Hugh Sheridan has been listening to Neil Diamond's music since before he could speak.
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The television and theatre star even has a family video of him singing Crunchy Granola Suite. Or at least trying to. When you're first learning how to speak, "crunchy granola suite" is not the easiest thing to say.
"I mean, it is a weird name," Sheridan laughs. "But I just used to love dancing around to it. I didn't even know what it was or anything."
Now it's the opening track of Sheridan's latest project, Solitary Man.
![Hugh Sheridan brings Solitary Man, a night of Neil Diamond Music, to Canberra this month. Picture supplied Hugh Sheridan brings Solitary Man, a night of Neil Diamond Music, to Canberra this month. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/af222a7a-3e54-41ae-8519-c6d1d3de3086.jpg/r0_873_6342_4641_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The show - which was set to have its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House before a last-minute Canberra Theatre addition took that honour - is a chance to celebrate Diamond's music, without Sheridan actually trying to impersonate him.
The performance will balance some of the classics from the album Hot August Night including Sweet Caroline, Holy Holly and Song Sung Blue, with some of Diamond's reflective love ballads like Love on The Rocks. Other Diamond tunes such as I'm a Believer (made famous by The Monkees), Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon, and Red Red Wine (made famous by UB40) will also be featured.
It's incredible when you sit back and look at how many songs Diamond wrote throughout his career. And for Sheridan, this entire process has been Neil Diamond 101 and a chance to fall in love with the singer's catalogue.
![Neil Diamond performing in 1974. Picture Getty Images Neil Diamond performing in 1974. Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/890bb9f8-434f-46d7-a008-365a379bce79.jpg/r0_0_2868_1892_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I remember growing up hearing a bit of him, but I've certainly fallen in love with his music through exploring it for the show," he says.
"Some of his love songs are the most beautiful songs I've ever heard and they've had a huge impact.
"So I'm looking forward to sharing all this music because I think that they're just going to love it as well. I can't see how you can't."
And Sheridan has a point. Diamond has been hugely successful in Australia. Estimated per capita, he is more popular here than in any other place in the world.
His 1972 double concert album, Hot August Night, was nothing short of a phenomenon, spending 224 weeks (aka more than four years) on the Australian charts. Twenty-nine of those weeks were at number 1. And the album is thought to be part of the musical collection of one in five Australian homes.
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"His music brilliant - hit after hit after hit. And it varies so much. His music changes so much from song to song," Sheridan says.
And like all musicians - or at least the good ones - Diamond has provided a soundtrack to millions of people's lives. It's something Sheridan wants to include in the show, with the performer spending his time in the lead-up to the show collecting people's Diamond stories.
![Hugh Sheridan brings Solitary Man, a night of Neil Diamond Music, to Canberra this month. Picture supplied Hugh Sheridan brings Solitary Man, a night of Neil Diamond Music, to Canberra this month. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/79f8dc77-479b-4389-9364-4c48b20b7daa.jpg/r0_648_2182_1913_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think one of the things about music is that it relates to people in different ways," he says.
"You might hear a song and it might remind you of your first kiss, or it might remind you of being in the car when your mum and dad were driving you on a holiday or something like that - we have memories that are triggered by songs just like smells, and the other senses.
"But I think songs and in particular for someone like Neil Diamond, because his music spans so many generations, people would have very, very different interpretations and memories of the songs."
Hugh Sheridan brings Solitary Man to Canberra Theatre Centre on October 19. For tickets go to canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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