Neil Diamond 1st Wife: Who Is Jaye Posner?

Neil Diamond’s First Wife: Who Is Jaye Posner?

Neil Diamond’s first wife was Jaye Posner, a schoolteacher he married in 1963. They had two daughters, separated in 1967, and divorced in 1969. Diamond married his second wife, Marcia Murphey, that December. Neil Diamond facts: Singer’s age, wife, children, net worth and more revealed – Smooth +2

Quick Facts

Neil Diamond’s 1st wife: Jaye Posner (many sites spell it “Jayne”)
Married: 1963 Smooth Radio
Separated: 1967 Smooth Radio
Divorced: 1969 aol
Children together: Marjorie and Elyn aol
Job: Schoolteacher, according to most profiles Smooth Radio
Public profile: Very private, with little verified information beyond her marriage and family

Who Is Jaye Posner?

Jaye Posner is known almost entirely through her marriage to Neil Diamond. She has stayed out of the spotlight, and solid reporting on her own life is thin.

The spelling trips people up. People and coverage of the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise use “Jaye.” “Jayne” turns up on many other sites, Hello! included. Both refer to the same person. A Beautiful Noise The Neil Diamond Musical Broadway Review – New York Theater +2

Most profiles call her Diamond’s high school sweetheart, and the musical uses that label too. Accounts of exactly how they met vary. What’s clear is that she was in his life before the success arrived. His first hit single, “Cherry, Cherry,” came in 1966, three years after the wedding. Meet Neil Diamond’s 4 very private kids he shares with 2 ex-wives +2

How the Marriage Ended

Diamond and Posner separated in 1967. The divorce became final two years later, and he married Marcia Murphey that December. That marriage lasted 25 years. A few websites list the divorce as 1968, but People and most other coverage put it in 1969. aol

Reliable reporting doesn’t pin the split on one cause, and Posner hasn’t spoken publicly about it. Diamond has talked in general terms about what his career cost his family. In a 2020 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, he said the road brought plenty of tears from his kids and his wives, and that he still feels guilty about how often he was gone. He wasn’t speaking about this marriage in particular. HELLO!

The musical dramatizes the breakup. In the show, his marriage to Jaye falls apart as he and Marcia fall in love. That’s the stage version. The documented timeline shows only a 1967 separation, a 1969 divorce and a second wedding that same December. You’ll also find online claims that the two relationships overlapped. Mainstream reporting doesn’t confirm them, so treat them as unproven. New York Theater

Their Two Daughters

Diamond and Posner had two daughters: Marjorie, born in 1965, and Elyn, born in 1968. Both have stayed out of the public eye. Diamond has kept his children’s privacy since early in his career, and he told People in 1982 that the best thing he could do for them was give them a normal life. Meet Neil Diamond’s 4 very private kids he shares with 2 ex-wives +2

Marjorie also gave her father a song title. In a 1992 interview on British TV-am, Diamond said they were watching a parade from a New York hotel room when Marjorie called the noise rising from the street a beautiful noise. He said he wrote the song that night. “Beautiful Noise” became the name of his 1976 album, and decades later, of the Broadway musical. HELLO!jewishvirtuallibrary

Neil Diamond’s Three Marriages at a Glance

Wife	Married	Ended	Children with Diamond
Jaye Posner	1963	Divorced 1969	Marjorie, Elyn
Marcia Murphey	December 1969	Divorced after about 25 years	Jesse, Micah
Katie McNeil	April 2012	Current wife	None

Diamond married his manager, Katie McNeil, in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012, his third marriage. People’s coverage from late 2025 and early 2026 still has them together. Watch CBS News +2

What Happened to Jaye Posner After the Divorce?

Very little is publicly documented. Hello! has reported that she remarried after the split. Beyond that, her life since has been largely private. Several websites publish birth years, net worth figures and current-location claims, but they rarely cite a primary source, so treat those details with caution. HELLO!

FAQs

Why did Neil Diamond and Jaye Posner divorce?
No single reason is documented. They separated in 1967, and the divorce was final in 1969. Posner hasn’t spoken publicly, and Diamond’s comments about the toll of touring on his family are general rather than specific to this marriage. aol

How old is Jaye Posner, and what is her net worth?
Neither is reliably documented. Several websites give 1940 as her birth year and offer net worth estimates, but none point to a primary source, so both should be treated as unconfirmed.

Who is Neil Diamond married to now?
Katie McNeil, his manager, whom he married in Los Angeles on April 21, 2012. It is his third marriage, and People’s early 2026 coverage still describes them as together.