Hugh Jackman already thought that having a karaoke sleepover at Neil Diamond‘s was the pinnacle of his relationship with the “Sweet Caroline” singer. But over the weekend, the actor notched yet another career high moment with Diamond when the Grammy-winning superstar sent him a very special gift.
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Jackman is currently on the big screen in the role of Mike “Lightning” Sardina, the lead singer of a Diamond tribute act Thunder & Lightning in the heartwarming musical drama Song Sung Blue. In a video posted on Sunday (Jan. 4), Jackman reacts with shock upon opening an instrument case containing an acoustic guitar signed by Diamond.
Staring at the six-string, a speechless Jackman stares at the camera in awe exclaiming, “oh… my…” before gingerly taking the guitar out, swiping at the signature (which reads “Hugh, Keep rocking! Your friend, Neil Diamond) to make sure it’s real and asking, “that’s from Neil Diamond?” The brief clip ends with Jackman closing his eyes as he lovingly hugs the unexpected keepsake and says, “thank you Neil.”
“One of the most awesome gifts I’ve ever received and will cherish forever,” Jackman wrote in the caption of the post that also included a shot of the 84-year-old Diamond holding up the axe and giving a thumbs-up; Diamond announced his retirement from touring in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Jackman stars alongside Kate Hudson in the film released on Christmas Day that is based on the true story of a Milwaukee Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. In December, Jackman appeared on The Graham Norton Show, where he revealed that a weepy Diamond called him after watching the movie to say that he loved it.
“So I took the opportunity. I said, ‘Guys, I’d love to come around and have a cuppa or something,’” Jackman said of his pitch to Diamond to get together for a coffee. “And Neil’s like, ‘Okay, yeah, all right.’ And then I didn’t hear from Neil anymore. And [Diamond’s wife] Katie obviously takes the phone and goes, ‘You know we’re in Colorado?’ I went, ‘Okay, I’d still like to come for a cuppa,’ and she was like, ‘So I guess you want to stay the night?’ I’m like, ‘That’d be great.’ And she’s like, ‘Okay.’”
So Jackman flew out to Colorado to visit Diamond and they had dinner and ended up doing karaoke together that night.
