Jackman hosts as part of his limbering up to play Diamond in the movie Song Sung Blue
Hugh Jackman is swapping Wolverine claws for karaoke microphones in a new BBC special celebrating the music and life of Neil Diamond.
Neil Diamond At The BBC sees the Australian actor and singer presenting a selection of archive interviews with the legendary performer, drawn from BBC Radio shows including Steve Wright, Paul Gambaccini, Nicky Campbell and Gloria Hunniford.
Neil Diamond Press Publicity Cards, 1970s / MCA
The timing is no coincidence. Jackman, who describes the project as a “personal bucket list tick,” has been preparing for his role in Song Sung Blue, a biopic about a Neil Diamond interpreter chasing the American dream.
To understand Diamond, Jackman spent time with the singer and his family, singing karaoke around their dinner table and sharing insights into the man behind classics like Sweet Caroline, Cracklin’ Rosie and I Am… I Said.
In the BBC special, Diamond reflects on a career spanning the Brill Building era alongside Carole King and Neil Sedaka, duets with Barbra Streisand, and working with producer Rick Rubin late in his career.
He also touches on quieter, more human moments: school sports events, fast-food dinners with his kids, and the pressures of public performance.
Jackman, who calls Diamond “one of the top five live performers of all time,” says the experience gave him a rare glimpse into both the music and the man. “He just loved the story because he related to the musicians who keep doing it for the love of it,” Jackman said.
“Whether they become Oasis or Ed Sheeran is immaterial. The measure of success is just getting up and doing it.”
Neil Diamond Press Publicity Photos 1970s / MCA
A highlight of the special — and a charming anecdote Jackman is keen to share — involves what the Diamonds call the “so good” rule.
Any time someone at the family dinner says “so good,” two others must echo it: “so good, so good.” “Play that game at home,” Jackman jokes. “You’ll stop saying so good real fast.”
Jackman describes hosting the special as a career highlight, expressing pride in both Diamond’s enduring music and the chance to introduce a new audience to his work beyond the ubiquitous Sweet Caroline.
Listen to Neil Diamond At The BBC on BBC Sounds from Monday 15 December.
