THE MEN BEHIND THE MUSIC - REINIE PRESS: BASS GUITAR

Reinie Press retired from Neil Diamond’s band in 2015, where he had served almost 45 years as bass player, he featured in the famous Hot August Night series of concerts alongside other long standing band member Alan Lindgren, his dedication to the band and Neil was remarkable, where he never missed a performance throughout his illustrious career with Neil.

Regarded as the quiet man of the band, Reinie just turned up and played, not to suggest he wasn’t sociable, but he is a dedicated musician, with many accolades bestowed upon him.

Born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, there was always music in the Press household, where aside from his great guitar work, he has an interest in many other instruments, most notably the piano.

Reinie formally studied music whilst attending the St Louis institute of music and then North Texas state University’s renowned jazz program, while in Texas, Reinie joined the booming jingle business, both playing bass guitar and producing.

Reinie moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960’s where he first played in the band for the two year running hit musical “Hair”, there he met and later married the female musical lead, Linda Faust, together they would join the Neil Diamond band in the early seventies.

In his early days with Diamond, Reinie maintained his recording, movie and TV session work, but with Neil’s skyrocketing success, he opted to work exclusively with the singer.

Reinie has a vast eclectic taste in music, where he states he has over 3,000 songs of all varieties on his ipod, where he can choose randomly what he wants to hear.

Reinie’s favourite Neil Diamond song is, I Am ... I Said, where he states, it tells the story of who Neil really is, a home grown boy, who took a journey of self discovery.