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Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "
Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20. The song was initially released in 1971 by Featherbe ...
", "
Looks Like We Made It "Looks Like We Made It" is a song by American singer Barry Manilow, from his 1976 album '' This One's for You'', composed by Richard Kerr with lyrics by Will Jennings. The single was released April 20, 1977. Overview The song was first released ...
", " Mandy", "
I Write the Songs "I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1976 Bronson, Fred (2003). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Hits'', 5th Edition (Billboard Pub ...
", "
Can't Smile Without You "Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 19 ...
", " Weekend in New England", and "
Copacabana (At the Copa) "Copacabana", also known as "Copacabana (At the Copa)", is a song recorded by Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixt ...
". Manilow has recorded and released 51 Top 40 singles on the
Adult Contemporary Chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stati ...
, including 13 that hit number one, 28 that appeared within the top ten, and 36 that reached the top twenty. He has released 13 platinum and six
multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
albums. Although not a favorite artist of music critics, Manilow has been praised by his peers in the recording industry. In the 1970s,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
predicted: "He's next." As well as producing and arranging albums for himself and other artists, Manilow has written and performed songs for musicals, films, and commercials for corporations such as
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
,
Pepsi Cola Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long-standing rivalry ...
, and Band-Aid. He has been nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
(winning once) as a producer, arranger and performer fifteen times (and in every decade) from 1973 to 2015. He has also produced Grammy-nominated albums for
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
,
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
, Nancy Wilson, and
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
. Manilow has sold more than 85 million records as a solo artist worldwide, making him one of the world's bestselling artists.


Early life

Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943, in the
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
borough of New York City, the son of Edna Manilow and Harold Kelliher, a truck driver of Irish descent. Barry's mother made his father change his name to Pincus, the name of a Jewish uncle of his father from the 1800s. Barry's parents divorced when he was a baby, and his mother's family allowed no further contact between Barry and his father. Barry's maternal grandparents were
Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...
immigrants, and his paternal grandfather was Jewish, though his grandmother was a Catholic of Irish descent. His Irish roots trace back to
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, Ireland. Barry's grandfather had his surname changed to Manilow a few weeks before Barry's bar mitzvah. Manilow grew up in the
Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...
neighborhood of
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and graduated in 1961 from the now-defunct
Eastern District High School The Grand Street Campus is a building used as the home for three high schools in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. The current building at 850 Grand Street opened in 1981; its identity as the Grand Street Campus dates to 1996. It is curre ...
. In high school, he met Susan Deixler, and they later married for a short time. He enrolled in the
City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...
, where he briefly studied before entering the
New York College of Music The New York College of Music was an American conservatory of music located in Manhattan that flourished from 1878 to 1968. The college was incorporated under the laws of New York and was empowered to confer diplomas and degrees ranging from a ...
. He also worked at
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
to pay his expenses while he was a student. Afterward he studied musical theater at Juilliard Performing Arts School.


Career


1960s

In 1964, Manilow met Bro Herrod, a CBS director, who asked him to
arrange Arrange is a mythological figure from the Aboriginal Australian creation myth of the Alyawarre people for Karlu Karlu. In the myth, the figure Arrange, who is also referred to as the devil man, comes from Ayleparrarntenhe. Arrange was making ...
some songs for a musical adaptation of the
melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
, ''
The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.
''. Instead, Manilow wrote an entire original
score SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...
. Herrod used Manilow's composition in the
Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
musical, which had an eight-year run at New York's
13th Street Repertory Theatre The Thirteenth Street Repertory Theatre (13th St Rep) is an off-off Broadway theater in New York City founded in 1972 by Edith O'Hara. It is home to the longest running play in Off-Off Broadway history, Israel Horovitz's '' Line'' which began its ...
. During this time, Manilow began work as a commercial
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
writer and singer, which continued through the remainder of the 1960s. He performed many of the TV jingles he composed, including
State Farm Insurance State Farm Insurance is a group of mutual insurance companies throughout the United States with corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1922, it is the largest property, casualty and auto insurance provider in the United ...
("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there") or Band-Aid ("I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!"), for which he adopted a childlike voice and wrote the music (Donald B Wood wrote the lyrics). His singing-only credits include commercials for
Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's s ...
,
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
("all across the nation, it's the
Pepsi Generation The Pepsi Generation, is the theme of an advertising campaign for Pepsi-Cola, a US brand of soft drink, that launched in 1963 as the result of a slogan contest. A new car was awarded to the writer of the winning slogan. The contest was the brainc ...
"),
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
("you deserve a break today"), and
Dr Pepper Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink. Dr Pepper was created in the 1880s by the American pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, and was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It is manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper in t ...
. Manilow was awarded an Honorary Clio at the 50th Anniversary
Clio Awards The Clio Awards, also simply known as The Clios, is an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication, as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. The award ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
in 2009 for his 1960s work as a jingle writer and singer. When accepting the award, he said he learned the most about making pop music by working for three or four years as a writer in the jingle industry. By 1967, Manilow was the musical director for the
WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...
series ''Callback'', which premiered on January 27, 1968. He next conducted and arranged for
Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...
's production company, arranging a new theme for ''The Late Show'', while writing, producing, and singing his radio and television jingles. At the same time, he and Jeanne Lucas performed as a duo for a two-season run at
Julius Monk Julius Withers Monk (November 10, 1912, Spencer, North Carolina – August 17, 1995, New York City) was an American impresario in the New York cabaret scene. His 1956 revue, ''Four Below'', has been characterized as "the first legitimate cafe re ...
's Upstairs at the Downstairs club in New York. By 1969, Manilow was signed by Columbia/ CBS Music vice-president and recording artist,
Tony Orlando Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis (born April 3, 1944), known professionally as Tony Orlando, is an American Pop music, pop/Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and music executive whose career spans nearly seven decades. He is best known for h ...
, who went on to co-write with and produce Manilow and a group of studio musicians under the name "Featherbed" on
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
' newly acquired
Bell Records Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 in New York City by Arthur Shimkin, the owner of the children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benn ...
label."


