What people are saying about Bobby Bruce as Nearly Neil...

TURLOCK CITY NEWS - Sunday, 10 January , 2010

"Whether you have the good fortune to see him live in concert or to celebrate the voice and legacy of Neil Diamond in a tribute concert, you know what they say... Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. On January 18, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., the Turlock Concert Association will present Nearly Neil & The Solitary Band, a tribute to one of pop music’s most enduring and successful singer-songwriters, Neil Diamond. Bobby Bruce takes on the monumental task of recreating the magic of a music legend in his heyday.

Remarkably, he captures the phrasing, style, image, and stage presence of one of the music industries most enduring voices. Bruce is not alone in this endeavor. He is backed up by a host of talented musicians who form the core of The Solitary Band. Together, Nearly Neil & The Solitary Band concentrate their tribute on the young and exciting times of Neil Diamond’s early days, focusing on his rise to fame in the mid-sixties through his historic Jazz Singer album.

Referring to Bruce’s portrayal of Diamond the Canadian Press writes, “Bobby Bruce does Neil Diamond maybe better than the original.” Loyal followers of Diamond will find in Bruce’s performance all of the depth, style and sophistication that won over millions of fans with songs like America, Cherry, Cherry, Love on the Rocks, I’m a Believer, Solitary Man, Kentucky Woman, Forever in Bluejeans, Sweet Caroline, Holly Holy, 'Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, and I Am...I Said. These songs like so many penned and sung by Diamond provided the background music for a generation of baby-boomers, coming of age. Bruce knows this and has spent the last fifteen years perfecting his performance and astounding appreciative audiences in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia. What Nearly Neil & The Solitary Band delivers best in its travels from Brooklyn to Bangkok is a dynamic and passionate tribute to Neil Diamond. "

"We saw the performance of Bobby Bruce at the State Theater on Jan. 16, 2010 and we were delighted with the evening. Bobby Bruce has a wonderful voice and stage presence that made it very enjoyable The band was very accomplished and everyone seemed to have a good time. Looking forward to seeing this group back at the State Theater in Oroville"- Mr. & Mrs. R. L. Cardinal, Jan 2010, L.O.S Tour

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ANDERSON VALLEY POST - BY: George L. Winship - JAN 26, 201

'Nearly Neil' is a polished Diamond in performance

As a stage performer, Bobby "Nearly Neil" Bruce is no Diamond in the rough.

I caught his Jan. 20 tribute show to the early days of Neil Diamond at the Convention Center in Redding and now I'm a believer.

To complete my conversion from skeptic to fan, Bruce even sang The Monkees ballad, "I'm a Believer," composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966, near the end of a 21-song set that easily spanned two hours but covered two decades of Neil Diamond's more than 40-year career.

Backed by the superb musicianship of the Solitary Band, Bruce belted out one Neil Diamond hit after another from "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Kentucky Woman" to "Cherry Cherry" and "Sweet Caroline." He covered "America," "Holly Holy," "Solitary Man" and "Song Sung Blue."

Bruce got the northern California audience clapping along by his second number, "Forever in Blue Jeans," which he followed up with Diamond's soft ballad, "Play Me," which was eerily right on the mark as a sound-alike for the music legend that he portrays so effortlessly.

A native of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a suburb on the eastern edge of Vancouver, the 40-year-old Bruce said he cut his musical teeth on Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" album that his parents played endlessly on the family's 8-track player while driving too and from their summer lake cabin vacations.

"Let that be a lesson to all of you parents out there," Bruce joked from the stage. "Please be careful what music you play your children or they may end up like me."

A charismatic performer who seemingly can do it all - besides being a singer he has been an actor, a writer and a painter - Bruce began his professional career on stage at the age of 11.

By age 25, while competing in a karaoke contest in Toronto, Bruce was discovered by an Elvis impersonator who caught him singing Glenn Campbell's ubiquitous "Rhinestone Cowboy," a song actually composed by Brooklyn-born songwriter Larry Weiss, who grew up in the shadows of Broadway with the likes of Neil Diamond and Tony Orlando.

