Theron Denson has spent the last seven years raising eyebrows as "the planet's only black Neil Diamond." He doesn't look much like Neil. But when Denson sings, you could swear you're listening to the crooner himself. In Lakewood tonight, Denson performs a tribute to Diamond's tunes, from "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" to "America." "And I learned a long time ago that you can't even call yourself a Neil Diamond impersonator if you do not sing 'Sweet Caroline,'" laughs Denson, who started singing in his childhood church choir in his native West Virginia.Now based in Michigan, Denson has hopscotched across the country with his act for the last seven years. He even caught the attention of Jimmy Kimmel, who invited him on his late-night talk show in 2004. The comedian offered Denson some advice. "Most people don't know my actual name. They'll just say, 'Hey, Black Diamond!'" says Denson. "But Jimmy said, 'You don't care if people don't know your name. If people don't know you're Black Diamond, then you got a problem.'" The tribute starts at 10 tonight at Around the Corner, 18616 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Admission is free. Call 216-521-4413 or visit
www.atccafe.com.
Sat., Dec. 1, 10 p.m., 2007
