CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- 'Unique' is an often misused word that should be trotted out only for something "existing as the only one or as the sole example."

Submitted for your consideration is something unique: Theron Denson, the world's only African-American Neil Diamond tribute singer.

For people who already know of "The Black Diamond," stay tuned for new developments as Neil Diamond's own percussionist and an acclaimed record producer are on board to produce a new CD by the Charleston native.

Meanwhile, head to the Clay Center Thursday to experience a West Virginia black man who sings like one of America's whitest singers when The Black Diamond opens for The Pointer Sisters in the FestivALL Charleston Mayor's Concert.

How does opening for The Pointer Sisters in a showcase venue in his hometown rate, careerwise, for a public housing kid who now calls Vegas home? "Oh, it's up at the top," says Denson, who came into town early for family time and a round of media interviews.

He ranks it right up there with a gig a few years ago on "The Jimmy Kimmel Show." Only an appearance on "The Oprah Show" might rival it, and The Black Diamond -- Oprah, if you're reading this, call Theron -- has a campaign underway.

"I'm in Chicago the next few months. I've booked a lot of shows there. I'm on a mission to get Oprah's attention before she exits the city."

He laughs. But anyone, especially those of us in the media, knows that if Theron Denson has your number, you'll be hearing from him.

Only a handful of city blocks separate the Clay Center and the Fifth Quarter restaurant on Clendenin Street. But that short distance speaks volumes about the distance Denson has come in his curious musical journey.

The year was 1997 and Denson had come for dinner. "They had that salad bar I like, that salad bar that went on for miles. Someone said 'Why don't you get up and do some karaoke?'"

He left the table. He would never return to his cherry tomatoes.

"I got up and did 'Sweet Caroline.' The audience seemed to like the song so much that I think I ended up doing a concert. People started requesting Neil Diamond tunes."

The seeds of the Black Diamond had been sown.

"At that point, I was kind of bitten by the -- wow -- the applause! So I went back the next week. And the next week ... I was just karaoke-ing all over Charleston and Huntington."

The Black Diamond Show did not officially commence until 2000. Denson is quick to add a shout-out to The Empty Glass, the Charleston club where he polished his style and shtick and found his first devoted fans.

But let's back up to that moment in West Virginia musical history when it was first pointed out to a young African-American kid that, hey, you really sound a lot like Neil Diamond!

Neil who?

"I was about 11 years old. At that time I was living over in the public housing projects, Littlepage Terrace. These people would come pick us up and bring us to church in Kanawha City on Chesterfield Avenue, the Church of Christ. There are no instruments in the Church of Christ, it's all a cappella. So you have to kind of be able to sing.

"They would hear me singing 'Amazing Grace' or 'How Great Thou Art' or whatever and they'd turn around and go, 'Oh my goodness, young man! Do you realize you sound like Neil Diamond?'

"I was, like, who is Neil Diamond? At the time, I thought he went to my church and I just hadn't met him yet."

A few years later he got his hands on the soundtrack to "The Jazz Singer," which starred Diamond and his songs. He went on to learn Diamond's tunes and hits like "Sweet Caroline," "Hello Again" and "Love on the Rocks."

While working the desk at a Charleston hotel, Denson's muses simply could not be contained and he'd sing some of these songs to guests. They liked it. Management -- not so much. "I was called into human resources and sort of given the option of not singing any longer to the guests and keeping my job," he recalled.

He chose the muses.

"Really, the Black Diamond Show was born out of a desire to eat. I walked out, I remember, from the hotel and looked up at heaven and said, 'Well, God, it's just me, you and Neil Diamond now.'"

Surely, it's an anecdote he has polished and repeated for years. But it's no less true that he has found a niche in an often unforgiving music business. "Little did I know I would never look back again. We're now, I'm proud to say, celebrating the 10th year of The Black Diamond Show," Denson said.

Keep in perspective that he's not playing the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and he plays a lot of corporate functions and private shows. But it's still Vegas, baby.

"I have a rockin' band. We play on the Strip every so often, a little place on Las Vegas Boulevard called Bootlegger Bistro. It draws in a very eclectic audience. We're there once a month, then I'm touring pretty much the rest of the time."

As a man who knows how to make connections, Denson has become pals with The Pointer Sisters, whose stage presence he has studied keenly at scores of shows. In April, he hooked up with King Errisson, Neil Diamond's percussionist and a pre-eminent session player over the years for everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. to Barbra Streisand.

Errisson, reached by phone, said he is hoping later this year to co-produce a CD by Denson (working title "The Black Diamond Experience") with soul music artist and record producer Jerry Williams Jr., better known as Swamp Dog.

"I got to hear him and liked him a lot -- he's a very nice young man. A very talented guy," said Errisson. "We're going to record an album as soon as he's available. There are certain things I'd like to see happen that only a person close to Neil Diamond would know what to do."

Errisson has forwarded Denson's music to Neil Diamond's office in hopes the star might invite his vocal impersonator on stage one day. "I got an e-mail back from the office and they told me they had heard of him long before I did -- and liked it."

Denson hopes someday to finally meet the man who, in a fashion, punches his meal ticket. At the same time, at age 46, he'd like to try and introduce some of his own material into his career. "It would be fun to actually do my own original stuff and see how it's received."

But the Black Diamond knows he owes all to that other Diamond.