"Neil Diamond never recorded 'Rhinestone Cowboy,' but he sure could have," noted Bruce, who sprinkled his on-stage patter with nuggets of information about the artist he so lovingly portrays.

By the fourth song - Diamond's first hit tune - "Solitary Man" from his first recording for Bang Records in 1966, Bruce was talking up and introducing members of his tribute backup musicians collectively known as "Solitary Band."

Jeremy Scott filled in for Dave Corman on lead guitar, Craig Zurba played keyboards and some guitar, Kyle Radomsky played drum. And Marlow Holder played bass.

However, it was the power and purity of Bruce's voice that convinced me this was no ordinary MockStar.

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BASKERFIELD EXPRESS NEWSPAPER - By Beverley E. Park

"He wasn’t quite Neil Diamond, but Bobby Bruce’s “Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band” certainly presented an entertaining tribute to the artist’s 40-plus years of songwriting and performing at the Rabobank Theater Jan. 14. The show was part of the ongoing season hosted by the Bakersfield Community Concert Association.

The evening opened with Diamond’s first American No. 1 hit, “Cracklin’ Rosie.” This song has an interesting background. Cracklin’ Rose is actually a bottle of wine. The idea was born from a folk story of an Indian tribe with more men than women. When the guys all took their girls out for the weekend, those without girls took their Rose in a bottle, thus the birth of Neil’s idea. As with many of Neil’s songs, there are interesting stories behind the words.

Bruce shared the spotlight with his band members as he sang each selection, often including his own talents on the rhythm guitar. “Play Me,’ a beautiful love song describing the development of the singer’s relationship with a new lover from its inception through its maturity, featured Dave Corman on the guitar. The chorus of “Play Me” celebrates how people complement each other to complete each other.

“Love on the Rocks,” written for the soundtrack of “The Jazz Singer,” was originally titled “Scotch on the Rocks” and had a reggae feeling. However, after writing the lyrics, Diamond felt the words led to a need for a ballad and the title was changed. Craig Zurba on the keyboard transformed the ballad into a memorable rendition.

A wonderful musician and showman, the drummer and band leader Kyle Radomsky gave a nice background beat and yet, at just the right time, he tool center stage and livened the scene with his ability and humor.

Bruce involved the audience with clapping and singing along, and even invited two women in the audience to join him on stage for “Song Sung Blue.” As a tribute to Buck Owens, Bruce sang “Kentucky Woman.” Most of the songs on the program were written by Diamond, with a few written by others and made popular by Diamond’s vocal talents.

A great asset to the group is the newest member, Marlow Holder, on bass guitar. Holder gave each song an added depth that would have been missing without him. His sparkling personality and youth gave the group the perfect lift and his solo performance was outstanding. The show included many other Diamond favorites, including “Holly Holy,” “Solitary Man” and “Forever in Blue Jeans.” And, of course, no Neil Diamond tribute would be complete without closing with “Sweet Caroline.”

"That was the best performance my husband and I have seen in a
while. Bobby Bruce has a wonderful voice and a good stage presence. Theband was very accomplished and they all seemed to have a good time andenjoyed what they were doing." - Oroville,Ca, L.O.S Tour Jan 2010

Payson Review Jan 20, 2010

TCCA hosts “dead-on” Neil Diamond tribute? -After a lengthy break for the holidays, The Tonto Community Concert Association (TCCA) ramps up the 2010 leg of its 31st season with Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band. TCCA ticket holders will join the energetic group to celebrate the music of Neil Diamond at the Payson High School auditorium at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29, 2010.

For nearly 16 years, Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band have been thrilling thousands of screaming concertgoers with Bobby Bruce’s tribute to the popular hit artist Neil Diamond. Now the TCCA is bringing the popular show to Rim Country as part of their annual concert series. In 1994, a legendary path was set in motion when Vancouver-born Bruce won a talent show with his incomparable impersonation of Neil Diamond. Since then, Bruce has never looked back, playing throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Past performances have included Legends in Concert in Las Vegas and Australia, and a crowd of 30,000 in Calgary. Audiences and critics alike are amazed with Bobby Bruce and the Solitary Band’s “Nearly Neil”.

