Neil Diamond lives up to his name as one of the brightest shining stars in modern music. The New York City native started out as a songwriter at the legendary Brill Building, where his songs were successfully covered by acts like The Monkees and Elvis Presley. By the late-'60s, Diamond's own career as a performer took off with a string of hits including a memorable duet with Barbra Streisand. His live double album, Hot August Night, is still considered a pop classic, along with September Morn and the soundtrack to The Jazz Singer, in which he also starred.