08/06/2008 10:11:06
Neil Diamond's sick Australian girlfriend inspired much of the singer's hit new album HOME BEFORE DARK - because she was undergoing agonising back surgery as he was writing tunes.
The singer/songwriter reveals partner Rae Farley was struggling with a damaged
disc in her vertebra as he was penning tracks for what would be his first U.S.
and U.K. chart topper.
And her pain leaked into some of the tunes.
Diamond tells WENN, "My girl was going through a very difficult time after
surgery, and when the album was being written, she was in real trouble.
"I had a lot of conflicted feelings about trying to write music and create
beautiful things while someone that I loved was going through such a difficult
time. It was a low for me. It was a challenge, but somehow, through somebody
else's graces, I was able to get through it."
Farley's agony brought back painful memories for Diamond, who underwent back
surgery in 1979 to remove a benign tumour on his spinal column, which was slowly
paralysing him: "I have dealt with that for 30 years and it has limited my
ability to be physical."