As a professional entertainer Jay White
recognizes the importance of presenting
a crystal clear image to the public. For
his entire career, that image has reflected
one of America's brightest stars with
an uncanny likeness to Neil Diamond.

Over the past 20 years, White has
gone from being a diamond in the
rough, to a polished tribute performer
whose command of the stage and
his audience has put him at the top of his
craft. He has achieved all of the facets
of Diamond himself, from the singers rich
baritone vocals to the subtle swagger of
the hips to that charismatic smile. White
bears such a resemblance to Diamond,
that after meeting with several of his
family members, they were noting less
than thrilled and amazed by his stage
performance and off-stage demeanor.

In 1996, White meet Diamond backstage before his MGM appearance, where he asked Neil to autograph his photo from 1977. Neil replied, "Is this me or you?"
and signed; "Only Memorex can tell"
White was extremely flattered. In a
January 2002 interview, Diamond was
asked about all of the Neil tribute
performers, and replied "I've heard a
few of them and I'm always complimented by their efforts and dedication, but
my favorite is a young man named
Jay White."

Then there's the public. Several times
when White has performed, people have
rushed the stage screaming and believing
that Neil Diamond was truly there.
One woman, after a "Legends in Concert"
performance (White was in the Vegas
show for nine years), returned to the
box office insisting that all the performers
that night were impersonators...except for
Neil Diamond. Again White was flattered
to hear his portrayal was so convincing.

White first became a fan back in the
mid-70's, singing along with albums
like Lovers at the Greek, where he
discovered his vocal range and natural
sound were very familiar to Neil's. At
age 20, White began performing in
musical theatre (Music Man, Fiddler
on the Roof, etc.) and soon after, sang
with an acapella doo-wop group called
The Voices. As his love for the stage
increased, he was offered a lead vocalist
job with a top 40 band. Unknowingly,
these part time opportunities were instrumental in developing his voice
and stage presence, for the unexpected
fluke that would ultimately become his
career. It was during this 5 year span
that people told him of his vocal
resemblance to Neil Diamond.

In 1982, White landed his first job
performing as Diamond at Mr. F's Supper
Club near Detroit. It was here (with help of
the Jazz Singer film) that he studied
and worked to capture the essence
and charistmatic stage presence of this American musical icon. Within six months
he quit his day job selling life insurance,
to embark on one of lifes most unstable
and yet exciting careers. Concerned about
the potential for long term success, the
White family turned a fluke info five solid
years of steady work. This eventually
lead to an offer of a lifetime from a
most unexpected place
...Las Vegas.

In 1989, White's career and like took
an exciting turn. "Legends in Concert"
producer John Stuart had heard of the
singer's talent through a mutual friend
and asked him to audition. Both
producer and performer were thrilled
with the results, landing White his
first Legends performance for seven
weeks in Reno as the closing act in
a new "Living Legends" show. Upon
its close, Stuart asked White to join
Legends at the Imperial Palace as the
first "Living" legend in the Las Vegas
production (the show originally portrayed
performers of the past). A deal was
struck and as the decade was about
to change, so were the unique
opportunities for this mostly
introverted singer.

Since that time, White has performed
from Europe to Asia and hundreds of
cities across the U.S. and Canada. He
played 50 weeks a year at the
Imperial Palace for almost nine years,
where he became Legend's longest
running act in one venue. With a
desire to stretch and challenge his
stage performance, White decided in
1997 to find an agent who believed in
his talent and his new band. Together
they headed for the corporate market
to headline his own 75-minute show.

"The performance is more than the look
and sound alone" says White, "from
facial expressions to body language
to audience participation, it all
needs to come together to form an
exhilarating emotional experience."

Even though he may in real life resemble
Neil Diamond, White says that when he
leaves the stage, the persona ends there.

"I love performing and I feel blessed to
have such a wonderful and supportive
family and fan base, I am also thrilled
and amazed that my gift has taken
me so far."

It's now wonder Leeza Gibbons of
"Entertainment Tonight" wrote White a
letter calling him "uncanny and truly
amazing" and that Jay Leno said, "he
does a great job." White has garnered
such honors as performing for President
and Nancy Regan, introducing "Waiting to
Exhale" star Starletta Depois at the
Miss Universe Pageant, singing the
National Anthem at dozens of professional
sporting events and appearing on a bill
with Bob Hope for the American Legion.
His fan club president Susan Spilger,
even has a mailing list consisting of
several hundred members.

As a corporate act, he's performed in
countless casinos, theaters and 4
star hotels in Las Vegas and nationwide.
He's astounded audiences for Toyota,
McDonald's, Franklin Life, Tupperware
and dozens more. As a proud husband
and father, he resides in Las Vegas
with his wife Pam and his two musically
talented teenagers, Neil and Stephanie,
while his stepson Jason is an
accomplished Marine.

Apart from the music, White's first passion
is to play professional hockey. His
goal tending skills developed early on, so
that by age 21 he had briefly appeared in
a few semi-pro games in the IHL, where
he returned in his late 30's as the practice
goalie for the IHL Las Vegas Thunder
from 1994-98. Channel 13 Sportscaster
Ron Futrell also did a story in 1996
about this "Diamond on ice."

As a performer, White's popularity
grows by leaps and bounds because
his dedication to accuracy, his respect
for the singer/composer, and his
attention to detail from the office to
the stage has put him at the top of
his class. There is no doubt about it -- when it comes to a portrayal of the
worlds most well-known Diamond,
Jay White is a real gem.