NEIL DIAMOND TAKES HIS GREATEST HITS ON THE ROAD IN

HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED 2012 NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR

"THE VERY BEST OF NEIL DIAMOND" THE ORIGINAL STUDIO RECORDINGS Set for Release December 6th

Los Angeles, CA (November 22, 2011) - Rock and Pop Icon Neil Diamond, a 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and 2011 Kennedy Center Honoree, will take his greatest hits on the road on a much-anticipated North American tour kicking off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 1st and closing in Las Vegas on September 1st. The 2012 tour will feature all of Neil Diamond's classic favorites. The majority of markets will be on sale to the public beginning at 10:00AM on Monday, December 5th and all Canadian dates will be on sale on Monday, December 12th at 10:00AM. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster.com, LiveNation.com, NeilDiamond.com and local box offices.

In 2012 Neil Diamond will perform in select venues for the first time, including the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York on June 8th. He will return to the DTE Energy Music Theater in Detroit, Michigan for his first time in nearly 20 years. VIP Packages will also be available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit: www.VIPNation.com

In addition, Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings recently announced that he will release THE VERY BEST OF NEIL DIAMOND - THE ORIGINAL STUDIO RECORDINGS on December 6th. The album will feature 23 of the most popular hits and signature tracks from America's quintessential singer-songwriter. This is the first Neil Diamond collection to draw from the artist's complete studio discography and includes tracks such as "Forever In Blue Jeans." "Cherry, Cherry," "Sweet Caroline," "I'm A Believer," "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "Red, Red Wine," "America" and many more.

Diamond will make a string of high profile media appearances in addition to being a Kennedy Center Honoree on December 27th. He will also perform at the 85th Anniversary Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Today Show, NBC's Tree Lighting at Rockefeller and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

ABOUT NEIL DIAMOND Across a musical career spanning nearly five decades, Neil Diamond has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, with a remarkable track record of 16 Top Ten albums, and 37 Top Ten singles. A Grammy Award-winning artist, Neil Diamond has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriter's Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Among Diamond's many other honors, he has received a Golden Globe Award, 12 Grammy nominations and was named the 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year.