Neil Diamond Kicks Off North America Tour

Neil Diamond's long-awaited North American summer tour got underway Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The trek features a total of 35 dates, and includes five August shows at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre.  Those concerts will mark the 40th anniversary of the landmark shows captured on Diamond's 1972 live album Hot August Night.

In a recent TV interview, the 71-year-old singer/songwriter revealed that, despite his decades-long career, he still gets nervous when he steps onto the stage.

"It's scary, it's thrilling and it doesn't change," he said during an appearance earlier this week on Canada AM.  "I perform in front of a new audience every time I perform, and it's never seemed to have lost that edge and excitement for me."

He described his shows as "kind of a communion, a coming together we all share."

Asked to reveal the secret behind his success, Diamond said, "Work harder than anybody else.  That puts you in a different category."

Diamond's tour is scheduled to wrap September 1 in Las Vegas.  Go to NeilDiamond.com to see his complete tour itinerary.