New Year’s Eve show had been cancelled

Beloved Buffalo R&B singer Lance Diamond died Sunday, a few days after he canceled his New Year’s Eve performance at his favorite venue, Milkie’s on Elmwood Avenue, formerly the Elmwood Lounge, where he appeared regularly for many years.

He had been hospitalized in Buffalo General Medical Center for heart complications, family members said.

In a career that spanned more than four decades, Diamond and his 24 Karat Diamond Band appeared at every major local festival and public event. His dynamic personality, his deep croon and his dance rhythms guaranteed a good time.

Among his fans were the Goo Goo Dolls, who included him on their recordings and performed live with him on many occasions. In recent years, he also hosted a Saturday night radio show.

Nicknamed “The Hardest Working Man in Buffalo Show Business,” he was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and won numerous music awards locally.

Diamond started performing in 1970 with the Pneu Breed and worked for several years as a maintenance man in the Buffalo schools.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he toured the U.S. and Japan with Isaac and the Lance Diamond Show, opening for stars such as James Brown and the Righteous Brothers.