1970s

Manilow recorded and accompanied artists on the piano for auditions and performances in the first two years of the 1970s. He recorded four tracks as Featherbed, produced by Tony Orlando on Bell Records. Three of the tracks were "Morning", a ballad; "Amy", a psychedelic-influenced pop song; and an early, uptempo version of his own co-composition (with Orlando) "
Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20. The song was initially released in 1971 by Featherbe ...
". The fourth tune recorded was "Rosalie Rosie", which was to be the flip side of "Could It Be Magic", but Bell Records went with "Morning" as the flip for Featherbed's second release instead. Neither of two singles released impacted on the charts.
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
saw Manilow's act in 1971 and chose him as her pianist at the
Continental Baths The Continental Baths was a gay bathhouse in the basement of The Ansonia Hotel in New York City, which was operated from 1968 to 1976 by Steve Ostrow. It was advertised as reminiscent of "the glory of ancient Rome". It opened after Ostrow obs ...
in New York City that year, and subsequently as a producer on both her debut and second record albums, ''
The Divine Miss M ''The Divine Miss M'' is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Bette Midler, released in 1972 on the Atlantic Records label. The title of the album refers to Midler's famous stage persona. The album was co-produced by Barry Manil ...
'' (1972) and ''
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
'' (1973). He also acted as her musical director on the tour mounted for her first album. In 1973, Manilow was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Album of the Year The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is an award presented by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the r ...
for his production role on ''The Divine Miss M'' at the
16th Grammy Awards The 16th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognised accomplishments by musicians from the year 1973. Performers * Gladys Knight & The Pips - "Midnight Train to Georgia" * Charli ...
. Manilow worked with Midler from 1971 to 1975. After the Featherbed singles failed to impact on the music charts, in July 1973, Bell Records released the album ''
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
'', which offered an
eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
mix of piano-driven pop and guitar-driven rock music, including a song called "I Am Your Child", which Manilow had composed with
Marty Panzer Marty Panzer (March 20, 1945) is an American songwriter and first song-writing partner of Barry Manilow. He is the author of over 30 songs recorded by Manilow and over a hundred songs for Disney Pictures. He also co-wrote the song " Through The Y ...
. Among other songs on the album were
Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...
's
vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
standard "Cloudburst", most successfully recorded by his group
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their ...
in 1959, and a slower-tempo version of "Could It Be Magic". The latter's music was based on Chopin's " Prelude in C Minor" and provided
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
with one of her first hits. It was also covered by
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
in the 1990s, as an upbeat disco version of the song. Take That have since performed Manilow's original version during their Beautiful World Tour. In 1974, former CBS Records chief
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
became temporary president of Bell with the goal of revitalizing Columbia Pictures's music division. With a $10 million investment by CPI, and a reorganization of the various Columbia Pictures legacy labels (
Colpix Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement o ...
,
Colgems Colgems Records was a record label that existed from 1966 to 1971. History Colgems was a joint venture between Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, and RCA Victor to issue records by the Monkees and other artists affilia ...
, and Bell), Davis introduced Columbia Pictures' new record division, Arista, in November 1974, with Davis himself owning 20% of the venture. Bell had its final number 1 hit in January 1975 with Manilow's breakthrough 1974 release of the single " Mandy" (Bell 45,613), followed shortly by the label's final hit, as well as its final single, "Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman" by
Tony Orlando and Dawn Tony Orlando and Dawn (also known simply as Dawn) is an American pop music group that was popular in the 1970s, composed of singer Tony Orlando and the backing vocal group Dawn (Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson). Their signature hits inclu ...
(Bell 45,620—US No. 11), after which the more successful Bell albums were reissued on Arista. The final releases using the Bell imprint have the designation "Bell Records, Distributed by Arista Records, 1776 Broadway, New York, New York 10019" around the rim of the label. Davis' reorganization efforts continued to bear fruit in 1974, with the release of Manilow's second album, ''
Barry Manilow II ''Barry Manilow II'' is the second studio album by Barry Manilow released in 1974. Propelled by the major success of its lead single " Mandy" and featuring a further international hit in " It's a Miracle", the album was a commercial breakthrough ...
'', with "Mandy" as the lead single. Manilow had not wanted to record the song, which had originally been titled "Brandy" when recorded by its co-writer
Scott English Sheldon David "Scott" English (January 10, 1937 – November 16, 2018) was an American songwriter, arranger and record producer. He is best known as the co-writer of "Brandy" which he wrote with Richard Kerr. The song became a No. 1 hit fo ...
, but the song was included at Davis's insistence. The title was changed to "Mandy" during the recording session on August 20, 1974, because there had already been a song called "
Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" is a 1972 song by American pop rock band Looking Glass from their debut album, '' Looking Glass''. It was written by Looking Glass lead guitarist and co-vocalist Elliot Lurie. The single reached No. 1 on both the ...
" performed by
Looking Glass A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...
and released in 1972 on Davis's
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
label. "Mandy" was the start of a string of hit singles and albums that lasted through the early 1980s, coming from the multi-platinum and multi-hit albums ''
Tryin' to Get the Feeling ''Tryin' to Get the Feeling'' is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1975. It features the title track, " Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", together with other hits including "New York City Rhythm", "Bandstan ...
'', '' This One's for You'', '' Even Now'', and '' One Voice''. Following the success of ''Barry Manilow II'', the first Bell Records album was remixed and reissued on Arista Records as ''Barry Manilow I''. When Manilow went on his first tour, he included in his show what he called "A V.S.M.", or "A Very Strange Medley", a sampling of some of the commercial jingles that he had written, composed, and/or sung in the 1960s. The medley appeared later on his triple-platinum 1977 album ''
Barry Manilow Live ''Barry Manilow Live'' is the fifth album by the singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was released in 1977, and it became Manilow's first to top the US ''Billboard'' 200. Manilow also was among 1977 Special Tony Award winners Lily Tomlin ...
''. Beginning with Manilow's March 22, 1975, appearance on ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' to promote the second album, a productive friendship with
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
started. Among their projects together were numerous appearances by Manilow on Clark's productions of ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE''), billed since 2008 as ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'', is a New Year's Eve television special broadcast by American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The special broadcasts ...
'', singing his original seasonal favorite "
It's Just Another New Year's Eve "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" is a song recorded by Barry Manilow and written by Manilow with Marty Panzer. It was followed by the single " Can't Smile Without You". The song appears on Manilow's 1977 album '' Barry Manilow Live''. The sing ...
", ''American Bandstand'' anniversary shows, ''
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
s'' performances, and the 1985 television movie '' Copacabana'', starring Manilow and executive produced by Clark. Despite being a songwriter in his own right, several of Manilow's commercial successes were songs written by others. In addition to "Mandy", other hits he did not write or compose include "
Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" is a song written by David Pomeranz that became a top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1976. It was first recorded by the Carpenters in 1975, but their version was not released until 1994 on their 25th anniversary CD ...
" (by
David Pomeranz David Pomeranz (born February 9, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, composer, lyricist, and writer for musical theater. He is also an ambassador for Operation Smile, a foundation dedicated to cleft lip and palate and a member of the Churc ...
), " Weekend in New England" (by
Randy Edelman Randy Edelman (born June 10, 1947) is an American musician, Record producer, producer, and composer and Conducting, conductor for Film score, film and television. He began his career as a member of Broadway theatre, Broadway's pit orchestras; he ...
), "
Ships A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, ...
" (by Ian Hunter), "
Looks Like We Made It "Looks Like We Made It" is a song by American singer Barry Manilow, from his 1976 album '' This One's for You'', composed by Richard Kerr with lyrics by Will Jennings. The single was released April 20, 1977. Overview The song was first released ...
" (by Richard Kerr and
Will Jennings Wilbur Herschel Jennings (June 27, 1944 – September 6, 2024) was an American lyricist. He was known for writing the songs " Up Where We Belong", " Higher Love", " Tears in Heaven" and "My Heart Will Go On". He was inducted into the Songwriter ...
), "
Can't Smile Without You "Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 19 ...
" and " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (by Charles Fox and
Norman Gimbel Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist and songwriter of popular songs and themes to television shows and films. He wrote the lyrics for songs including " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (with composer Cha ...
). His number 1 hit "
I Write the Songs "I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1976 Bronson, Fred (2003). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Hits'', 5th Edition (Billboard Pub ...
" was composed by
Bruce Johnston Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
of
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
. According to album liner notes, Manilow did, however, perform co-production as well as arrangement duties on all the above tracks along with
Ron Dante Carmine John Granito (born August 22, 1945), known professionally as Ron Dante, is an American singing, singer, songwriter, Session musician, session vocalist, and record producer. Dante is best known as the real life lead singer of the fiction ...
, most famous for his vocals on records by
The Archies The Archies are an American fictional rock band featured in media produced by, and related to, Archie Comics. They are best remembered for their appearance in the animated TV series '' The Archie Show''. In the context of the series, the band ...
. Manilow's breakthrough in Britain came with the release of ''Even Now'', the first of many top-20 albums on that side of the Atlantic, which contained four singles that became major hits in the US. This was quickly followed by ''Manilow Magic The Best Of Barry Manilow'', also known as ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
''. In the late 1970s and early 1980s,
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
aired four variety television specials starring Manilow, who served as an executive producer. ''The Barry Manilow Special'' with
Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 â€“ December 17, 2018) was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for ...
as his guest premiered on March 2, 1977, to an audience of 37 million. The special was nominated for four
Emmys The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
at the
29th Primetime Emmy Awards The 29th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 11, 1977. The ceremony was broadcast on NBC. It was hosted by Angie Dickinson and Robert Blake. The top shows of the night were ''Mary Tyler Moore'', which, in its final season, won ...
and won in the category of Outstanding Special–Comedy, Variety or Music. ''The Second Barry Manilow Special'' in 1978, with
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
as his guest, was also nominated for four Emmys at the
30th Primetime Emmy Awards The 30th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 17, 1978. The ceremony was broadcast on CBS, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California. The top shows of the night were ''All in the Family'', which won its then record fourth ...
. Manilow's " Ready to Take a Chance Again" originated in the film '' Foul Play'', which also featured " Copacabana", from his fourth studio album ''Even Now''. "Ready to Take a Chance Again" and its songwriters Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel were nominated that year for the "
Best Original Song The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best ...
"
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
at the
51st Academy Awards The 51st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1978 and took place on April 9, 1979, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 7:00 p.m ...
. On February 11, 1979, a concert from Manilow's sold-out dates from his
Even Now Tour The Even Now Tour (also known as the North American Tour and advertised as Barry Manilow in Concert) is the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Barry Manilow. The tour supports his fifth studio album '' Even Now'' (1978). Beginning i ...
at the
Greek Theater A theatrical culture flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. At its centre was the city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, and the theatre was institutionalised there as par ...
in Los Angeles aired on the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series '' Standing Room Only'', which was the first pay-television show to pose a serious threat to network primetime specials for ratings. From the same tour in 1978, a one-hour special from Manilow's sold-out concert at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
aired in the UK. On May 23, 1979, ABC aired ''The Third Barry Manilow Special'', with
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 â€“ October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...
as his guest. This special was nominated for two Emmy awards at the
31st Primetime Emmy Awards The 31st Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held on Sunday, September 9, 1979. The ceremony was broadcast on the ABC. It was hosted by Henry Winkler and Cheryl Ladd. This ceremony is remembered for problems with the Pasadena Civic Auditorium's ...
and won for Outstanding Choreography. Also in 1979, Manilow produced
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
's "comeback" album '' Dionne'', her first to go platinum. He scored a top ten hit of his own, in the fall of 1979, with the song "
Ships A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, ...
" (written and composed by Ian Hunter, former lead singer of Mott the Hoople) from the album '' One Voice''.


