Neil Diamond on his Kennedy Center honor

If 2011 doesn't rank as the best time of Neil Diamond's 50-year career, it surely must be close.

Just consider the major awards the enduring, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has accrued over the past 12 months.

In March, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; in May, he was named a Billboard Icon at the annual Billboard Music Awards; and now, he is a recipient of arguably the highest American accolade given to any performer, the Kennedy Center Honors.

Taped at the start of the month, the 34th annual ceremony will be a traditional year-ending special for CBS Tuesday night at 9. Saluted as well during this year's event staged in Washington, D.C., are two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, saxophonist Sonny Rollins and cabaret singer and Tony Award-winning actressBarbara Cook ("The Music Man").

Diamond spoke to us about receiving the medal.

What's your general feeling about receiving the Kennedy Center Honors?

You know, it's a huge honor, but I don't want to let it go to my head. I'm going to have to work twice as hard to put on the kind of show my audience expects when I go out on tour next summer. I know who my boss is. I can win all the medals in the world, but I still have to come up with the goods onstage.

How did you first find out about your being recognized with the Kennedy Center Honors?

My management got a letter, and at first I thought I was going to be asked to perform for somebody else being honored. Then I thought they got the wrong Neil Diamond. It became pretty clear, though, that they wanted to give me some kind of a medal for rock and roll. And I thought that was pretty amazing.

What do you think about being one of very few Kennedy Center honorees, including Bruce Springsteen and Roger Daltrey, to represent rock music?

Rock has played an important part in the culture of this country for the last 50 or 60 years, and I think it's a good thing that it's being recognized.

Had you ever met any of your fellow Kennedy Center honorees before?

No, I never had. I'm just very pleased about the whole thing. This has been one of those years that you read about in fairy tales, and it's exciting, but it really puts a lot of pressure on me when I go out and perform again . . . or when I do anything. And I kind of like that. I work well under pressure.