Dustin Diamond

Dustin Neil Diamond (born January 7, 1977 in San Jose, California), is an American actor who gained fame during the 1990s as Screech Powers, a nerdy character in the popular sitcom, Saved by the Bell.

Salty the Pocketknife

Diamond is currently a stand-up comedian and bass player in the band Salty The Pocketknife. However, harassment perpetrated by DustinDiamond.com contributors led to the closing of the band's forum section on their website, and at some time afterward the website was hacked by a group calling itself "The Iranian Black Hat", and has not as yet been repaired. There have also been documented cases of band members being harassed on AOL Instant Messenger as well, with references to Screech invariably making their way into the conversations.

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The future of the band is unknown.

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Currently Diamond is being sued by Salty the Pocketknife's former label. Diamond, 28, who lives in Milwaukee, is being sued in Montgomery County Court by Ambler music producer/distributor Sonance Entertainment. The claim: Diamond - bassist in a band called Salty the Pocketknife - did nothing to promote the band's CD and left Sonance on the hook for CDs. Among the choice cuts are such classics as "Red Panties 145," "Magic Garbage Ride" and the burning track "Pour No Gasoline."

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Sonance, headed by Rick Frimmer and represented in court by Lawrence Pauker of Norristown, seeks in excess of $200,000.

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The suit says Sonance arranged a promotional trip to New York, but Diamond "failed to wake up for scheduled radio interviews, complained about his picture not being on a billboard in Times Square, and spent almost a full afternoon auditioning for a television part that had nothing to do with the Salty CD." The suit also alleges that although Diamond had promised to promote the CD on Jay Leno's and Howard Stern's shows, he never reached out to Leno's people and Stern's crew turned him down.

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Daniel W. McCartney of Norristown, representing Diamond, said Diamond "fulfilled his obligations.

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