1980s

During the 1980s, Manilow topped the Adult Contemporary radio charts with songs such as " The Old Songs", " Somewhere Down the Road", "
Read 'Em and Weep "Read 'Em and Weep" is a rock song composed by Jim Steinman. It was originally written for Meat Loaf and recorded for his 1981 album, '' Dead Ringer'', the second of only two tracks on the album produced by Steinman and Jimmy Iovine. Barry Mani ...
" (by
Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...
), and a remake of the 1941
Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...
and
Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...
standard " I Don't Want to Walk Without You". Manilow's songs continued to receive frequent radio airplay throughout the decade. In the UK, Manilow performed five sold-out concerts at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
. In the United States, at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...
, his 1984 ten-night run set a box-office sales record of nearly $2 million, making him the top draw in the 52-year history of the venue. In 1980, Manilow's ''One Voice'' special, with Dionne Warwick as his guest, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction at the
32nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 32nd Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 7, 1980, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The awards show was hosted by Steve Allen and Dick Clark and broadcast on NBC. For the second year in a row, the top series awards went t ...
. Also in 1980, a concert from Manilow's sold-out shows at London England's
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
was broadcast while he was on a world tour. Manilow released the self-titled ''
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
'' (1980), which was his first album to not reach the top ten in the United States, stopping at number 15. The album contained the top 10 hits "
I Made It Through the Rain "I Made It Through the Rain" is a song that became a hit after it was recorded by American singer Barry Manilow, also included on his 1980 album, ''Barry''. The song was originally recorded in 1979 by its co-writer Gerard Kenny who composed it wi ...
" (originally a minor hit for its writer,
Gerard Kenny Gerard W. Kenny (born July 8, 1947, New York City, United States) is an American singer-songwriter, based in London, England. In 1981, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Theme Music for his song "I Could Be So Good for You", ...
) and "
Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a loosely defined region in the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly bounded by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Since the mid-20th century, it has been the focus of an urban legend sug ...
". The album ''
If I Should Love Again ''If I Should Love Again'' is the eighth studio album released by singer and songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was recorded at United Western Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album was released in 1981, and it was certified go ...
'' followed in 1981, with two top 40 recordings that both hit number 1 on the AC chart—"The Old Songs" and "Somewhere Down The Road"—and a third single that became a hit in the UK, a cover of the 1965 The Four Seasons smash "
Let's Hang On! "Let's Hang On!" is a song composed by Bob Crewe, Sandy Linzer, and Denny Randell that was popularized by The Four Seasons (band), the Four Seasons in 1965. The Four Seasons version The Four Seasons' recording reached No. 3 in the Billboard Hot ...
". This was the first of his albums that Manilow produced without Ron Dante. Manilow's sold-out concert at the
Pittsburgh Civic Arena The Civic Arena, formerly the Civic Auditorium and later Mellon Arena, was an arena located in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Civic Arena primarily served as the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) ...
aired nationally on
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
and locally on
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
's now-defunct
PRISM PRISM is a code name for a program under which the United States National Security Agency (NSA) collects internet communications from various U.S. internet companies. The program is also known by the SIGAD . PRISM collects stored internet ...
. In 1982, a concert from his sold-out
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
show was broadcast in England. The live album and video '' Barry Live in Britain'' also came from his Royal Albert Hall shows. On August 27, 1983, Manilow performed a landmark open-air concert at
Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace ( ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. Originally called Blenheim Castle, it has been known as Blenheim Palace since the 19th century. One of England's larg ...
in Britain, an event that he told the audience was "one of the most exciting nights" in his life. It was the first such event ever held at that venue and was attended by an estimated 40,000 people. This concert was also taped for airing on Showtime. In December 1983, Manilow was reported to have endowed the music departments at six major universities in the United States and Canada. The endowments were part of a continuing endeavor by Manilow to recognize and encourage new musical talent. In 1984, Manilow released '' 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe'', a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
/
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
collection of original barroom tunes recorded in one live take in the studio. That same year, Showtime aired a documentary of Manilow recording the album with a number of jazz legends including
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
and
Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...
. In 1984 and 1985, England aired two one-hour concert specials from his
National Exhibition Centre The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, England, near to Birmingham and Solihull. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International rail ...
(NEC) concerts. In 1985, Manilow left Arista Records for
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
, where he released the pop album '' Manilow'', and began a phase of international music, as he performed songs and duets in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese. The ''Manilow'' album was a complete about-face from the ''Paradise Cafe'' album, containing a number of uptempo tracks that featured synthesizers. In 1985, Japan aired a Manilow concert special where he played "
Sakura The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
" on the koto. In his only lead acting role, Manilow portrayed Tony Starr in the 1985 CBS film '' Copacabana'', based on his 1978 song "Copacabana", alongside
Annette O'Toole Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
as Lola Lamarr and
Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 â€“ August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films '' My Favorite Year'', '' Blame It on Rio'', and '' Transylvania 6-5000''. Life and career B ...
as Rico Castelli. Manilow wrote all the songs for the movie, with lyrics provided by his longtime collaborators
Bruce Sussman Bruce Howard Sussman (born July 12, 1949) is an American lyricist and librettist. Though he has collaborated with numerous composers, he is probably best known for his work with his long-time collaborator, Barry Manilow. Together, they have writ ...
and Jack Feldman. A soundtrack album for the TV film, '' Copacabana: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album'', was released on RCA Records. In October 1986, Manilow, along with Sussman, Tom Scott, and Charlie Fox, went to Washington, D.C. for two days of meetings with legislators, including lunch with then Senator
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
. They were lobbying against a copyright bill put forward by local television broadcasters that would mandate songwriter-producer source licensing of theme and
incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as th ...
on syndicated television show reruns and would disallow the use of the blanket license then in effect. The songwriters said without the blanket license, artists would have to negotiate up front with producers individually, without knowing if a series would be a success. The license now pays according to a per-use formula. Manilow said that such a bill would act as a precedent for broadcasters to get rid of the blanket license entirely. The following year,
McGraw-Hill McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
published Manilow's autobiography, ''Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise'', which took three years to complete. While promoting the work, Manilow defended his music in a telephone interview: "I live in laid-back L.A., but in my heart, I'm an energetic New Yorker and that's what has always come out of my music. I've always been surprised when the critics said I made wimpy little ballads." Manilow returned to Arista Records in 1987 with the release of ''
Swing Street ''Swing Street'' is the twelfth studio album by composer and singer Barry Manilow, released in 1987. Three of the tracks on the album featured Manilow in a duet with another singer. The tracks were recorded at various locations. This album mark ...
''. The album, a mixture of traditional after-dark and techno jazz, contained "Brooklyn Blues", an autobiographical song for Manilow, and "Hey Mambo", an uptempo Latin style duet with
Kid Creole Thomas August Darnell Browder (born August 12, 1950), known professionally as August Darnell and under the stage name Kid Creole, is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He co-founded Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band and subsequently ...
, produced with the help of Emilio Estefan, Jr., founder of
Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American Latin pop band of Latin-influenced music that featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan, the band was originally known as the Mia ...
. CBS aired Manilow's ''Big Fun on Swing Street'' special in March 1988. It featured songs and special guests from his ''Swing Street'' and ''2:00 am Paradise Cafe'' albums, including
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Kid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created by August Darnell with Coati Mundi (musician), Andy Hernandez and Adriana Kaegi. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular a mix of disco and Latin ...
,
Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman's music career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, and she was best known for her expansive contralto range. Some of her most ...
,
Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...
,
Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...
, Tom Scott, and Uncle Festive, a band within Manilow's band at the time. The special was nominated for two Emmys in technical categories, and won in the category of Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program at the
40th Primetime Emmy Awards The 40th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 28, 1988. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The ceremony was held earlier than its traditional September date to avoid confl ...
. In 1988, Manilow performed "Please Don't Be Scared" and "Mandy/Could It Be Magic" at ''
That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982 for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is best known for the 1985 version by Dionne Warwic ...
: AIDS Concert '88'', a benefit concert for the Warwick Foundation headed by Dionne Warwick and shown on Showtime a few years later. In the 1988
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
animated feature ''
Oliver & Company ''Oliver & Company'' is a 1988 American Animated film, animated musical film, musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is inspired by the Charles Dickens novel ''Oliver Twist''. I ...
'', Bette Midler's character sang a new Manilow composition, "Perfect Isn't Easy". The 1989 release of ''
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
'', which contained "Please Don't Be Scared", "
Keep Each Other Warm "Keep Each Other Warm" is a 1986 single by Bucks Fizz. The song peaked at No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1986. It was the fifth and final single from their '' Writing on the Wall'' album, which was released at the same time. "Keep Eac ...
", and "The One That Got Away", ended Manilow's streak of albums of original self-written material (he wrote or arranged only two of the album's songs) and began a phase of his recording career consisting of covers and compilations. From April 18 to June 10, 1989, Manilow put on a show called ''Barry Manilow at the Gershwin'', making 44 appearances at the
Gershwin Theatre The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 19 ...
(also known as the Uris Theatre), where he had also recorded ''Barry Manilow Live'' in 1976. A bestselling 90-minute video of the same show was released the following year as ''Barry Manilow Live on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
''. The Showtime one-hour special ''Barry Manilow SRO on Broadway'' consisted of edited highlights from this video. Manilow followed this set of shows with a world tour of the Broadway show.


