Curiously, Bob Dylan is not the only Jewish American singer and songwriter over the age of 60 who is enjoying a late career resurgence, hitting number one on album charts all over the place and wowing live audiences with new material.

The other one is, of-course, Neil Diamond, who seems to be everywhere right now. He is in fact exactly the same age as Dylan (sixty-seven) and his new album Home Before Dark entered the charts at number one in both the U.S. and Britain.

I haven’t heard when his XM Satellite Radio show will be starting, but it has to be soon.

Diamond has no doubt been considered a lot more uncool than cool through most of his career by the designated arbiters of coolness. His position on the coolness meter was helped by the fact that he co-wrote Dry Your Eyes with Robbie Robertson, and performed it with the Band in “The Last Waltz,” but that was not enough to offset myriad other sins (click here to go to YouTube and see him in full superhero regalia singing Play Me with Shirley Bassey).

However, through it all, Neil Diamond always seems to have held on to the genuine heart at the basis of his songs, and producer Rick Rubin has lately helped him capture his essence to great effect in the studio.

There are clips on YouTube from a live TV special that aired a few days ago in Britain. He kicks off the show with Coming to America.

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I joked too soon about the radio show. It’s not on XM, but on Sirius Satellite Radio. Neil Diamond has one-upped Bob by having not only his own show, but his own channel too.

To celebrate the channel’s extended two-week run, Neil Diamond will guest host his own show on Neil Diamond Radio, personally selecting music by recording artists playing unique renditions of songs he wrote, such as UB40’s reggae version of “Red, Red Wine” and Frank Sinatra singing “Sweet Caroline.” Diamond will also share stories behind his new album, Home Before Dark, for SIRIUS listeners.

“Neil Diamond Hosts On Neil Diamond Radio” will air on SIRIUS channel 3, Friday, May 16th at 5 pm and 9 pm. Encore broadcasts will air Saturday, May 17th at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm and Sunday, May 18th at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm (all times Eastern).

Neil Diamond Radio will continue to feature non-stop Neil Diamond music, interviews and stories from a career spanning four decades, including his new Rick Rubin-produced album, Home Before Dark, which debuted this week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

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