Dean Colley was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and attended the University of Southern California as a pre-med student in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, while working as an Emergency Room Technician. However, Dean’s true passion was writing, singing and performing. He sang and played guitar in a variety of rock & roll bands for 20+ years. The Hot August Night!concept and the incentive to move in a new direction, were the result of two catalysts. The first was a litany of comments on Dean’s resemblance to Neil Diamond, including a strong baritone voice and secondly, a piece of advice from a concert promoter who had watched Dean develop as an artist for several years: "You should do a Neil Diamond tribute!"

 

After assembling an initial 30-plus song set of Diamond classics, Dean auditioned band members and then plunged headlong into rehearsals.

 

Hot August Night! A Tribute to Neil Diamond starring Dean Colley has since performed in Las Vegas, Reno, and Laughlin Nevada, in Oregon and throughout Southern California at fairs, clubs, casinos, concerts and fundraisers.