1990s

Manilow released a number of cover tunes during the 1990s, starting with tracks on the 1989 release ''Barry Manilow'', and continuing with his 1990 Christmas LP ''
Because It's Christmas ''Because It's Christmas'' is the first of three Christmas-themed albums released by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. The album was released in 1990 and was a huge success, becoming Manilow's first platinum album in the United States since 1980' ...
''. On the Christmas album, Manilow was joined by pop girl trio
Exposé Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * ''Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV F ...
and together they recreated, note for note, a 1943 million-selling recording of "
Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the most commonly sung Christmas songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont. It is an unsettled question where and when Pierpont originally composed the song that would become known as "Jingle Bells". It ...
" by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 â€“ October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
and
The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezzo ...
. Manilow has credited Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne Andrews as inspiring him, perhaps most evident in his recording of "Jump, Shout Boogie". More "event" albums followed, including '' Showstoppers'', a collection of Broadway songs (1991), '' Singin' with the Big Bands'' (1994), and a late 1970s collection '' Summer of '78'' (1996), which included the hit " I Go Crazy", a hit for Paul Davis in 1978. The decade ended with Manilow recording a tribute to
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
, '' Manilow Sings Sinatra'' (1998), released months after Sinatra's death. In 1990, Japan aired ''
National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
Eolia Special: Barry Manilow On Broadway'' where he sang the title song "Eolia", which was used as a song there in a commercial for an
air conditioner Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
company of the same name, as well as other songs from his 1989–1990 ''Live on Broadway'' tour. In the early 1990s, Manilow signed on with
Don Bluth Donald Virgil Bluth ( ; born September 13, 1937) is an American filmmaker, animator, video game designer and author. He came to prominence working for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions before creating his own film studio in ...
to compose the songs with lyricists Jack Feldman and
Bruce Sussman Bruce Howard Sussman (born July 12, 1949) is an American lyricist and librettist. Though he has collaborated with numerous composers, he is probably best known for his work with his long-time collaborator, Barry Manilow. Together, they have writ ...
for three animated films. He co-wrote the Broadway-style musical scores for ''
Thumbelina Thumbelina (; ) is a literary fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published by C. A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with "The Naughty Boy" and "The Travelling Companion" in the se ...
'' (1994) and ''
The Pebble and the Penguin ''The Pebble and the Penguin'' is a 1995 American independent animated musical comedy-adventure film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The film stars the voices of Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Annie Golden. Based on the true ...
'' (1995). The third film, ''Rapunzel'', was shelved after the poor performance of ''The Pebble and the Penguin''. Manilow was to be cast as the voice of a cricket. He also composed the score and wrote two songs with Sussman for '' Disney Sing Along Songs: Let's Go To The Circus''. Manilow produced the 1991 album '' With My Lover Beside Me'' by legendary jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson. The record is based on lyrics left behind by famed composer
Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...
that had never been set to music. Manilow was invited in 1993 by Mercer's widow to complete the songs. His own recording of "
When October Goes "When October Goes" is a ballad based on a lyric Johnny Mercer had written but did not complete. It was matched up to a melody by Barry Manilow and released in 1984, peaking at number 6 in the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart. Backgroun ...
", with lyrics by Mercer, was released as a single in 1984, from his album '' 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe''. Further Mercer compositions were set to music by Manilow over the following years, culminating in the 1991 Nancy Wilson release. Manilow is featured in a duet on the record in the final cut "Epilogue". On February 19, 1992, Manilow testified before the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and Judicial Administration House Committee in support of H.R. 3204, The
Audio Home Recording Act The Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (AHRA) amended the United States copyright law by adding Chapter 10, "Digital Audio Recording Devices and Media". The act enabled the release of recordable digital formats such as Sony's Digital Audio Tape witho ...
of 1991. The bill was signed into law on October 28, 1992, by President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
and became effective immediately. In 1993,
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
aired ''Barry Manilow: The Best of Me'', which was taped at Wembley Arena in England earlier that year. The BBC also played a one-hour version of the same show including " The Best of Me", sung during the concert, as a bonus song or "lucky strike extra" as Manilow says, not seen in '' The Complete Collection and Then Some...'', the video release of the show, but the song was included on the DVD of the same title, with Manilow seated in front of a black curtain, lip-syncing to the recording. He performed 14 concerts as part of an extended tour of Germany,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, and
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. Manilow branched out in another direction and, with Sussman, launched '' Copacabana'', a musical play based on previous Manilow-related adaptations. They wrote new songs and it ran for two years in London's West End, and a tour company formed. In December 1996, A&E aired ''Barry Manilow: Live By Request'', the first of his two ''
Live By Request ''Live by Request'' is a television show that aired on the A&E Network from 1996 to 2004. Hosted by Mark McEwen, the show featured notable artists holding concerts where the set list would be determined by viewer phone calls. The show was crea ...
'' appearances. The broadcast was A&E's most successful music program, attracting an estimated 2.4 million viewers. The show was also simulcast on the radio. In March 1997,
VH-1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Yor ...
aired ''Barry Manilow: The Summer of '78'', a one-hour special of Manilow solo at the piano being interviewed and playing his greatest hits as well as songs from '' Summer of '78'', his latest release at the time. In another collaboration, Manilow and Sussman co-wrote '' Harmony: A New Musical'', based on the story of the
Comedian Harmonists The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmony ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II. The group consisted of ( tenor buf ...
, a male singing group popular in Germany from 1928 to 1934. The musical previewed from October 7 to November 23, 1997, at the
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...
. In 2003, ''Harmony'' was originally scheduled for a tryout run in Philadelphia before going to Broadway, but was canceled after financial difficulties. In a legal battle with Mark Schwartz, the show's producer, Manilow and Sussman in 2005 won back the rights to the musical. The work was staged in Atlanta in 2013 and Los Angeles in 2014, had its New York debut in 2022 at the National Yiddish Theatre
Folksbiene The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, commonly known as NYTF, is a professional theater company in New York City which produces both Yiddish theater, Yiddish plays and plays translated into Yiddish, in a theater equipped with simultaneous sup ...
and came to Broadway in late 2023 for a three-month run at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
. In 1998, Manilow released the record album ''Manilow Sings Sinatra'' which earned him a Grammy nomination for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...
at the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main ...
in 1999. On October 23, 1999,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
aired the two-hour special ''StarSkates Salute to Barry Manilow'', taped at the
Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circus Enterprises and complete ...
Hotel in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, featuring numerous
figure skaters Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic dis ...
performing to Manilow's music. Manilow also performed.


