who wrote sweet caroline

The song "Sweet Caroline" was written and performed by American singer Neil Diamond. It was released as a single in May 1969. The inspiration for the song has been variably attributed by Diamond to Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, after he saw a magazine photo of her as a child, and also to his then-wife Marcia Murphy, as he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody. The song became a major hit, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming a lasting anthem.