Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Looking rugged and fit in a black suit and glittery embroidered shirt, Neil Diamond belted out ``America'' as 12,860 mostly middle-aged fans at New York's Madison Square Garden danced and sang along like a backup choir.

To my amazement, I was one of those fans at Diamond's sizzling two-hour show on Tuesday night.

When I was growing up in nearby Brooklyn in the 1970s, my Diamond-loving father played the pop singer's kitschy songs so often that my two siblings and I -- who preferred Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and the Bee Gees -- banned his music for a while.

Now, I found myself among the rapturous followers who have idolized the 67-year-old Diamond for decades or, like me, have grown to appreciate his catchy, heartfelt music and smooth performing style. Thanks, dad. (My father Carl, a retired Wall Street executive, is going to the show tonight and now happily plays Diamond's CDs without a peep from us.)

The crowd, filled with receding hairlines and expanding waists, responded with ecstasy to songs like ``Cracklin' Rosie,'' ``Holly Holy'' and ``I'm a Believer,'' which Diamond wrote and the Monkees recorded.

Diamond, whose 37-city North American tour ends Oct. 30 in Jacksonville, Florida, was clearly having fun with his 14-member band, which included four horn players decked out with matching purple vests and a trio of singers in black mini dresses. He strummed his guitar on a moving platform, playing to all sides of the stage, and sang in a strong, gravelly baritone.

Sing-Alongs

He performed a few songs from his latest work, ``Home Before Dark,'' which showed his quieter, more solitary side. The audience politely applauded, but they wanted the hits.

Diamond didn't disappoint. The songs about love, loss and finding yourself kept coming, from ``I Am, I Said'' to ``Love on the Rocks.''

``Sweet Caroline'' became a sing-along as audience members swayed their arms from side to side. Others tapped their feet in their seats and clapped along to hits such as ``Song Sung Blue'' and the raucous ``Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show.''

In his heyday, Diamond was sometimes ridiculed for being too schmaltzy. With a couple of exceptions, he steered clear of sentimentality at the Garden.

One slightly maudlin moment came during ``You Don't Bring Me Flowers,'' when Diamond sat at a table with a single rose and a glass of wine while performing the duet with backup singer Linda Press.

During ``Brooklyn Roads'' -- Diamond was born and raised in the borough ``before it was hip,'' he told the crowd -- black- and-white videos and still photos from the singer's childhood were projected on the two large screens. It might sound sappy, but it seemed fitting.

Before the concert, Brooklyn native Dale Schreiber sat at Mustang Harry's bar near the Garden and talked about growing up with Diamond's music.

``My parents loved him, so it's very nostalgic for me,'' said Schreiber, 45, who now lives in Dix Hills, Long Island. ``It brings back warm, fuzzy Brooklyn feelings.''

My thoughts, exactly.

Neil Diamond plays at Madison Square Garden tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night. Information and tickets: http://www.thegarden.com.

His tour continues with stops in Pittsburgh on Aug. 18; Albany, New York, on Aug. 20; and Boston on Aug. 23. Information: http://www.neildiamond.com.

(Mary Romano is an editor for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer responsible for this story: Mary Romano in New York at mromano6@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 14, 2008 00:01 EDT