This from the St Louis "Riverfront Times"

Saddle up for an accounting of the St Louis experience.
It will start with my debacle at the hotel where I hve yet to get plced in n acceptble room for my mom and I.
My moring travels included too noteworthy coffee shops, one with a "hotspot" (free internet access) and another with this rticle from "Riverfront Times"
"When No One Else would Come" by Shilo
Tons of so-called fans on the "Friends of Neil Diamond Web Site (www.neildiamond-homepage.com) have been talking mad smack about what has come to be known as the Shilo Debacle of '68. I'm here to set the record straight. You see, I'm Shilo. Yes, that Shilo - the imaginary friend childhood friend Neil named the song after. When Neil was a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, his Yiddish heritage forbade him from joining either of the protestant street gangs in his neighborhood, the Cobras or the cougars. So young Neil was forced to turn to "the only friend he could find" (me) there in his mind.
We had such special times. When Neilwould call my name, I came. And we would play. I would make him smile and feel like he could fly, and when it cme time for him to chase his dream of becoming the most mazingly popular craftsman of song the world has ever known, I understood. He left me with an air kiss and a promise that he would write a ssong about our special times.
When he did, it almost deriled his carreer. The executives at Bng Records thought our song was a weak follow-up to "Cherry Cherry" and "Solitary Man" which rightfully cast Neil as a dark sexual panther with a musky scent. This hurt, but Neil was there to console me. He took me in his arms and would stroke my imaginry hair, whispering tenderly. "Don't worry little Shilo, Papa's gonna make the big bad men go bye-bye." And when Neil up and defected to UNI (a part of MCA), it was okay.
Admittedly, Neil and I have drifted apartsince the Shilo Debacle of '68. Some of this had to do with my jealousy over his shacking up with tramps like Rosie, Holly, Soolaimon and that whore from Kentucky. But the other night, Neil phoned me up from the aqua jet in aboard his touring bus. And I came.
Kudos to this author. But she should have included the more recent tramps as well like Desire', Louise, and oh, MARY!
Had late dinner with Linda and Joanne. Looking forward to a great concert. For the record, if anyone who had Neil's ear is reading this and wants to know if fans think he should add anything to his show tonight and in KC, I have two words...
"HELL YEAH !!!"