Neil Diamond admits he’s ‘high maintenance’ in relationships

Neil Diamond says that his being “high maintenance” lead to the demise of his first two marriages, and that he hopes the same doesn’t happen with his third wife, Katie McNeil.

When the newlywed was asked about his previous marriages — to high school sweetheart Jaye Posner from 1963 to 1967 and to production assistant Marcia Murphey from 1969 to 1994– the “Sweet Caroline” singer told Parade magazine that he felt he was to blame for the demise of both relationships.

“Both are spectacular women. I felt if I couldn’t make something wonderful and lifelong happen with them, then maybe I wasn’t capable of it,” said Diamond, in an interview to run in Sunday’s issue. “But I’m throwing myself back in because I like being married. I don’t want to end this whole fabulous journey alone. 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.”

Diamond soon elaborated, “When I need my wife or when I need companionship or someone to talk to, I need it, like, now. So my wife will have to give up whatever she’s doing at that moment to tend to my needs. And in the same way, I would tend to hers. That’s not such an easy thing to do.”

So far, McNeil — who started out as his co-manager — has been up to the task. But she reveals that she was nervous when she first felt a connection with the icon.