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Neil Diamond's wife, Katie Diamond, revealed the secret to their long-lasting marriage while chatting with PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of Song Sung Blue on Dec. 11
The couple will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary in April
They tied the knot at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in 2012
Neil Diamondis far from a "Solitary Man."
The singer, 84, has been married toKate Diamondfor nearly 14 years, and now, his talent manager wife is sharing the secret to their long-lasting union.
"We're best friends, and we really support each other. We lift each other up, and through thick and thin, through sickness and health, we really live it. And I think that that's the secret," Katie, 55, told PEOPLE at the New York City premiere ofSong Sung Blueon Thursday, Dec. 11.
"And it's our 14th wedding anniversary coming up in April," she added.
As for how she and Neil plan to mark the occasion, Katie said, "I mean, every day we try to make it special and celebrate every day."
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Fittingly, it was music — specifically Katie's love of Neil's infectious hits, including "Sweet Caroline" and "Holy Holy" — that first brought the couple together. In 2007, Katie was working with Neil's then-manager, Irving Azoff, and convinced him to let her work on the singer's account.
They fell in love over the course of a year, though Katie was initially hesitant about getting into a relationship with the Grammy winner. "Part of me said, 'Don't get involved; he's a client,' " she toldParadein 2012. "There are a lot of complications for a lot of reasons. But our chemistry grew into something that couldn't be denied."
Neil, meanwhile, recalled toThe Telegraphthat he initially had no romantic feelings toward Katie, as he was focused on his music. However, as the two began to work together, he saw Katie in another light.
"We kind of fell in love, slowly," he told the U.K. outlet. "She wove her way into my heart, and I think she's a great person. I realized that I was in love with her."
Neil announced their engagement in September 2011, writing onTwitter (now X), "Good news coming from sunny LA/ and you're the first I want to tell/ Katie & I just got engaged/ and I hope you wish us well."
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The couple tied the knot at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012, and Katie became "a proud stepmom" toNeil's four kidsfrom his two previous marriages: daughters Marjorie and Elyn and sons Jesse and Micah.
Speaking with Parade in 2012, the "Cherry, Cherry" singer opened up about why he likes being married — and why he felt like the "luckiest man on earth" to have Katie by his side.
"I don't want to end this whole fabulous journey alone," he said at the time. "I want someone by my side who I love and who loves me. I've finally found somebody who's up to the task of being my wife, because I'm very … high-maintenance."
Neil added: "I think I'm probably the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Neil went on to record his 2014 album,Melody Road, with Katie as his creative muse. He spent five years working on the track "Art of Love," tellingNews Corp Australia Network, "I had a woman I was in love with in the picture, and just being with her and having her around me inspired me to stay with it."
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All these years later, Katie is just as charmed by Neil's music as she was back in 2007 when she first pitched to become his manager. Speaking to PEOPLE aboutSong Sung Blue— a film about real-life couple Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire Sardina (Kate Hudson), who founded the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder — Katie said she was moved by Hudson's performance of Neil's well-known song "I've Been This Way Before."
"When she sang it, I was sobbing," Katie recalled. "It brought me to tears. It is such a beautiful song."
Song Sung Blueis in theaters on Dec. 25.
Read the original article onPeople
