Thousands of fans were disappointed when Neil Diamond cancelled his March concerts in Australia and New Zealand after announcing a retirement from touring. On a positive note, the tickets were refunded in full and a lot of the money was put to good use.
Diamond’s wife and manager, Katie, took to Twitter to express her gratitude for the fans who donated their refunds to Parkinson’s research, animal rescue groups and victim funds among other charities. “My heart is so full of joy to see this silver lining. Faith in humanity = restored,” she wrote.
Wow, I’ve received a bunch of messages from people in Aus & NZ who are donating their ticket refunds to good causes: Parkinson’s research, animal rescue groups, fire victim funds, etc. My heart is so full of joy to see this silver lining. Faith in humanity = restored. Thank you!
— Katie Diamond (@KatieMcDiamond) January 23, 2018
The iconic singer-songwriter himself responded to the tweet, mirroring his wife’s sentiments. “This makes me smile,” he said. “Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. It makes a difference.”
This makes me smile. Thank you. Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. It makes a difference. https://t.co/TLZAa69q1B
— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) January 23, 2018
Diamond was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and decided to stop touring due to his doctor’s advice. He said that he will, however, continue to write and record songs.