Neil Diamond

His soundtrack to the film Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973) grossed more than the movie itself.

Screen-tested for the lead in the movie Lenny (1974), based on the life of famed comedian Lenny Bruce, but turned it down.

Suggested for the lead role in Taxi Driver (1976).

When he and Barbra Streisand had a smash hit in 1978 with "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", it was not the first time that the Brooklyn-born superstars had sung together. While students at New York City's Erasmus High School, they both sang in the school choir.

In 1981, his screen "acting" debut in The Jazz Singer (1980) beat out Kirk Douglas (Saturn 3 (1980)), Anthony Hopkins (A Change of Seasons (1980)), Richard Dreyfuss (The Competition (1980)), Michael Caine (The Island (1980)), Robert Blake (Coast to Coast (1980)) and four others to "win" the first-ever Worst Actor Razzie Award for 1980.

For his role in The Jazz Singer (1980), Diamond became the first ever "Winner" of a Worst Actor 'Razzie' Award.

His 1982 Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager-penned hit "Heartlight" was inspired by the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.

Originally denied Quentin Tarantino permission to use his hit song "Girl, You'll Be A Woman, Soon" for the famous scene in Pulp Fiction (1994) in which Uma Thurman lip syncs the words to the song. Diamond eventually relented after his agent assured him that Tarantino was an up and coming director.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2011. The other inductees were Darlene Love, Alice Cooper, Leon Russell, Tom Waits and Dr. John.

Winner of the inaugural Billboard Icon Award, from Billboard magazine. [2011]

Recipient of the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors, along with Barbara Cook, Yo-Yo Ma, Sonny Rollins, and Meryl Streep.