They wheeled him out slowly, and in that instant the arena stopped breathing. Neil Diamond, silver hair glowing beneath the lights, sat fragile in his chair — but at his side, Barbra Streisand gripped his hand, and Barry Manilow wiped his eyes before taking his place at the piano. What followed was no concert but a living farewell. When Neil’s weary baritone met Barbra’s crystalline voice on You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, the song transformed into a prayer, every word soaked in decades of love and loss. Barry whispered to the crowd, “This is the bravest performance of all,” and thousands wept openly as Neil raised a trembling hand to lead them through Sweet Caroline
The spotlight fell gently on Neil Diamond, his familiar silhouette seated in a wheelchair at the center of the stage.…