2000s

In 2000, Manilow had two specials, ''Manilow Country'' and ''Manilow Live!'', taped over two consecutive days at the
Tennessee Performing Arts Center The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) is located in the James K. Polk Cultural Center at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It occupies a city block between 5th and 6th Avenues North and Deaderick and Union Streets. ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. On April 11, 2000,
The Nashville Network The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September ...
(TNN) aired the two-hour ''Manilow Country'', which featured country stars
Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs ...
,
Neal McCoy Hubert Neal McGaughey Jr. (born July 30, 1958), known professionally as Neal McCoy and previously as Neal McGoy, is an American country music singer. He has released 10 studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio ...
,
Deana Carter Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter who broke through in 1996 with the release of her debut album '' Did I Shave My Legs for This?'', which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States f ...
,
Jo Dee Messina Jo Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970) is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the ''Billboard charts, Billboard'' country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the ...
,
Lorrie Morgan Loretta Lynn Morgan (born June 27, 1959) is an American country music singer and actress. She is the daughter of George Morgan, widow of Keith Whitley, and ex-wife of Jon Randall and Sammy Kershaw, all of whom are also country music singers. ...
,
Kevin Sharp Kevin Grant Sharp (December 10, 1970 – April 19, 2014) was an American country music singer, author, and motivational speaker. Sharp came on the country music scene in 1996 with his first single: a cover of Tony Rich's " Nobody Knows", which to ...
,
Lila McCann Lila Elaine McCann (born December 4, 1981) is an American country music singer who made her debut at age 16 with the single "Down Came a Blackbird." Reaching a peak of No. 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, the song ...
,
Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...
, and
Jaci Velasquez Jacquelyn Davette "Jaci" Velasquez (; born October 15, 1979) is an American actress and contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer and songwriter, performing in both English and Spanish. Velasquez has sold almost three million albums in the U ...
singing their favorite Manilow hits with a "
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
" twist; Manilow also performed. This special was TNN's first High Definition (HD) broadcast and became one of TNN's highest rated concert specials. In June 2000,
DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...
aired the two-hour concert special ''Manilow Live!'' where Manilow had his band, a 30-piece orchestra, and a choir. This
HDTV High-definition television (HDTV) describes a television or video system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since at least 1933; in more recent times, it ref ...
special documented the concert tour at the time with the greatest hits of his career and was also released to video. Also that year, he worked with
Monica Mancini Monica Jo Mancini (born May 4, 1952) is an American singer and the daughter of composer Henry Mancini. Career Monica Mancini grew up in Northridge, California. Her father, Henry was a popular, award winning composer and her mother, Virginia was ...
on her Concord album ''The Dreams of Johnny Mercer'', which included seven songs of Mercer's lyrics set to Manilow's music. Meanwhile, Manilow's record contract with Arista Records was not renewed due to new management. He then got a contract at
Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists ha ...
, a jazz-oriented label in California, and started work on the concept album ''
Here at the Mayflower ''Here at the Mayflower'' is the nineteenth studio album by Barry Manilow, released in 2001. It was Manilow's first to include all original material since '' 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe'' in 1984. His next album of original songs, '' 15 Minutes'', wo ...
''. The album was another eclectic mix of styles, almost entirely composed and produced by Manilow himself. While Manilow was at Concord Records, the Barry Manilow Scholarship was awarded for four consecutive years (2002–2005) to the six highest-achieving students to reward excellence in the art and craft of lyric writing. The
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
Extension course "Writing Lyrics That Succeed and Endure" was taught by long-time Manilow collaborator
Marty Panzer Marty Panzer (March 20, 1945) is an American songwriter and first song-writing partner of Barry Manilow. He is the author of over 30 songs recorded by Manilow and over a hundred songs for Disney Pictures. He also co-wrote the song " Through The Y ...
, and each student received three additional "master class" advanced sessions as well as a three-hour private, one-on-one session with Panzer. Scholarship recipients were selected by the instructor based on progress made within the course, lyric writing ability, and the instructor's assessment of real potential in the field of songwriting. In February 2002, Manilow returned to the charts when Arista released a greatest hits album, ''
Ultimate Manilow ''Ultimate Manilow'' is a greatest hits album by Barry Manilow, released in 2002. Nearly every top 20 hit is included in this collection. This compilation is best known for setting the stage for a comeback for Manilow, as it debuted at No. 3 on ...
''. On May 18, 2002, he returned to CBS with ''Ultimate Manilow'', his first special on the network since his ''Big Fun on Swing Street'' special in 1988. The special was filmed in the
Kodak Theatre The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
, California, and was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Music Direction at the
54th Primetime Emmy Awards The 54th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 22, 2002. Nominations were announced July 22, 2002. The ceremony was hosted by Conan O'Brien and was broadcast on NBC. Two networks, FX and VH1, received their first major nominations ...
. Produced by Manilow, ''
Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook ''Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook'' is a 2003 studio album by the American singer Bette Midler, produced by Barry Manilow, their first collaboration in over two decades. The album was Midler's first for Columbia and Sony Music, a ...
'' was released on September 30, 2003. It was the first time the pair had worked together in more than twenty years. The album
went gold The software release life cycle is the process of developing, testing, and distributing a software product (e.g., an operating system). It typically consists of several stages, such as pre-alpha, alpha, beta, and release candidate, before the fi ...
, and they collaborated again in 2005 on '' Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook''. On December 3, 2003, A&E aired ''A Barry Manilow Christmas: Live by Request'', his second of two concerts for the series. The two-hour special had Manilow taking requests for Christmas songs performed live with a band and an orchestra. Manilow told the audience that he was what
Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor and political activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, '' Me ...
was going to look like in thirty years, acknowledging an ongoing comparison of the two. Also on the special were guests
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
,
José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (; born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican musician. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' " Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song "". Music genres he explo ...
, and Midler (who, busy preparing her own tour in Los Angeles, appeared only in a pre-taped segment). In 2004, Manilow released two albums: a live album, ''
2 Nights Live! ''2 Nights Live!'' is a live compilation album of a two-night concert released by Barry Manilow in 2004. It was recorded on August 3–4, 2002, at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, during the last two dates of the Barry Manilow Live 2 ...
'' ( BMG Strategic Marketing Group, 2004); and '' Scores: Songs from Copacabana & Harmony'', an album of Manilow singing songs from his musicals. ''Scores'' was the last of Manilow's creative projects with the Concord label. During his third appearance on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' on September 15, 2004, Winfrey announced that Manilow is one of the most requested guests of all time on her show. On the show, he promoted his ''One Night Live! One Last Time!'' tour. It was around this period that Manilow appeared for the first time on the mainstream FOX program ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' in which his back-up singer, Debra Byrd, doubles as voice coach on the series. Manilow also appeared on Clay Aiken's TV special ''A Clay Aiken Christmas''.
Las Vegas Hilton The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was ...
executives in a press conference with Manilow on December 14, 2004, announced his signing to a long-term engagement as the house show. He began the residency in February 2005 with a show entitled ''Manilow: Music and Passion''. In March 2006, Manilow's engagement was extended through 2008. Manilow returned to Arista Records under Davis for a new covers album, released on January 31, 2006, ''
The Greatest Songs of the Fifties ''The Greatest Songs of the Fifties'' is an album by American singer Barry Manilow, released in the United States on January 31, 2006. A significant album for Manilow, it finds the Brooklyn-born crooner taking on songs that were popular in his y ...
''. Manilow said he was blown away by the idea, which Davis presented when he visited Manilow's Las Vegas show. "When he suggested this idea to me, I slapped my forehead and said, 'Why hasn't anyone thought of this idea?'" Manilow said. It was an unexpected success, debuting at number one in the ''Billboard'' 200, marking the first time a Manilow album debuted at the top of the album chart as well as the first time a Manilow album had reached number one in 29 years. It was eventually certified Platinum in the U.S., and sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. In March 2006,
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
aired ''Barry Manilow: Music and Passion'', a Hilton concert recorded exclusively for the network's fundraising drive. Manilow was nominated for two Emmys, winning for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program at the
58th Primetime Emmy Awards The 58th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 27, 2006, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET (00:00 UTC) with Conan O'Brien hosting the show. The ceremony attracted 16.2 million viewers, 2.5 ...
. A sequel album to his bestselling fifties tribute album, '' The Greatest Songs of the Sixties'' was released on October 31, 2006, including songs such as "
And I Love Her "And I Love Her" is a ballad recorded by English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It is the fifth track of their third UK album '' A Hard Day's Night'' and was releas ...
" and "
Can't Help Falling in Love "Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on " Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Ã ...
". It nearly repeated the success of its predecessor, debuting at number 2 in the Billboard 200. In January 2007, Manilow returned to New York City for three shows at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
. These included showing onscreen Manilow performing in one of his first television appearances, while the "live" Manilow played along onstage. In August, he played several shows on the east coast of the United States. Four more took place in December, half in the New York tri-state area in Uniondale and
East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an inc ...
, and two in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
and Detroit. Manilow launched another short tour in early 2008, visiting several large venues, including the
Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena ...
in
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...
. A further album in the decades themed series, '' The Greatest Songs of the Seventies'', went on release September 18, 2007. ''Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies'', a PBS concert special based on the work, was taped in Brooklyn in October 2007. The show aired on PBS in December 2007 and was rebroadcast over New Year 2009. He appeared on ''American Idol'' on February 3, 2009, during Hollywood Week to give advice to the contestants. Manilow released his third Christmas album in November 2007, ''
In the Swing of Christmas ''In the Swing of Christmas'' is the third Christmas-themed album by Barry Manilow. Released on November 1, 2007, it was available exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The album was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA in 2008, ...
'', which went Gold and earned him another Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award nomination at the
51st Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the ...
in 2008. In December 2008, Manilow narrated the animated Christmas special ''Cranberry Christmas'', which was broadcast on
ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...
and sponsored by Ocean Spray. In addition to narrating, he also contributed two original songs that he composed with his long time collaborator, lyricist Bruce Sussman: "Christmas Is Just Around the Corner" and "Watch Out for Mr. Grape". "Christmas Is Just Around the Corner" was also released as a single, and appeared as a bonus track on the 2009 re-release of ''In the Swing of Christmas''. In October 2009, Manilow TV, a monthly video subscription service, launched. Once a month, Barry Manilow picks a different concert from his personal archive to show to subscribers. In the first month, the first episode showed performances on April 20–21, 1996, at Wembley Arena in London. Manilow ended his residency at the Hilton with a show entitled "Ultimate Manilow: the Hits" on December 30, 2009, after 300 performances for 450,000 fans.


