Thanks to heavy ticket demand, Neil Diamond [ tickets ] has extended his stays in several of the cities on his upcoming North American tour.

Additional shows have been added in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Minneapolis and Dallas. Two new Los Angeles dates have also been announced, according to Diamond's website.

The North American leg of Diamond's current world tour kicks off in mid-September, and dates so far stretch through the end of October. Details are shown below; tickets for all shows are now on sale.

The U.S. trek follows a late-spring/early summer run through Europe that launches next month; details are posted at Diamond's website. The singer recently completed a swing through Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to his tour plans, Diamond's 2005 agenda also includes the release of a new album that finds him teamed with producer Rick Rubin. Known primarily for his work with rock outfits such as Audioslave, Red Hot Chili Peppers and System of a Down, Rubin helped late singer/songwriter Johnny Cash revive his recording career in the years leading up to his death with the Grammy-winning "American Recording" series.

No release date for Diamond's Rubin-produced set has been announced.

Diamond has never had a No. 1 album, but is well established as a top draw on the concert circuit. His 2001-2002 outing behind his most recent album, 2001's "Three Chord Opera," grossed $88.6 million and played to more than 1.5 million people over the course of 117 shows--98 of which were sellouts--according to Billboard.