Neil Diamond was the famous singer of “Sweet Caroline” and “Cracklin’ Rosie,” but he started out as a schoolteacher in Brooklyn. That teacher helped him with his early singing dreams. Diamond’s first wife, Jayne Posner, is still one of the most interesting people in music history, not for what she said, but for what she chose to keep secret.
Jayne Posner didn’t use her fame to write a memoir or go on TV talk shows like many famous ex-spouses have. Instead, she chose a completely different road.
Her story is interesting because it shows how people lived before they became famous and the path that not many celebrities take.
Early Life and Brooklyn Beginnings
Jayne Posner was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940. She grew up in a time when private wasn’t something you could take for granted.
A lot of information about her family and childhood is still unknown, which shows how much she has wanted to stay out of the press her whole life.
Posner went to Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, and it was there that she met the man she would marry.
After high school, she went to college with a focus on education and finally became a teacher. This job choice showed how grounded she was and how much she wanted to help others character traits that would define her for the rest of her life.
Posner never tried to be famous, which is different from many people who are famous. She was building a quiet, meaningful life based on schooling and community service even before she met Diamond.
| Category | Details |
| Name | Jayne Posner |
| Known For | Marriage to Neil Diamond |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Children | Yes, two daughters |
| Current Lifestyle | Private and quiet, away from the public eye |
| Key Values | Personal happiness, self-respect, individuality |
| Legacy | Example of living authentically and prioritizing personal values |
Meeting Neil Diamond: A High School Romance
Neil Diamond and Jayne Posner met at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, where their story started.
Pozen and Diamond met when they were teenagers in the late 1950s. Diamond was on the school’s fencing team.
Diamond was just a student with musical goals at the time that their friendship grew. He was a long way from becoming the superstar he would become.
From about 1958 to 1964, they were dating for about five years. Diamond wrote his first song, “Hear Them Bells,” just for Posner during this time.
Jayne Posner was only 16 years old. The doo-wop ballad wasn’t just a romantic move; it was a marriage proposal that looked like a song.
This early piece would turn out to be prophetic, as the couple’s bond grew stronger while they were in college.
Marriage and the Struggle Years
The year 1963 was the start of Neil Diamond’s singing career, when Jayne Posner and him got married. In contrast to many famous marriages that start in the spotlight, theirs was based on real love and shared dreams, not fame or popularity.
In the first few years of their marriage, Posner kept working as a teacher and Diamond followed his musical goals.
Diamond worked hard to get into the music business, and her regular income helped keep the family alive. At a time when success seemed uncertain and far away, she gave me security and support.
During these simple years, the couple lived in peace while Diamond improved his skills. Posner’s unwavering support during this critical time cannot be overstated; she saw his talent long before anyone else did.
Their Daughters: Marjorie and Elyn Diamond
Neil Diamond and Jayne Posner had two girls during their marriage. These daughters became very important to both of them. Elyn Diamond was born in 1968, and Marjorie Diamond was born in 1965.
It is said that Marjorie Diamond got the idea for the title of one of her dad’s hit songs, “Beautiful Noise,” while they were at a parade together in New York.
Jayne Posner has kept her personal life pretty quiet. She has at least one son, Alexander, who was born in 1995, making her a happy grandmother.
Giving back to the community is how Elyn Diamond got her name. She started the Children Who Never Forget Foundation to help kids who have been abused.
She got married to Mitchel Resnick, and on December 20, 2004, they had a daughter named Avery Max.
After the divorce, Posner raised both daughters mostly by herself. Their mother gave them the stable home life they needed, even though their father’s work was becoming more famous and demanding.
The 1969 Divorce: When Fame Came Between Them
Neil Diamond’s work was really taking off by the late 1960s. His busy routine, which included spending a lot of time in recording studios and on the road, started to put stress on the marriage. As Diamond became more famous, it put stress on their relationship that it couldn’t handle.
After six years of marriage, they got a divorce on November 25, 1969. According to sources, the breakup happened just ten days before Diamond married his second wife, Marcia Murphey. This time frame still puzzles people today.
Diamond has openly blamed himself for the breakup of the marriage, saying that he couldn’t spend enough time with his family.
However, other accounts suggest that cheating may have played a part. Posner, on the other hand, has never talked about the reasons for their divorce in public, showing the respect and caution that are typical of her.
The divorce was said to be friendly, and both parents were focused on raising their young girls together. Their divorce was different from many famous divorces because it was quiet and polite.
Life After Diamond: Choosing Privacy Over Fame
After getting divorced from Neil Diamond, Jayne Posner did something very unusual: she stopped being in the public eye at all.
Diamond went on to be very successful and get married twice more. Posner, on the other hand, spent her life on raising her kids and keeping her privacy.
Jayne Posner hasn’t been married again in public records, but some sources say she may have married someone else in New Jersey. Like she always did, she kept any personal connections secret and out of the news.
Posner’s method is very different from that of many famous ex-spouses who use their connections to get book deals, reality shows, or media appearances.
She decided to be independent and private instead, defining herself by her own standards instead of how she was related to her famous ex-husband.
Where Is Jayne Posner Today?
As of 2024, Jayne Posner is 84 years old and still chooses to keep her life secret. Her estimated net worth is around $1 million, but this number should be taken with a grain of salt since specific information about her assets and sources of income isn’t available to the public.
Posner isn’t on any social media sites and hasn’t done interviews or been seen in public for decades. She hasn’t written an autobiography or been in a documentary about Diamond’s life or work.
People are even more interested in the woman who was there at the start of Diamond’s journey because she has always chosen privacy.
According to recent reports, she may still live in the United States, possibly in New York or New Jersey. However, specifics about her home or way of life are still unknown, which is exactly how she likes it.
Her Lasting Legacy
Even though Jayne Posner isn’t a well-known person, she had a huge effect on Neil Diamond’s life and work.
He wrote his first song with her there. She was there for him when he was having a hard time and helped raise his two oldest children.
Posner offers a different way to deal with life next to fame, which may be more important. The fact that she chose to stay private and live on her own is different from the usual story of a celebrity ex-spouse that we hear today.
The things her girls have done, especially Elyn’s volunteer work with abused children, show how strong and moral their mother was.
Posner’s influence lives on through her children and grandkids, even though she is not in the public eye anymore.
A Model for Our Times
In a time when people are constantly giving too much information, Jayne Posner story is a nice change of pace.
She picked private over making money, honor over drama, and being independent over using her fame to get what she wanted.
Her dedication to school, family, and personal limits teaches us a lot about being real and making our own decisions. The public may never know everything about her life, but maybe that’s the point.
Conclusion
Jayne Posner’s story shows how important it is to put your own values and happiness ahead of getting recognition from other people.
Her marriage to Neil Diamond made her famous, but her choice to live a quiet, private life shows how to respect yourself and be yourself.
To this day, Jayne’s life shows us how to live honestly, and it reminds us that privacy and happiness often go hand in hand.
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