"For you," he proudly said as he handed over a shrink wrapped audio cassette tape.
Holy cow, Neil Diamond's 20 Golden Greats!
There's our man clutching the microphone, his right arm raised up to the heavens like some TV evangelist!
I said "What?"
Back then, I considered the guy a "baduy" crooner who appealed mostly to bored housewives and widows a la Barry Manilow.
That awful duet of his with Barbra Streisand? It still makes me cringe after all these years.
But I have to admit, the guy's a born showman. Like Elvis, he's got that deep baritone, sideburns, jumpsuits and flair for the dramatics. No wonder dad dug him instantly.
My favorite Neil Diamond tune? If you've seen Pulp Fiction, you'll know it right away.