2010s

On January 26, 2010, Manilow released ''
The Greatest Love Songs of All Time ''The Greatest Love Songs of All Time'' is a studio album by American singer Barry Manilow, released on January 26, 2010 through Arista. The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart at number 5, but dropped in its second week to n ...
'', and, in December of that year, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the
52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
. He opened his new show "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas in March 2010. On December 11, 2010, Manilow performed at the
Nobel Peace Prize Concert The Nobel Peace Prize Concert ( Norwegian and Swedish: '')'' has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in Oslo City Hall, while the concert has been ...
in Oslo, Norway. Manilow completed work on his new album, ''
15 Minutes ''15 Minutes'' is a 2001 satirical buddy cop action thriller film directed and written by John Herzfeld and starring Robert De Niro and Edward Burns. Its story revolves around a homicide detective (De Niro) and a fire marshal (Burns) who joi ...
'', in March 2011, with his official Facebook page announcing that he had completed putting "finishing touches" to the album on March 16, 2011. On March 13, 2011, Manilow appeared at the
2011 Laurence Olivier Awards The 2011 Olivier Awards were held on 13 March 2011 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. The 2011 awards were intended to re-launch the Oliviers as a major awards event, and so they were sponsored by MasterCard, with live coverage by the B ...
at London's
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
, singing " Copacabana" with the
BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...
and also singing with hit West End star,
Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...
. Since March 2011, he has hosted ''They Write the Songs'', a documentary series for
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
in which he looks at the life and work of popular composers. In May 2011, Manilow recorded his concerts at the
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena, London * O2 Arena, Prague *The 3Arena, Dublin, formerly known as The O2 *The Uber Arena, Berlin, formerly known as O2 World *The Barclays Arena Barclays Arena (originally known as the Color Line Arena an ...
in London, for CD and DVD release in early 2012. In a June 2011 interview with the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', Manilow said his new album was influenced by
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
; the album is about the pleasures and pitfalls of fame. It was influenced directly by Spears's personal struggles in 2007. ''15 Minutes'' debuted at number 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Chart. The first single from ''15 Minutes'', "Bring on Tomorrow", entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 Singles Chart's top 40, becoming Manilow's 47th top 40 hit. In November 2011, Manilow recorded his shows at the Paris Las Vegas for an upcoming TV special and DVD release. Manilow concluded his two-year residency at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas on December 11, 2012. This also ended his seven-year stay in Las Vegas. In January 2013, Manilow returned to Broadway with his concert series "Manilow on Broadway". It was his first appearance on Broadway in more than two decades. On July 4, 2013, Manilow performed live on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol as part of ''
A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day concert special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is also simulcast by NPR and the American Forces Network. The ...
''. This was his second appearance on the PBS program. On September 6, 2013, ''Harmony: A New Musical'' started a second run. This time at
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
's
Alliance Theatre The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal Theatre, staged its first production (''King Arthur'') at the Alliance in 1968. The ...
. The musical then had performances in Los Angeles in 2014. On November 12, 2013, he performed at the BBC's ''
Children in Need Rocks 2013 Children in Need Rocks 2013 was a two-part charity music concert held at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England, on 12 and 13 November 2013. The concert was organised by Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow as one of a series of events t ...
''. On March 11, 2014, Manilow released '' Night Songs'', an album of standards performed only with piano and synthesized
acoustic bass The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than, a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar an ...
by Manilow himself. It earned him a Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy nomination that year at the
57th Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive ti ...
. On October 28, 2014, Manilow released '' My Dream Duets'', which won him his fourth Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award nomination at the
58th Annual Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 201 ...
. This was the fifteenth Grammy Award nomination of his career, with nominations occurring in every decade since the 1970s. On February 11, 2015, Manilow began his One Last Time! tour at the
CenturyLink Center Omaha CHI Health Center Omaha is an arena and convention center in the central United States, located in the North Downtown neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. Operated by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), the facility has a ...
in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
with stops at most major
North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...
venues. Other destinations included Chicago at the
United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
, Los Angeles at the
Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...
, and
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
at the
Barclays Center Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...
for the tour finale on June 17, where Manilow celebrated his 72nd birthday. In 2017, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' declared that Manilow has been on a ''Billboard 200'' hot streak since 2002, when his greatest-hits collection ''Ultimate Manilow'' debuted and peaked at No. 3 (February 23, 2002), becoming his highest-charting set (and first top 10) since 1979's ''One Voice'' (No. 9). Since 2002, Manilow has logged a dozen top 40 efforts (including Ultimate). Further, he has notched at least one top 40 album in each of the five decades from the 1970s through the 2010s. In 2019, it was announced that Manilow's original musical ''Harmony'' would make its New York debut at
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, commonly known as NYTF, is a professional theater company in New York City which produces both Yiddish theater, Yiddish plays and plays translated into Yiddish, in a theater equipped with simultaneous sup ...
in the
Museum of Jewish Heritage The Museum of Jewish Heritage, located on Edmond J. Safra Plaza in Battery Park City in Manhattan, New York City, is a historical museum and a memorial to those murdered in The Holocaust. The museum has received more than two million visitors ...
, running from February 11 until March 29, 2020. The run was canceled due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled for spring 2022.


2020s

On February 14, 2020, Manilow released ''Night Songs II'', which debuted at No. 32 on the Billboard 200, marking his sixth consecutive decade of top 40-charting albums beginning with ''
Barry Manilow II ''Barry Manilow II'' is the second studio album by Barry Manilow released in 1974. Propelled by the major success of its lead single " Mandy" and featuring a further international hit in " It's a Miracle", the album was a commercial breakthrough ...
'' in 1975. In April 2020, Manilow scored his 36th top-20 Billboard Adult Contemporary chart hit with "When the Good Times Come Again", which peaked at number 12 the week of July 2. The song was originally recorded for his self-titled 1989 album and never released as a single. A fan made a lyric video for the song when the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
hit. Manilow found the video and posted it on his Facebook page, leading his management company to send the song to radio stations for airplay. In August 2020, Manilow sold his song catalog to
Hipgnosis Songs Fund Recognition Music Group, formerly Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, is a British Guernsey-registered music IP investment and song management company founded by Merck Mercuriadis and Nile Rodgers in 2018. Focused on songs and associated musical int ...
. In 2021, Manilow started his The Hits Come Home residency at the
Westgate Hotel The Westgate Hotel, Commercial Street, Newport, Wales is a hotel building dating from the 19th century. On 4 November 1839 the hotel saw the major scenes of the Newport Rising, when 3,000 Chartists, some of them armed, led by John Frost marc ...
in Las Vegas. On December 11, 2023,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
aired the Christmas special ''Barry Manilow's A Very Barry Christmas'', featuring Manilow. A fourteen-night residency at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...
in May and June 2024 has been billed as the "last, last UK concerts".


