VIDEO: Quilter finds herself wrapped in Neil Diamond's arms
By Meagan Sexton Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- Rise Levine's face turned bright red.
"How did you get a picture of me in the Sulphur Springs?"
Neil Diamond pointed to a quilt Levine was holding as he asked the question. Levine had incorporated images of her musical idol into the piece, which she'd made to give to him.
"It's in the tour book," piped up another woman in the small crowd of loyal fans -- you could call them "Diamond Girls" -- who'd waited an hour and a half in the Holiday Inn lobby, cameras in hand, hoping for a glimpse of the hotel's most famous guest of the moment.
Diamond smiled. "Well, that's how you got it."
After a brief exchange, Diamond embraced Levine and walked out of the hotel.
Levine, of Springfield, Mo., was visibly shaken after her moment with the singer-songwriter, who was in town early for his Tuesday night concert at Tyson Events Center.
When asked what the experience was like for her, she yelled, "OH MY GOD!"
"It's just unbelievable," Levine said. "I couldn't believe it. It was pretty amazing. I'm just blown away."
She figured Diamond, one of pop music's most enduring stars, had seen it all from his years touring and hoped he would at least take a quick glance at her quilt.
"He's seen everything," she said. "I remembered in Good Housekeeping he said he liked to sew. I thought maybe he would take a second look."
Levine said she's spent about 150 hours making the quilt. She plans to finish it and mail it to Diamond in a month.
"Everybody wants a hug, everybody wants a kiss from him," said Darla Golden of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one of the 10 Diamond Girls from seven states who'd clustered in the lobby. "I was afraid he was going to go right on through and blow by her. I'm glad he came back."
Evaleen Kilkuskie, of Las Vegas, said all the women waiting for Diamond have some kind of story to tell. Kilkuskie has been to 115 Neil Diamond shows and still can't get enough of him.
"He's a sweet, sweet man, and we all do love him," she said.
Meagan Sexton can be reached at 293-4243 or meagansexton@siouxcityjournal.com
"How did you get a picture of me in the Sulphur Springs?"
Neil Diamond pointed to a quilt Levine was holding as he asked the question. Levine had incorporated images of her musical idol into the piece, which she'd made to give to him.
"It's in the tour book," piped up another woman in the small crowd of loyal fans -- you could call them "Diamond Girls" -- who'd waited an hour and a half in the Holiday Inn lobby, cameras in hand, hoping for a glimpse of the hotel's most famous guest of the moment.
Diamond smiled. "Well, that's how you got it."
After a brief exchange, Diamond embraced Levine and walked out of the hotel.
Levine, of Springfield, Mo., was visibly shaken after her moment with the singer-songwriter, who was in town early for his Tuesday night concert at Tyson Events Center.
When asked what the experience was like for her, she yelled, "OH MY GOD!"
"It's just unbelievable," Levine said. "I couldn't believe it. It was pretty amazing. I'm just blown away."
She figured Diamond, one of pop music's most enduring stars, had seen it all from his years touring and hoped he would at least take a quick glance at her quilt.
"He's seen everything," she said. "I remembered in Good Housekeeping he said he liked to sew. I thought maybe he would take a second look."
Levine said she's spent about 150 hours making the quilt. She plans to finish it and mail it to Diamond in a month.
"Everybody wants a hug, everybody wants a kiss from him," said Darla Golden of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one of the 10 Diamond Girls from seven states who'd clustered in the lobby. "I was afraid he was going to go right on through and blow by her. I'm glad he came back."
Evaleen Kilkuskie, of Las Vegas, said all the women waiting for Diamond have some kind of story to tell. Kilkuskie has been to 115 Neil Diamond shows and still can't get enough of him.
"He's a sweet, sweet man, and we all do love him," she said.
Meagan Sexton can be reached at 293-4243 or meagansexton@siouxcityjournal.com
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garry wrote on Jul 23, 2008 9:32 AM:
SHEILA wrote on Jul 23, 2008 9:08 AM:
Sheila "
Jason wrote on Jul 23, 2008 7:09 AM: