Neil Diamond to debut song for Boston Marathon victims on July 4

Neil Diamond will take the stage at America's National Independence Day concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol this July 4 to premier his new song dedicated to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, Freedom Song (They'll Never Take Us Down).

Diamond has a special place in his heart for Boston after their Red Sox adopted his Sweet Caroline as their traditional seventh inning stretch sing-a-long. He surprised fans at Fenway Park just days after the bombing when he showed up to sing the song live.

"I, like so many other Americans, felt helpless during the recent attacks in Boston and wanted so much to reach out and not only help those people affected in a direct way but to lift their spirits as well and let them know they were not alone; that the entire American community felt a close kinship with them," Diamond said in a statement. "I was inspired to devote myself to the creation of a new song which expressed my love for this country and its two greatest assets: the spirit of its people and the freedoms it has afforded us all by law."

America's National Independence Day concert will be broadcast live by PBS on July 4 from 8:00 to 9:30 PM EDT. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, the event will also include Barry Manilow, American Idol winners Scotty McCreery and Candice Glover, Darren Criss, Jackie Evancho, Megan Hilty, the cast of Motown: The Musical and conductor John Williams.

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