Neil Diamond Surprises Hugh Jackman with a Signed Guitar Following the Release of Song Sung Blue
Hugh Jackman; Neil Diamond.
Credit:
thehughjackman/Instagram (2)
Neil Diamond Surprises Hugh Jackman with Signed Guitar
Neil Diamond delighted Hugh Jackman with a signed guitar as a gift, coinciding with the release of Jackman’s latest film, Song Sung Blue. In the film, Jackman stars as one half of the tribute band Lightning and Thunder, dedicated to the iconic songs of Diamond.
In an enchanting moment shared on social media, Jackman, 57, posted a video on Instagram of himself unwrapping the surprise gift. Overwhelmed with joy, he clutched the guitar closely and expressed his excitement to the camera.
“Oh my. That’s from Neil Diamond?” Jackman exclaimed, thanking the legendary musician for the thoughtful gesture.
In his caption, Jackman characterized the guitar as “one of the most awesome gifts I’ve ever received,” affirming his intention to “cherish [it] forever.” He accompanied the post with a photo of Diamond, 84, holding the signed instrument, which was inscribed with the message, “Hugh, Keep rockin’! Your friend, Neil Diamond.”
Currently, Jackman plays Mike Sardina in Song Sung Blue, a narrative centered around his character and his wife, Claire, as they perform as the tribute duo Lightning and Thunder, who rose to prominence in the mid-1990s.
Though the film is inspired by a 2008 documentary and does not focus directly on Diamond, his music serves as a pivotal element throughout.
Craig Brewer, the writer and director of Song Sung Blue, revealed that Diamond attended a screening of the film and responded enthusiastically. “I was told from his people that they were surprised to see just how enthusiastic he started to get with it, that he was tapping his foot, that he would applaud after each music number, and that he cried,” Brewer noted. “He went up to the projectionist, or the person [who] was running the screening, and when they introduced themselves to him, he said, ‘Okay, well, when’s the next screening? Can we watch it again?’”
Brewer expressed his delight at Diamond’s positive reaction. “I just hope he knows how incredibly relevant his contribution to songwriting is,” he added, highlighting the profound impact of Diamond’s music. “Those songs are beautiful, and yeah, he’s a performer, but he’s a writer. He wrote these, he thought them, he felt them in his soul, and then he created them.”
In recent months, Diamond and Jackman have formed a friendship. At the film’s premiere in December, Jackman disclosed that he had even enjoyed a sleepover at Diamond’s home in Colorado, which included a karaoke session.
“He’s never given his catalog to a movie. He just gave it carte blanche. He just loved everything about Mike and Claire’s story,” Jackman remarked. “So I took the opportunity on that phone call to invite myself over for a cup of tea. And Neil’s like, ‘Okay.’ And he’s like, ‘Uh, we live in Colorado—.’ ‘Yeah, no problem.’ ‘So you wanna stay the night?’ ‘Great. That’d be great.’”
