music history. And if you ever find yourself in a Manhattan taxi humming “Sweet Caroline,” you might just wonder — was that the same driver who once kicked out Neil Diamond himself?