“Solitary Man: A Tribute to Neil Diamond featuring Will Chalmers" at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center -- June 21.
Saturday, June 21, 7 p.m.
Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa IA
Performing from a repertoire boasting everything from "Forever in Blue Jeans" to the crowd favorite "Sweet Caroline," a touring sensation brings his song celebration Solitary Man: A Tribute to Neil Diamond featuring Will Chalmers to Maquoketa on June 21, this special performance at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center electrifying audiences with the voice and relaxed stage presence that have captivated patrons across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Will Chalmers has been performing his tribute to Neil Diamond since 2002, and his tribute performance appeals to all ages as the artist gets the audience involved by encouraging them to clap and sing along. Chalmers' natural resemblance to Neil Diamond, along with his flawless replication of the pop legend's singing voice and outstanding stage presence, has been captivating audiences wherever he goes. The artist has traveled extensively with his band from the East Coast to Western Canada with many stops in the United States, Cayman Islands, Mexico, and Europe, as well as many venues in Ontario performing in theatres, casinos, convention centers, arenas, corporate events, and resorts.
To date, the 84-year-old Diamond has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had 10 chart-topping singles on Billboard's Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts: "Cracklin' Rosie," "Song Sung Blue," "Longfellow Serenade," "I've Been This Way Before," "If You Know What I Mean," "Desirée," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (Diamond's duet with Barbra Streisand), "America," "Yesterday's Songs," and "Heartlight," the latter inspired by Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In total, 38 songs by Diamond have been featured in the Top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, and his movie debut in 1980's The Jazz Singer earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and he received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 2011, he was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. In 2019, his 1969 signature song "Sweet Caroline" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," and Billboard ranked him as the 25th greatest artist of all time. Diamond is also the only musician to score a top 20 hit in each decade since the origin of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, and over a career spanning five decades, he has scored 16 top-10 albums on Billboard charts.
Solitary Man: A Tribute to Neil Diamond featuring Will Chalmers lands in Maquoketa on June 21, admission to the 7 p.m. concert event is $15-28, and more information and tickets are available by calling 563-652-9815 and visiting OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