Personal life

Manilow married his high-school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, in 1964. He later said he was in love with her but his passion for a music career and lack of maturity strained their relationship. He left the woman he considered "the perfect wife" after one year of marriage in pursuit of a "wondrous musical adventure". Manilow credits the response he received from ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' in December 1965 for the courage to leave everything behind and begin a career in music: Deixler had the marriage annulled in 1966. After
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
as gay in 2017, Manilow said that he had been in love with Deixler and the marriage's failure was not related to
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
. In 1978, Manilow began a relationship with TV executive Garry Kief, who soon became his manager. They married in 2014, after same-sex marriage became legal in California. They kept the relationship and his sexual orientation private until the marriage made headlines in 2015. The media reported it after a friend of Manilow's,
Suzanne Somers Suzanne Marie Somers (; October 16, 1946 – October 15, 2023) was an American actress, author, and businesswoman. She played the television roles of Chrissy Snow on ''Three's Company'' (1977–1981) and Carol Foster Lambert on '' Step by Step' ...
, disclosed that the two men had privately exchanged vows at Manilow's home in
Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
. No official paperwork was filed, but it was reported that the couple exchanged wedding bands as a sign of their dedication. Manilow officially came out as gay in April 2017, telling ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' that he was pleasantly surprised to find that his mostly female fan base was supportive of the marriage; he had feared the news would disappoint them. Manilow has a stepdaughter through his husband's previous marriage and an adopted granddaughter.


Philanthropy and fundraising

After
Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. The eleventh tropical cyclone, eighth Tropical cyclone naming, named st ...
in 1989, which affected the
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
, area, Manilow held a benefit concert at the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
's
Carolina Coliseum Carolina Coliseum is a 12,401-seat former multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, built in 1968 by the University of South Carolina. The Coliseum was the largest arena in South Carolina at the time of its completion. It was the home of ...
in Columbia where the $10 tickets sold out in three hours, and asked concertgoers to bring canned food to be donated to residents in disaster areas. Before his concert, Mayor
T. Patton Adams Thomas Patton Adams IV (born February 16, 1943) is a retired American politician and lawyer who served as a Columbia, South Carolina city councilman and as the 68th Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Adams also served in the Vietnam War as an of ...
declared the day "Barry Manilow Day." Manilow presented The Red Cross and The
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
with checks of $42,500 each. On January 15, 1994, three hours before showtime, Manilow canceled a performance at an Ethnic Pride and Heritage Festival hosted at the
Convention Center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...
in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
. Benefactors included the Children's Hospital of New Jersey in Newark, the Community Foundation of New Jersey as well as United Hospitals Medical Center Foundation and
Newark Museum The Newark Museum of Art, formerly known as the Newark Museum, in Newark, New Jersey is the state's largest museum. It holds major collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia (including a large collection of T ...
in Newark during the pre-inaugural activities for then
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
Governor-elect Christie Whitman. Manilow said that he was specifically told in writing that the concert would be part of a nonpartisan event. To help in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
in 2005, every dollar his fans donated to the
American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
through the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope website Manilow personally matched, and the fund itself also matched, tripling the original donation. The fund delivered $150,000, raised in 48 hours, to the American Red Cross. On October 27, 2011, Manilow visited
Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
, a little more than five months after a
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
destroyed one-third of that city, including its only high school. His Manilow Music Project made a contribution of $300,000 to restore the musical program and instruments that were lost.


Litigation

On February 8, 1994, Manilow sued Los Angeles radio station KBIG (104.3 FM), seeking $13 million in damages and $15 million in punitive damages, claiming that one of their advertisements was causing irreparable damage to his professional reputation. The ad, a thirty-second spot that began airing on January 31, suggested that people listen to KBIG because it does ''not'' play Manilow's music. The lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court by Los Angeles attorney C. Tucker Cheadle. Two days later, KBIG/104.3 FM agreed to drop the commercial, but a lawyer representing his business interests stopped short of agreeing to withdraw a $28 million lawsuit.
Arizona Court of Appeals The Arizona Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Arizona. It is divided into two divisions, with a total of twenty-eight judges on the court: nineteen in Division 1, based in Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, and nine in ...
Judge Philip Espinosa sued Manilow over the audio volume of a December 23, 1993, concert he attended with his wife. The judge said in the lawsuit he has had a constant ringing in his ears (
tinnitus Tinnitus is a condition when a person hears a ringing sound or a different variety of sound when no corresponding external sound is present and other people cannot hear it. Nearly everyone experiences faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely ...
) and nearly blew his ears out. Espinosa sought unspecified damages, and the trial was set for September 23, 1997. The suit also named Manilow's production company, an
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
concert promoter, and the city of
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, which runs the
convention center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...
where the concert was held. In July 1997, to settle the suit it was reported that Manilow donated $5,000 to the
American Tinnitus Association The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that promotes relief of, helps prevent, and investigates cures for tinnitus. There is no cure for tinnitus to date, although there are management treatment ...
.


In media

In 1979, Manilow's musical style was satirized in the song " I Need Your Help Barry Manilow" performed by
Ray Stevens Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country music, country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian. He is best known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "M ...
. The song leads off with a musical phrase resembling the opening of "
I Write the Songs "I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1976 Bronson, Fred (2003). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Hits'', 5th Edition (Billboard Pub ...
" and also references " Mandy", " Copacabana", "
Can't Smile Without You "Can't Smile Without You" is a song written by Christian Arnold, David Martin and Geoff Morrow, and recorded by various artists including Barry Manilow and the Carpenters. It was first recorded and released by David Martin as a solo single in 19 ...
", " Weekend in New England", "
Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20. The song was initially released in 1971 by Featherbe ...
" and "
Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" is a song written by David Pomeranz that became a top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1976. It was first recorded by the Carpenters in 1975, but their version was not released until 1994 on their 25th anniversary CD ...
" in a storyline where the singer details a litany of comedically unfortunate events in his life, concluding that he needs Manilow to sing one of his more melancholy and wistful songs to comfort him, as several of Manilow's biggest hits have storylines about suffering and misfortune. The song reached number 49 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It spent a total of eight weeks on Hot 100 chart and also charted in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. The single's cover art is a spoof of Manilow's album ''
Barry Manilow II ''Barry Manilow II'' is the second studio album by Barry Manilow released in 1974. Propelled by the major success of its lead single " Mandy" and featuring a further international hit in " It's a Miracle", the album was a commercial breakthrough ...
,'' and the song's album spoofs title and cover art of Manilow's ''
Tryin' to Get the Feeling ''Tryin' to Get the Feeling'' is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1975. It features the title track, " Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", together with other hits including "New York City Rhythm", "Bandstan ...
''. In 1989, an American tabloid claimed that Manilow was engaged to porn star
Robin Byrd Robin Byrd (born April 6, 1957) is an American former pornographic film actress and the host of ''The Robin Byrd Show'', which has appeared on leased access cable television in New York City since 1977. Early life Robin Byrd was born and rai ...
. On a June 22, 1989, appearance on ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'', Johnny Carson asked Manilow about the story. Manilow replied that he was just friends with Byrd, an innocent picture had been taken, and that there was no truth to the engagement. After he met Byrd, his band gave him a videotape of ''
Debbie Does Dallas ''Debbie Does Dallas'' is a 1978 American pornographic film produced and directed by Jim Clark, and starring Bambi Woods. The plot focuses on a team of cheerleaders attempting to earn enough money to send the title character to Dallas, Texas to ...
'' as a present for his birthday. Manilow told Carson that he could not watch his friend doing what she does in that movie. Manilow made headlines in June 2006 when Australian officials blasted his music from 9:00 p.m. until midnight every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to deter gangs of youths from congregating in a residential area late at night. In February 2022, New Zealand authorities employed a similar tactic against protesters who camped outside the country's parliament building to protest
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
mandates.


Discography


Tours

;Headlining * II Tour * Barry Manilow in Person * This One's for You Tour *
Even Now Tour The Even Now Tour (also known as the North American Tour and advertised as Barry Manilow in Concert) is the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Barry Manilow. The tour supports his fifth studio album '' Even Now'' (1978). Beginning i ...
* 1980 World Tour * In the Round World Tour * Around the World in 80 Dates * Hot Tonight Tour * Paradise Tour * Big Fun Tour de Force * Barry Manilow in Concert * Showstoppers Tour * Greatest Hits...and Then Some Tour * World Tour '96 * Reminiscing Tour * Manilow Live! * Live 2002 * One Night Live! One Last Time! Tour * An Evening of Music and Passion * The Hits...and Then Some Tour * 2012 Tour * Manilow in Concert: Direct from Broadway * 2014 Tour * One Last Time! Tour * A Very Barry Christmas * This is My Town Tour * 2022 UK Tour * Manilow: Hits 2023! ;Opening act * Freddie Hubbard in Concert * No Way to Treat a Lady Tour * An Evening with Roberta Flack ;Residency shows * Showcase at the Continental Baths * On Broadway ... in Manhattan * Barry at the Gershwin * Barry Manilow on Broadway * Music and Passion * Ultimate Manilow: The Hits * A Gift of Love * Manilow * Live at the St. James * The Hits Come Home * Live at the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...


