Joel Diamond, Former Neighbor of Don Hewitt, Offers Insights into Previous 60 Minutes Leadership

Says Neighbor & Multi-platinum Record Producer Joel Diamond

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A recent internal memo from 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has drawn attention to internal tensions at the long-running news program, following her allegation that a segment related to a Donald Trump deportation story was pulled shortly before airtime. According to reports, Alfonsi alleged that the decision was politically motivated.

The development comes amid a period of heightened scrutiny for 60 Minutes and CBS News, including a $20 billion lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against the program, as well as the recent resignations of Executive Producer Bill Owens and CBS News President Wendy McMahon.

Joel Diamond, a multi-platinum record producer, commented on the situation by referencing the program’s historical leadership. Joel lived in the penthouse at 220 Central Park South, and almost every day found himself sharing the elevator with a guy named Don—though he never learned his last name. Months went by before he finally asked Don, “By the way, what do you do?”

The guy 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

Don Hewitt, who lived just several floors below Joel, was renowned not only for his extraordinary success but for his rare humility and self-deprecating wit. Joel fondly recalls a moment when the two found themselves alone in the elevator. Turning to him, Hewitt remarked, “Joel, I have to show you the carpet they’re planning for our lobby." Within moments, Hewitt ripped open the packaging and dramatically unrolled an ugly-as-creases carpet across the entire lobby floor—a perfectly understated demonstration delivered with Hewitt’s signature wit.

Few could have predicted that the penthouse Joel Diamond called home for two decades would one day set a historic benchmark as the most expensive residential sale in the United States - 248 Million purchased by hedge fund titan Ken Griffin. According to a recent article, even Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s expansive Malibu compound came in a distant second.

Joel Diamond was featured in the Random House publication Billionaire’s Row, appearing alongside a distinguished roster of other highly successful entrepreneurs and celebrated residents.

Over the years, an extraordinary array of luminaries—including Sammy Davis Jr., Roy Orbison, Marvin Hamlisch, Joe Pesci, Robert Redford, Steve Lawrence, David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne, Britt Ekland, Regis Philbin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Neil Sedaka, and Salvador Dalí, among many others—were drawn to his legendary full-floor penthouse residence.

His home was renowned for its sweeping 360-degree views of Central Park, expansive terraces on all four sides, a private elevator opening directly into the residence, and its famously charming—and eccentric—in-apartment mail chute.

At the height of this era, Diamond was also named Cosmopolitan Magazine’s “Bachelor of the Month,” an honor that generated literally thousands of fan letters.

Diamond reflects back on his remarkable multi-decade journey—from a stuttering high school nerd in Passaic, NJ 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, Publishing, where he quickly hired a then-unknown Tommy Mottola (who stands today as one of the music industry’s wealthiest and most powerful figures) as his assistant. He was later appointed by Clive Davis to lead Sony/April-Blackwood Music, where he negotiated David Geffen’s first million-dollar publishing agreement for Laura Nyro.

Building on his success in music publishing, he transitioned into record production, going on to produce 47 Gold and Platinum recordings for artists including Engelbert Humperdinck, David Hasselhoff, Gloria Gaynor, Helen Reddy, The Five Browns (three consecutive Billboard # 1 classical albums), comedy icon Andrew Dice Clay, among many other acclaimed artists.

Just recently, a top Sony executive described him this way: "Joel is respected as one of the industry's more creatively oriented business people who always has his finger on the pulse of what's happening now."

He continues to enjoy his bachelor lifestyle living in a gated enclave in Calabasas, California—where he was recently featured on the cover of Calabasas/Malibu Lifestyles Magazine. Yet when asked about the greatest achievement of his life, his answer is immediate and unwavering: “My beautiful and extraordinarily talented 33-year-old daughter, Briana—an accomplished photographer who inspires me every day.”

With a life shaped by adventures both inside and outside the music industry, one question has followed him for years: “When are you going to write your book?

For more information or celebrity pictures in the Penthouse, contact Joel Diamond: Phone: 818 980-9588
Email: jdiamond20@aol.com Website: www.JoelDiamond.com
#60minutes #CBS #joeldiamond

Joel Diamond
Silver Blue Productions, Ltd.
+1 818-980-9588
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