MULTI-PLATINUM RECORD PRODUCER JOEL DIAMOND REFLECTS ON DON HEWITT’S '60 MINUTES'

Says Long Time Neighbor Joel Diamond

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Now, in 2025, 60 Minutes finds itself once again at the center of national headlines, this time with the resignations of Executive Producer Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon. In Joel Diamond's view, this entire $20 billion lawsuit debacle would never have unfolded under Don Hewitt’s leadership—nor would he have ever resigned or backed down.

Joel refers back to his book where Don Hewitt says “Because we are in America, we are blessed with the right to report fully and freely ... the best way to ensure that we go on having the freedom to publish and broadcast is to guard against self indulgence.” In an interview from The Rolling Stone 1991, Hewitt further stressed how important it is that no one be able to “label 60 minutes stories as left, center, or right.”

Joel lived in the penthouse at 220 Central Park South, and almost every day he found myself sharing the elevator with a man named Don—though he never learned his last name. Months went by before he finally asked, “By the way, what do you do?”

He smiled and said, “I’m the creator and executive producer of 60 Minutes, and I’ve just written a book.”

Intrigued, Joel purchased his memoir, “Minute by Minute”. One afternoon, during one of their now-familiar vertical voyages, Joel asked him to inscribe it. He penned:

“Joel, if your neighbor likes your book, how bad can it be? Thanks for the kind words.
— Don Hewitt”

Who would have imagined that the Penthouse Joel Diamond called home for 20 years—complete with a houseman and private chef—would one day become the most expensive residential sale in U.S. history, purchased by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin? Even Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s sprawling Malibu estate had to settle for second place in a recent article.

Don Hewitt lived just downstairs from Joel, and he was, without question, the most humble and self-deprecating successful person Joel had ever known. He vividly recalled one moment when they happened to be in the elevator together. He turned to Joel and said, “Joel, I have to show you the carpet they’re thinking of installing in our lobby.” Moments later, he tore open the packaging and began unrolling a massive—and, frankly, unattractive—carpet right across the entire lobby floor.

At one point, Don Hewitt, Charles Strouse (of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie fame and who sadly passed just a few days ago), Joel Diamond, along with a handful of other prosperous tenants, joined forces to make an offer to purchase the building. Regrettably, the owner declined.

Joel Diamond was also featured in the recent Random House publication “Billionaire’s Row”, alongside a host of highly successful entrepreneurs and renowned figures. Visitors to Joel’s residence—including many luminaries and household names—were consistently captivated by the spectacular views of Central Park, expansive terraces on all four sides, a private elevator that opened directly into his full-floor penthouse, and the charmingly eccentric in-apartment mail chute.

Diamond reflects back on his remarkable multi-decade journey—from a stuttering high school nerd in Passaic to selling life insurance by day while singing at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs at the Holiday Inn by night. His first break in the music industry came when he landed the head job Mercury Records, where he also hired a then-unknown Tommy Mottola as his assistant. He later rose to lead Sony/April Blackwood Music, where he negotiated David Geffen’s first million-dollar deal for Laura Nyro, and then went on to produce 47 Gold and Platinum albums. During that whirlwind of success, he was even named Cosmopolitan Magazine’s “Bachelor of the Month,” prompting thousands of fan letters. Over the years, countless people have asked him, “When are you writing your book?”

He has never lost his focus and continues to write and produce hit records, all while enjoying his single bachelor lifestyle in the privacy of his exclusive gated enclave in Calabasas, CA.

When people ask Joel about the greatest achievement of his life, his answer is always the same—without hesitation: “My beautiful and talented 32-year-old daughter, Briana.”

For more information or celebrity pictures in the Penthouse, contact: p: 818 980-9588 e: jdiamond20@aol.com or web: www.joeldiamond.com

Chat GPT - “In the 1970s, 220 Central Park South was a 20-story rental building constructed in 1954, known for its prime location overlooking Central Park. One notable resident during that era was music producer Joel Diamond, who lived there for two decades. Specific information about other famous individuals who lived at 220 Central Park South during the 1970s is scarce and not well-documented in public records.”

Joel Diamond
Silver Blue Productions Ltd. ,
+1 818-980-9588
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube