In a career that has spanned more than five decades, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has proven he knows what it takes to keep going in the notoriously fickle music industry.

Today the 71-year-old icon gladly shares that knowledge with those willing to ask -- just as one up-and-comer did recently at the Grammy Awards.

"They asked me, ‘What's your secret?' The secret is work harder than anybody else. That puts you in a different category," Diamond said on Wednesday on CTV's Canada AM.

"Most people give of themselves just enough to pass muster. But if you go a littler further and work harder you'll achieve success," Diamond said in an interview aired from Los Angeles.

Known to the world for such classic tunes as "Sweet Caroline," Diamond has seen that song covered by the likes of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. It's even found young fans thanks to its being featured on the TV show "Glee."

Back in 1961, Diamond was just a Jewish kid from Brooklyn studying medicine at New York University at his parents' insistence. His passion for music compelled Diamond to drop out of studies and head off to New York's Tin Pan Alley, where he struggled to launch a career as a songwriter.

He broke out in 1966 with the mega-hit "I'm a Believer." Performed by the Monkees, it became the biggest-selling song in America.

Years later, Diamond and Barbra Streisand also delivered one of the greatest duets of all time with the 1978 ballad, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers."

The singer's cross-over into acting in 1980 also made history. Diamond became the highest paid actor for a film debut, earning US$3.5 million to play the lead role in the "The Jazz Singer " opposite Sir Laurence Olivier.

Diamond's career has experienced a rebirth in recent years, following the 2005 album "12 Songs" and 2008's "Home Before Dark." Both successful albums were helmed by producer Rick Rubin, who had reinvigorated Johnny Cash's career in his later years.

All these accomplishments by such a quiet, unassuming star as Diamond might be easy to forget, especially in today's era of over-the-top stars such as Lady Gaga. But that doesn't worry Diamond, who keeps his focus on the music and the connection he can forge with an audience.

"I perform in front of a new audience every time I perform. It's never lost that edge for me. It's scary. It's thrilling. It doesn't change," said Diamond.

"If I'm blindfolded and put in front of an audience I couldn't tell where it is. But it's that excitement factor. That's all I need to know," he said.

"If the crowd is enthusiastic about what's going to happen in the show and open for it… it's a communion, a coming together we all share."

His fans have shared in his pain as well as his triumphs too.

Throughout the ups and downs of his career, Diamond struggled with back pain. In 1979, the singer collapsed on stage in San Francisco and was taken to hospital, where he underwent 12 hours of surgery to remove a tumor on his spine.

Diamond has also seen two marriages fail over the decades. He has since remarried, wedding his 42-year-old manager, Katie McNeil, in 2012.

Throughout it all, the thrill of performing and hearing other artists cover his work has kept Diamond going.

"I do like to hear other people do my songs," said Diamond.

"It's not only flattering. It's educating," he said.

In November of 2011, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee announced plans to take his greatest hits on the road with a North American tour. That announcement came shortly before the Dec. 6th release of "The Very Best of Neil Diamond – The Original Studio Recordings." The album featured 23 of the singer's most popular hits from the quintessential American performer.

Diamond's summer tour will include Canadian concert dates in Montreal (June 21), Toronto (June 26), London (June 28), Saskatoon (July 13), Edmonton (July 16), Calgary (July 18) and Vancouver (July 21).