According to the Canadian Press, “Bobby Bruce does Neil Diamond maybe better than the original.” His work has earned him the Entertainer of the Year award in 2006 at the Pacific National Exhibition.

Nearly Neil and Solitary Band keeps Bruce on the road year round.

http://www.flyingshingle.com/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=20090813563865122822

THE KEARNEY HUB - DECEMBER 31, 2009 - By RICK BROWN

Bobby Bruce considers himself an actor first. Performing the music and adopting the persona of Neil Diamond came as an afterthought, after years of doing musical theater and musical reviews.

“The music of Neil Diamond was my parents’ music,” Bruce said. “I grew up with it in the background of my life.”

The importance of that music has changed some of Bruce’s priorities. Bruce, along with the Solitary Band, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at The Tassel in Holdrege.

Bruce started his musical journey working in dinner theater in British Columbia.

“We were doing a show that was sort of a vaudeville-style show, almost like ‘Benny Hill’ put to music,” he said. “For one part of the show the owner wanted us to impersonate different celebrities. I had picked Tom Jones.”

Somebody in the cast asked if Tom Jones sang “Sweet Caroline.”

“For the first time I opened my mouth and went, ‘No, no, that’s Neil Diamond,’” Bruce said.

He sang a phrase of Diamond’s hit and it was clear to everyone who Bruce should impersonate.

“So it was a party trick for a couple of years,” he said. “I was actually discovered by an Elvis impersonator when I was singing at a karaoke contest. I was invited to be in a Legends show and the rest was history. It became a full-time job after several years.”

Bruce, 41, has recently embraced his own music.

“I was an actor and a musical theater performer more than I was an original artist,” he said. “During the show I don’t pretend to be Neil Diamond. I actually say, ‘Hi, I’m Bobby Bruce.’ I dress like him and I do the arrangements similar to him, but I really say I’m the host of this Neil Diamond party.”

After years of performing Diamond’s songs, Bruce realized the power of the music.

“During the concert I share a lot of my personal memories of growing up with Neil’s music,” Bruce said. “Through it all I’ve become a fan. I’ve also come to realize, as a performer and an actor, Neil has a great vehicle. He’s personally written these songs from the heart.”

The dramatic nature of Diamond’s music has inspired Bruce’s own compositions.

“It’s all sort of weirdly come full circle,” he said. “Originally I was attracted by a kitsch factor and then by the drama of Neil’s life in music.”

As a teenager Bruce listened to the heavy metal music of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. He was also influenced by the ballads of Elton John and Billy Joel.

Performing the music of Diamond has taken Bruce to the far corners of the world, including Australia and New Zealand.

“They really love Neil Diamond,” he said. “’Hot August Night’ was in the top five albums sold in the country for four years from 1972-76. That made him kind of an icon like Elvis.”

Bruce originally went on tour with a Legends show featuring five other impersonators who performed the music of Tina Turner, Elvis, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly.

“I went from being one of the people in the show to being the closer of the show,” Bruce said. “It turned itself into something much bigger than I thought.”

As far as meeting the real Neil Diamond, Bruce said he has no burning desire to do that.

“I’ve never tried to meet with him,” Bruce noted. “I’ve often thought that if the roles were reversed, I would probably not want to be chased down by everybody who did this. I can respect that and if I ever get a chance to meet him it won’t be because of me running after him.”

Having recently performed in Bosnia, New Zealand, as well as for the King and Queen of Malaysia, Bruce is proof that Diamond's music continues to have life of its own.

At 35, Bruce has been performing favourites like Holly Holy, Sweet Caroline, and He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother, for over 10 years.After hearing Diamond's pinnacle album, Hot August Night, he was hooked."At that point, I realized he was more than just a lounge singer, and he was more of a folk-rock hero."

