Neil Diamond once said “songs are life in 80 words or less.”
The 72-year-old member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has shared a lot of his life in a lot of songs over a career that started in the 1960s and is still going strong. And that’s something that hasn’t been lost on Joey Purpura, a 39-year-old performer and impersonator based in Toronto.
Purpura has lived and breathed Neil Diamond since 2004, travelling across the country and parts of the Caribbean with his tribute show, Diamond in the Rough.
Purpura first became interested in Neil Diamond at a karaoke show.
“I’ve always been a very good mimic ever since I was a kid,” he said. “At a karaoke place, I heard someone do Neil Diamond, and I thought it was an interesting sound, so I did a song and got a great reaction. The reason I stuck with Neil Diamond is I found his lyrics are very good. He’s a storyteller. I think that’s what drew me to it, the storytelling and the melodies of his songs.”
The singer wasn’t on Purpura’s radar growing up, and so he really started from the ground up.
In 2002, Purpura began researching Diamond’s life, studying his every move, every song and the story behind the music. He found a Las Vegas-based designer able to replicate Diamond’s glittery costumes from the mid-70s.
To pay tribute to Diamond, Purpura did a lot of research about Diamond online, bought a biography and also watched a lot of videos and looked at a lot of photos to see how Diamond moves and to watch his facial expressions and re-create his wardrobe.
“By researching his life, not only do I sing his songs, but in between songs, I also weave highlights of his life,” said Purpura.
Purpura has been doing his Neil Diamond tribute show for almost a decade.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “He has a lot of fans. Basically, the people who come to my shows are Neil Diamond lovers. He seems to have a devout following. People who come to my shows say I sound just like him, and they say I take them back in time.”
Purpura’s two favourite songs to perform are “Shilo” and “September Morn.”
“I think it’s the lyrics,” he says of why these two are his favourites. “It’s the storytelling in the songs and the emotion he makes you feel. They’re emotionally packed songs.”
Purpura says he really enjoys performing Diamond in the Rough.
“I like seeing people happy, and it’s a thrill for me to see how people react and to see that I’m impacting them that way,” he said. “It’s a thrill and a way to entertain them and to recreate Neil Diamond because they’re such loyal fans and they’re so appreciative.”
Purpura performs his Neil Diamond tribute show Thursday, Aug. 22 at the Chemainus Legion. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door and can be picked up at the Legion lounge.
For more information, call the Chemainus Legion at 250-246-3133.