Awards

* 1977
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
for Outstanding Special Comedy, Variety or Music ''The Barry Manilow Special'' * 1977
Special Tony Award The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and the Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive honorary awards, and the titles have changed over the years. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre ...
''Barry Manilow on Broadway'' * 1978
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist * 1978
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
Copacabana Best Pop Male Vocal Performance * 1979
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist * 1980
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist * 1980 Star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
* 2002
Songwriter's Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
* 2003 Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award * 2006
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program ''Barry Manilow: Music And Passion'' * 2007
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
Plaque commemorating worldwide record sales of 75 million * 2009
Clio Awards The Clio Awards, also simply known as The Clios, is an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication, as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. The award ...
Honorary Clio Award for 1960s work as a jingle writer and singer at the 50th Anniversary CLIO Awards in Las Vegas.


Selected TV and movie appearances

* ''Tonight Show'' November 17, 1972 (with Bette Midler) * ''Tonight Show'' September 12, 1973 (with Bette Midler) * ''The Dick Cavett Show'' September 19, 1974 (with Bette Davis) * '' Donny & Marie'' on October 23, 1977 * ABC special ''The Barry Manilow Special'' on March 2, 1977 * ABC special ''The Second Barry Manilow Special'' on February 24, 1978 * ABC special ''The Stars Salute Israel at 30'' on May 8, 1978 * ABC special ''The Third Barry Manilow Special'' on May 23, 1979 * ABC special ''Barry Manilow: One Voice'' on May 19, 1980 * May 8, 1982, ''Goldie & Kids'' a special with hostess
Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
where he acted in skits and sang "One Voice", "Sunday Father", and "I Am Your Child". * ''Tonight Show'' November 29, 1985, singing his new hit " In Search of Love" * In 1985 Barry wrote and starred in the television movie '' Copacabana'', a musical which was inspired by his 1978 song " Copacabana" * On September 17, 1987, he appeared in the star-studded CBS special ''We The People 200: The Constitutional Gala'' taped at the Philadelphia Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to debut his song "Let Freedom Ring". * CBS special ''Barry Manilow: Big Fun on Swing Street'' on March 7, 1988 * On May 17, 1989, he made the first of eight appearances as a guest on ''
The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989 ...
'' over five years. * On May 17, 1993, he made a guest appearance on the CBS show ''
Murphy Brown ''Murphy Brown'' is an American television sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news presenter, news anch ...
''. On the show, Candice Bergen's title character had frequently made reference to her hatred of Manilow's music, but after she became a mother, Manilow appeared to sing her a sweet version of his tune "I Am Your Child", winning her over with the song about a parent's bond with a child. Later that year he appeared in England on '' Surprise! Surprise!'' with
Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 â€“ 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "A ...
where he performed the new single he had recorded with Cilla of "
You'll Never Walk Alone "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical '' Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and e ...
". * Guest appearance in a 2001 episode of ''
Ally McBeal ''Ally McBeal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley that originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves around Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working ...
''. He played both a
hallucination A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the compelling sense of reality. They are distinguishable from several related phenomena, such as dreaming ( REM sleep), which does not involve wakefulness; pse ...
of Ally's and himself on stage at the end of the show. * Played himself in a cameo in the 2002 dark comedy ''
Unconditional Love Unconditional love is known as love without judgment. There are many ways of describing unconditional love, but most will agree that it is that type of love which has no bounds and is unchanging. In Christianity, unconditional love is thought ...
'' starring
Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...
and
Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupil at an English public scho ...
where "Can't Smile Without You" also figured into the plot. * On December 11, 2003, he appeared on the NBC show ''
Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a Gay men, gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra ...
'' as himself backstage between tour stops. The name of the episode is "Fanilow" as in "a fan of Manilow". * On April 20–21, 2004, Manilow reunited with
Debra Byrd Debra Byrd (July 19, 1951 – March 5, 2024) was an American vocalist who worked with Barry Manilow in and after Lady Flash and Bob Dylan, appeared on Broadway, and served as the head vocal coach for ''American Idol'' and ''Canadian Idol'', al ...
his former backup singer who is now the vocal coach at ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' when he appeared as a guest judge and worked with the top seven finalists for the popular FOX variety prize show where the
season three A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...
contestants sang his songs as the theme for the week. * On December 8, 2004, he was a guest on the NBC special ''A Clay Aiken Christmas'', hosted by the former ''Idol'' runner-up. * On March 21–22, 2006, Manilow returned to ''American Idol'' in American Idol (season 5), season five when 1950s music was the theme. He again helped the top eleven finalists to fine tune their performances and again sang on the results show. * In November 2006, he appeared on Logo (TV channel), Logo's reality show ''Jacob and Joshua: Nemesis Rising'' as himself in Las Vegas for a recording session with the twins. * On November 23, 2006, Manilow appeared live on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and performed the song "What the World Needs Now" on the television broadcast of the parade. * On December 2, 2006, Manilow was the celebrity guest and theme for the week on The X Factor (UK series 3), series three of ''The X Factor (UK), The X Factor'' where he assisted the top four acts with their performances. * On December 12, 2006, he appeared live at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance and performed a selection from his latest album. * He appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on October 31, 2007, on November 17, 2008, and on July 12, 2011. * He guest starred on ''Family Guy'' in "Back to the Woods (Family Guy), Back to the Woods" on February 17, 2008 * On December 4, 2008, he was the main guest on UK's ''The Graham Norton Show''. * He guest starred on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' on December 7, 2008. * He narrated and performed original music for the animated television special ''Cranberry Christmas'', which aired December 8, 2008, on ABC Family. * On September 11, 2009, he was a guest on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' (UK). * On October 2, 2009, he appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''. * On December 10, 2009, he was a guest on ''The Jay Leno Show'' (US). * On January 21, 2010, he was a guest on ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' (US), where he explained that before he became famous, he wrote advertising jingles, including two well-known jingles for Band-Aid and State Farm. Also, he commented on his diet of "forgetting to eat". * On February 6, 2010, he was a guest on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' where Jimmy showed a photo of him in the 1970s and discussed his new album. * On December 11, 2010, he ended the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway singing four of his most known and popular songs. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. * On March 25, 2011, Manilow, his band, and crew celebrated their one-year anniversary at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. * On June 15, 2011, he appeared on ''Good Morning America'' performing his new album, "Fifteen Minutes". * On June 23, 2011, he appeared on CNN's ''Piers Morgan Tonight''. * On June 24, 2011, he appeared on the UK's ''Paul O'Grady Live''. * On October 28, 2011, he was the star of the UK's show ''An Audience With...'' Barry Manilow. * On December 11, 2011, he appeared on ITV's ''Text Santa'': The Launch. * On December 14, 2011, he appeared on the royal variety show on ITV. * On January 23, 2013, he appeared on ''Katie (talk show), Katie'' (US). He sang a medley of songs for host Katie Couric and promoted his "Manilow on Broadway" show at the St. James Theatre scheduled to run January through February 2013. * On July 3, 2013, he was on ''The Diane Rehm Show'', where he discussed his career. * On July 4, 2015, he sang on ''
A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day concert special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is also simulcast by NPR and the American Forces Network. The ...
''—music and fireworks from Washington, D.C.


References


External links


Official website
* * *
Barry Manilow
interview on BBC Radio 4 ''Desert Island Discs'', October 2, 2009 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manilow, Barry Barry Manilow, 1943 births 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American LGBTQ people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singer-songwriters American ballad musicians American baritones American crooners American dance musicians American disco musicians American gay actors American gay musicians American gay writers American LGBTQ singer-songwriters American male conductors (music) American male musical theatre actors American male musical theatre composers American male pianists American male singer-songwriters American music arrangers American musical theatre composers American people of Irish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American pop pianists American soft rock musicians American whistlers Arista Records artists Bell Records artists Broadway composers and lyricists City College of New York alumni Concord Records artists Eastern District High School alumni Gay Jews Gay singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners Jewish American male actors Jewish American singers Jewish American songwriters Jingle writers Juilliard School alumni Las Vegas shows LGBTQ people from New York (state) Living people Male actors from Brooklyn Musicians from Brooklyn Musicians from Palm Springs, California New York College of Music alumni People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn Primetime Emmy Award winners RCA Records artists Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singers from Brooklyn Special Tony Award recipients Westgate Las Vegas