Jason Scott brings Neil Diamond songs to life
By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor
Miriam Ostermann Photo
Scott, who shares a remarkable physical resemblance to the famous American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, took his show – Diamond Forever A Celebration of Neil Diamond – to Strathmore’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 10 on Saturday.
Since impersonating Neil Diamond for the first time in 1999, Scott has performed in front of huge crowds all over America including Walt Disney World and Las Vegas. The Toronto-born artist, who said he flies with Air Canada so many times he’s gained elite status, performs upwards of 30 shows a year. While he’s often intrigued by other music he comes across, it’s Neil Diamond’s songs that keep him performing.
“I’ll hear an artist on the air and I say, boy it would be great to do a bunch of their songs. Or there’s times when I’d like to put together a suit-and-tie show and go out and do some of the standards that my mom and dad used to like; sing some Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Sinatra,” Scott said.
“But Neil is the way that I make my living and the songs that he’s written over almost six decades are just so iconic. By the time I get to 35 or 40 shows a year, you start saying, ‘that’s a lot of shows, how many times can I do Neil songs?’ And then you’re on stage – and it even happened last night halfway through the (Strathmore) show – a little voice pops into my head right in the middle of a song and says, ‘so you having fun?’ And I go yeah, I really love doing this.”
Old family photos reveal Scott was already holding instruments at age three. Then at age five his mother heard his plea to learn the piano by bringing home an accordion. While it wasn’t as glamorous as he had envisioned, his days were spent practicing the instrument daily with lessons on Saturday. He made ripples when joining the Conservatory of Music in Toronto at the age of five, and graduating with first-degree honours at age 15. However, his eureka moment hit with the debut of the Beatles. He spent his 20s touring extensively with nightclubs and concert bands, and became a record label-signed recording artist, songwriter and performer in his 30s. His accolades include the first-ever Canadian international performer to receive the “Be a Legend” at the Celebrity Tribute Artist Competition as Neil Diamond in 2005, the Sunburst Convention of Celebrity Tribute Artists, “Best Platinum Showcase Award” in 2010, won second place at the “Second Annual Vegas Tribute Artist” in Las Vegas in 2011, and took home a Reel Award. His Las Vegas Show in 2012 also broke an attendance record.
In 2015, Scott became the only Canadian Neil Diamond performance artist to be cast in a feature length motion picture, Diamond Mountain, alongside 14 other multinational artists.
Scott’s been performing since 1979.
“You feel like a time-traveller; sometimes you go back and you stand in the same places, and here you are years later and people that I’ve played with have long passed on and here I am still standing and still playing,” Scott said.
“If you were part of those memories or that history and you go back years later, it’s a really wild sensation.”
Although his show is in high demand, Scott supports the Royal Canadian Legions across the country and tries to perform at as many as possible yearly. His grandfather, Cpl. George Prichard, was involved in four wars, including both world wars and the Korean War, before dying of old age on his porch in Toronto years later. While Scott had the option of fighting in the Vietnam War he chose music instead.
The legion’s Ways and Means and Entertainment Chair for 2018 Allan Auger booked Scott for the event following successful feedback at Scott’s performance last year. Auger confirmed that the legion is thinking about bringing Scott back next year.
Even though Scott is friends with five of Neil Diamond’s friends, including his music director, he has yet to meet the legend in person.
The Canadian artist hasn’t written any songs of production value since the late ’80s but continues to write his own songs. He lives in Cranbrook, B.C. with his wife and dogs.