Audience response to the show around the world has been overwhelming.Bruce continues to be surprised by Diamond's original fans, as well as the emerging trend of teens who are drawn to the music.As an added bonus, Bruce has developed a following of his own.

As a child actor, Bruce appeared in national commercials and landed a role in the Canadian series, The Beachcombers, when he was just 10.From there he went into musical theatre, and later began displaying his talent for impersonation.When Bruce is not Neil, he tours with another show, The Shagadelic Swingers, where he plays Austin Powers, Tom Jones, Ozzie Osborne and even Cher.

To master Diamond's style, Bruce studied videos which spanned most of the icon's career.He stressed that he does not try to copy a specific performance, but rather creates his own experience by including personal anecdotes, within the framework of Neil Diamond.

Bruce noted there are only about a dozen other performers who also pay tribute to Diamond on a full-time basis.

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Click here - Read a review from BlackTown Sun in Australia.

Click here - Read a review of Nearly Neil Show at the Harmony Arts Festival August 2009

"Saw this great artist at Bankstown Sports Club, Australia last night, Friday 14th August, 2009 - FANTASTIC. Based on my YouTube viewing got your CD from your wife as I arrived. This guy worked himself into a lather of perspiration to give the audience the BEST Night of entertainment! A great man.Thank you soooooo... much" - Kevin & Dot Watts (Australia Tour August 2009)

“Neil Diamond had better be wary he ever comes to town. Bobby Bruce is a hard act to follow. The Canadian impersonator not only mimics the great Neil Diamond to a tee but also implants some of his own pizzazz and style, a combination so clever and disarming that it brought the house down. Bruce, in rhine-stoned dress trousers, and a white, beaded fringe shirt, achieves the essence of Diamond’s raspy stridency in such favourites as Solitary Man, Cracklin’ Rosie, and I Am I Said. But it is the passion and energy of his performance, his connection with the audience and his infections warmth which sets him in a league of his own.”
Samela Harris. Adelaide Advertiser, Australia, 24 September 1996

“I have to say this is one of the most fun musical events I have ever been to in my life.”
Steve Rukavina, CBC

“Not that long ago I saw Nearly Neil (Bobby Bruce) live and I’m telling you it was as close to Neil Diamond as I’ll ever get….Many entertainers like to invoke the cliché of how they attract the eight to eighty crowd. Nearly Neil’s demographically diverse crowd makes this cliché a little more creditable. I think as many people arrived on their skateboards as in their RVs. It made for an interesting mosh pit.”
Graham Duncan, Monday Magazine, 19 April 2001

“What an incredible and generous performer Bobby Bruce is. As Neil Diamond he more than gave value for money in a highly professional three-hour show which left a rapt audience begging for more.”
Mary Bryan, Wanganui Chronicle, New Zealand, October 2003

“Oh, sweet Caroline, I have a crush on a man … and his name is Nearly Neil Diamond. I never knew I was a Neil Diamond fan but when legendary impersonator and ‘70s child actor-model Bobby Bruce hit the stage, a movement awakened inside me. I was hooked. That night, the familiar beats of Forever in Blue Jeans started, and Bruce sang. Oh-my-god, he sounded exactly like the real Neil Diamond. The way he moved, the tone in his voice – the crowd went nuts. Women surged to the front in hand-waving unison, men hung around the bar signing along with glee.”
Dana Michell, Pique News Magazine, 10 January 2001

“A gem of a Neil Diamond” – Headline
“Bobby Bruce’s show is the next best thing to the real Neil” – by line
“Bobby Bruce, music impersonator and razzle-dazzle entertainer par excellence.”
John P McLauglin, Province Newspaper, 7 April 2005

“Friday night at the Commodore Ballroom, the place is sold out, it’s 1969 again, and Neil Diamond reigns supreme. Good times never seemed so good. Swept into a happy frenzy, half the dance-floor crowd has scrambled on to the stage, clamouring around and singing with a man in purple sequins who throatily belts out a spot-on rendition of Sweet Caroline. He is Bobby Bruce, a Port Coquitlam singer and actor who’s carved a full-time, 165 shows a year living out of being Nearly Neil. But as far as this crowd is concerned, tonight he is Neil.”
Kerry Gold, Vancouver Sun, 28 April 2001

