From a Phone Call to an Overnight Stay
According to Jackman, the whole adventure began when Neil Diamond watched an early version of Song Sung Blue and loved what he saw.
“Neil called me up and was so kind and generous about the movie,” Jackman told Norton. Sensing an opportunity, the Wolverine star decided to push his luck.
What started as a polite conversation quickly turned into Jackman half-jokingly suggesting they meet up for tea. One thing led to another — and Jackman ended up inviting himself to spend the night at Diamond’s Colorado home, staying with the singer, his wife Katie, 55, and their family.
The visit, Jackman admitted, was very much him “imposing” on the Diamond household. But any awkwardness disappeared the moment he arrived.
“Want to Do Some Karaoke?”
Once settled in, Jackman found himself at the center of a surreal, star-studded family evening.
“At dinner time, Neil Diamond goes, ‘Want to do some karaoke?’” Jackman recalled. “I’m like, ‘Hell yeah.’”
A photo shown on the show captured the moment: Jackman and Diamond side-by-side, microphones in hand, belting out songs together. The pair ran through some of Diamond’s most beloved hits, including:
-
“Sweet Caroline”
-
“Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”
For Jackman, it was a dream come true — singing Neil Diamond songs with Neil Diamond in his own home.
But the real comedy of the night came not from the karaoke machine, but from a very specific rule inside the Diamond household.
The “So Good, So Good” Rule
Jackman went on to share what he called a “funny fact” about life inside the Diamond home, tied to the legendary 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline”.
In the song, Diamond sings the line:
“Good times never seemed so good…”
At concerts, this line famously prompts audiences to shout back:
“So good! So good! So good!”
According to Jackman, that call-and-response has become a mandatory tradition inside the Diamond household.
“This is a true story,” he said. “Anyone who says ‘so good’ in the Diamond household — two other people have to say, ‘So good, so good.’”
He laughed as he described how quickly the rule takes over normal conversation:
“Play that game at home, you’re going to realize how often you say it. It gets old real quick.”
Kate Hudson jumped in to confirm the ritual is very real.
“It happened to me, too!” she said. “I was sitting there and I go, ‘Oh, God, this is so good,’ and you just hear someone go, ‘So good, so good!’”
Eventually, she realized it wasn’t a coincidence.
“I was like, ‘Do you guys say that every time?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. Every time someone says “so good.”’”
Inside Neil Diamond’s Colorado Life
Diamond is known to own two properties in Colorado:
-
a vacation home in Basalt, near Aspen
-
a larger estate in Eagle, known as Diamond Star Lodge
It remains unclear which of the two homes Jackman stayed in during his impromptu visit, but whichever house it was, the atmosphere clearly mixed warmth, music, and humor — along with a standing requirement to respond to the phrase “so good.”
For Hugh Jackman, the trip was more than just a fan moment. It was a rare chance to experience firsthand the life and traditions of the man whose music he celebrates in Song Sung Blue.
And for fans, his story offered something even better:
proof that inside Neil Diamond’s house, “Sweet Caroline” never really ends — it just keeps echoing around the dinner table, one “so good, so good” at a time.