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Neil Diamond Is A Girl’s Best Friend
by Margaret Andrews
It’s a terrible headline but I hope for many reasons that it’s
caught your attention!
When Jeff Lloyd left Zambia in the middle of January this year, many
people thought that that would spell the end of live performers
jetting in from the UK treating us to ‘Tribute’ shows of acts we
will never get the chance to see over here. Well, with a little help
from Jeff, and many other kind and generous souls, I am delighted to
announce the arrival in December of Mark Fields who will be treating
us all to shows delivered by his alter ego, none other than Neil
Diamond.
Mark has been singing live for almost all his life but only recently
(within the last five years) has he turned his show into a Neil
Diamond Tribute due to countless concert-goers telling him how like
Neil Diamond his voice was and in particular the accuracy of the
Neil Diamond’s songs that he used to perform in his set. The result
is what we will be treated to in December. The Chicago Rock Café
chain describes him as one of their ‘most polished and vocally
realistic tribute acts’ and The Jumping Jaks chain of bars’
newsletter called him ‘the best Neil Diamond we’ve ever had – and
we’ve had a few!’
Neil Diamond himself has been a performer for nearly forty years and
is best known for songs such as ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, ‘Sweet Caroline’,
‘Song Sung Blue’, ‘Hello Again’, ‘Love on the Rocks’, ‘Forever in
Blue Jeans’, and many more. In addition to this he is also the
writer of one or two songs sung by other artists that might be
considered even more well known, in particular ‘Red Red Wine’ (a
global number one for UB40) and ‘I’m a Believer’ – the biggest of
The Monkees’ hits. Since September 11 his song ‘America’ has once
again become an unofficial national anthem. Mark sings all these
songs and more, fully live. The atmosphere he generates is electric
and once you hear him perform such great numbers, you will realise
that Mark Fields is not just another Neil Diamond lookalike, Neil
Diamond soundalike or Neil Diamond impersonator, it is like spending
an evening with the LEGEND himself.
On
Saturday, 4 December, Mark will be performing the full ‘Neil
Diamond’ set at the Hotel Inter-Continental in aid of Kasisi
Orphange, the AIDS babies, Street Kids and the Rotary Club of Lusaka
Children’s charities, including the UTH Children’s Burns Wards.
The funds raised will help make Christmastime very special for over
400 children, as well as providing essential medicines for the AIDS
babies and drugs and consumables for the burns victims. All the
funds raised will be placed to the benefit of the children and will
be fully accounted for – no funds whatsoever will be deducted for
administrative purposes. I am pleased to be able to report that
with the funds raised from the last two fundraising functions (‘The
Grand Murder Mystery Evening’ and ‘Robbie Williams’,) six side wards
in “G” Block at the University Teaching Hospital have been fully
renovated for the treatment of burns victims and they are now in
operation. However, we still need to provide funds to keep them
functional and secure specialist help. It is so gratifying to know
that, through the continued support of the business community,
companies and public who donate wonderful prizes for raffles and
auctions, as well as attend our fundraising events, poor unfortunate
children with terrible injuries are now receiving special care.
We sincerely hope, therefore, that all our friends will continue to
support our fundraising functions for the benefit of the above
causes and look forward to welcoming you at the Christmas fundraiser
- ‘Christmas with ‘Neil Diamond’ – on Saturday, 4 December, 2004, at
the Intercontinental Hotel.
Tickets for the function are available from Margaret – 01 262-198 or
096 754-292 and Mairi 01 264-296 or 097 829-466.
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November 2004