Neil Diamond, Solitary Star

A well-off young man whose father owned a jewelry store in Brooklyn, quiet, soft-spoken Neil Diamond started writing songs as a teenager. Not a good singerhe often talked over the melody and found it very difficult to sing other people's songs in tunethis insecure, introverted tunesmith acquired a flair for showmanship and notoriety, became a maker of hit records, a superstar on TV, Broadway and the concert circuit, and eventually the composer and lead actor in a remake of The Jazz Singer. Based on over 100 interviews (but none with Diamond himself), this chatty biography follows the career of a pop star who, we're told, still regards himself as ""just a scared Jewish boy wondering what will happen next.'' Photos not seen by PW. (June)