Neil Diamond will donate this week's sales from his 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline" to the victims of last Monday's Boston Marathon bombing, according to the singer's representatives.
The song's popularity spiked after Bostonians turned to the classic as a source of comfort.
Sales from Diamond's song are up by 597%, Nielsen SoundScan said Wednesday.
"Sweet Caroline" sold 19,000 tracks this week and 2,800 tracks the previous week. In total, 1.75 million tracks have been sold to date, The Associated Press reported.
Editor's Note: Did Marathon Bombers Train Overseas? Learn More at LIGNET
On Saturday, Diamond surprised fans at Boston's Fenway Park by walking on the field and leading the crowd in a sing-along of "Sweet Caroline."
The crowd-pleasing song is a staple of Boston Red Sox games. It makes no specific mention of Boston or the Red Sox, but the team started playing it regularly at Fenway Park more than a decade ago and fans took to it.
The
New York Yankees, Toronto Raptors and other professional sports teams also have played the song at games in the days after the deadly blasts April 15.
The 72-year-old Brooklyn, New York native released "Sweet Caroline" in 1969. The song was inspired by the name of President Kennedy's daughter, Caroline.
In addition to it being broadcast at Boston Red Sox games, the tune also appeared in the 1996 Ted Demme film "Beautiful Girls," starring Matt Damon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, and Rosie O'Donnell.
Diamond isn't the only musician fundraising for the victims of the bombing.
The Irish-American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys tweeted on Wednesday that they had already raised $150,000 through t-shirt sales for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
The Celtic band, which was formed in Quincy, Mass., will also hold a benefit for the victims in coming weeks.
Alert: Government ‘Blunder’ Spawns Massive Profit Opportunity
Related stories:
Boston Marathon bombers inspired by Radical Islam
Double Amputee Marine's Visit Inspires Boston Bombing Victims (Video)
Boston Mourns Slain MIT Officer