“Neil Diamond-look-alike Nearly Neil, who brings down the house with a latter-day rendition of Sweet Caroline … appears to be near brilliant”
Review of MOCKSTARS, Alex Strachan, Vancouver Sun, 14 May 2002

“Nearly Neil is legendary on the west coast.”
Allison Cunningham-McMillan, TV Times, 2002

“During a recent Victoria show, fans left thinking they had just seen the real Neil Diamond." “It was unbelievable,” said club manager Jason Zimmer. “People were walking out of it saying they felt like they were in Las Vegas. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, to be perfectly honest.””
Mike Devlin, Times Colonist, 21 April 2001

“Bobby Bruce does Neil Diamond maybe better than the original.”
John MacKay, Canadian Press, 8 May 2002

“Once in a lifetime there is one act that stands out from the rest. The one that looks the spiting image of the person they are impersonating, one that as soon as they open their mouth you honestly believe you are listening to the real thing. We have found that one person who gives a unique and outstanding performance of one of the worlds greatest and most popular stars over the last 30 years. Neil Diamond as portrayed by Canadian entertainer Bobby Bruce.”
Lesley Board, Auckland Weekend Sun, 19 September 2003

“A mosh pit that formed at Bruce’s “Nearly Neil” tribute to Neil Diamond, Saturday, led to increased security measures at the event.”
Jason Mercier, Vernon Morning Star, 25 July 2000

“Vancouver’s celebrated Neil Diamond tribute artist Bobby Bruce, the Australian Pink Floyd, the Abba-tribute Björn Again or AC/DC cover act Thunderstruck, (are) part of a world wide sell-out circuit of fan driven cover bands.”
Stuart Derdeyn, Province Newspaper, 10 June 2004

“Nearly Neil nearly perfect” – Headline
“Bobby Bruce might be the king of all music impersonators, simply because his impression of Neil Diamond is so close to the real thing. “
Paul Andrew, Squamish Chief, 11 February 2000

“I have participated in the Funtastic Summer Festival since its existence and watched many performers on a hot July day whip the crowd into frenzy in the beer garden. But there is nobody who has done a better job than mockstar Bobby Bruce with his Nearly Neil shows.”
Duane Grandbois, Vernon Morning Star, 8 May 2002

“Nearly Neil - a diamond among impersonators.”
Susanne Hiller, National Post, 25 August 1999

“Bobby Bruce is an actor – and a good one!”
Hubert O’Hearn, Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal, 25 September 2001

“Listening to Bobby Bruce belt out Sweet Caroline on his CD, I couldn’t help thinking this guy sounds better than the real Neil Diamond … Bobby Bruce’s Neil Diamond impersonation is a dead ringer for the real thing.”
Michelle Hopkins, Richmond News, 3 July 2002

“Bobby Bruce will always do Sweet Caroline as Neil Diamond. His Nearly Neil show has proven eternally popular. Regularly, the response is that “he sound more like Neil than Neil””
Tom Harrison, Province Newspaper, 29 September 2004

“Bobby Sang Diamond” – Headline
“Outstanding tribute performance to one of music’s best singer-writers: - by line
“Wow, this man could really sing, it wouldn’t have mattered what song he was singing, whether it was Diamond or any other artist – he could sing. The throaty depth was there, the power was there and the sweetness was there, depending on what the song called for. I’m not sure how he kept his voice, but kept it he did, displaying his versatile talent from song one to the last encore. The Solitary Band’s performance was polished. Everything was timed to perfection; their onstage presence was totally professional and subtle. When it came to the final number, the two standing ovations told it all; an awesome performance and one not to have missed. I am pleased to suggest that sometimes, some imitators are as good as the real thing.”
Annette Lambly, Whakatane Beacon, New Zealand, 13 October 2003

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