Barry Manilow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Manilow
Manilow in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Barry Alan Pincus
Born	(1943-06-17) June 17, 1943 (age 81) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Soft rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter producer
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Bell Arista RCA Concord Verve

Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. He has had a very successful career for over sixty years! He is famous for hit songs like "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," and "Copacabana."

Manilow has released many popular songs. Fifty-one of his songs made it into the Top 40 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. Thirteen of these songs reached number one! He has also released many successful albums. Thirteen of his albums have sold over a million copies (platinum), and six have sold even more (multi-platinum). Other musicians have praised Manilow's talent. Frank Sinatra once said, "He's next," meaning Manilow would be a big star.

Besides singing, Manilow produces and arranges music for himself and other artists. He has also written songs for movies, musicals, and commercials. You might have heard his jingles for McDonald's or Pepsi! He has been nominated for a Grammy Award fifteen times and won once. He has also produced Grammy-nominated albums for famous singers like Bette Midler and Dionne Warwick. Barry Manilow has sold over 85 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the world's best-selling music artists!

Early Life and Education

Barry Alan Pincus was born on June 17, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York. His mother was Edna Manilow. His father was Harold Kelliher, a truck driver. Barry's parents divorced when he was a baby. His grandfather later changed the family name to Manilow.

Barry grew up in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. He finished high school in 1961. After high school, he went to the City College of New York for a short time. Then he studied at the New York College of Music. He also worked at CBS to help pay for his studies. Later, he studied musical theater at the Juilliard Performing Arts School.

Music Career Highlights

The 1960s: Starting Out

In 1964, Barry Manilow met Bro Herrod, a director at CBS. Herrod asked him to arrange songs for a musical. Instead, Manilow wrote a whole new score for the show called The Drunkard. This musical ran for eight years in New York! After this, Manilow worked as a pianist, producer, and arranger.

During the 1960s, he started writing and singing jingles for commercials. A jingle is a short, catchy song used in advertisements. He sang many of his own jingles. These included famous ones for State Farm Insurance and Band-Aid. He also sang for Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi, and McDonald's. In 2009, Manilow received an award for his jingle work. He said he learned a lot about making pop music from writing jingles.

By 1967, Manilow was the music director for a TV show called Callback. He also worked for Ed Sullivan's company. He arranged music and continued to write and sing jingles. He also performed as a duo with Jeanne Lucas in New York clubs. In 1969, he signed with Bell Records.

The 1970s: Becoming a Star

In the early 1970s, Manilow recorded some songs with a group called Featherbed. One of these songs was an early version of "Could It Be Magic." These songs didn't become hits.

In 1971, singer Bette Midler saw Manilow perform. She chose him to be her pianist. He later produced her first two albums, The Divine Miss M (1972) and Bette Midler (1973). He also directed her music for tours. In 1973, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for producing The Divine Miss M. Manilow worked with Midler until 1975.

In 1973, Bell Records released Manilow's first album, Barry Manilow. It had a mix of piano-based pop and guitar rock. It included a slower version of "Could It Be Magic." This song's music was based on a piece by the famous composer Chopin. Donna Summer later had a hit with her version of "Could It Be Magic."

In 1974, Clive Davis became the head of Bell Records. He started a new record company called Arista Records. Manilow's song "Mandy" became a huge hit in 1975. It was originally called "Brandy" but was changed to "Mandy" during recording. "Mandy" was the start of many hit songs and albums for Manilow. These included Tryin' to Get the Feeling, This One's for You, Even Now, and One Voice.

Manilow often included a "Very Strange Medley" in his concerts. This was a mix of the commercial jingles he had written. This medley appeared on his very popular 1977 album, Barry Manilow Live.

Manilow became good friends with Dick Clark, a famous TV host. Manilow appeared on Clark's shows many times. He sang his song "It's Just Another New Year's Eve" on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. They also worked together on the 1985 TV movie Copacabana, which starred Manilow.

Even though Manilow wrote many songs, some of his biggest hits were written by others. These included "Mandy," "Weekend in New England," and "Can't Smile Without You." His number one hit, "I Write the Songs," was written by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys. Manilow helped produce and arrange all these songs.

Manilow became very popular in Britain with his album Even Now. In the late 1970s, ABC aired four TV specials starring Manilow. The Barry Manilow Special in 1977 was watched by 37 million people! It won an Emmy Award.

Manilow in 1979

Manilow's song "Ready to Take a Chance Again" was from the movie Foul Play. "Copacabana" was also in that movie. "Ready to Take a Chance Again" was nominated for an Oscar. In 1979, a concert from Manilow's sold-out shows at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles aired on HBO. This was one of the first big pay-TV shows. In 1979, Manilow produced Dionne Warwick's album Dionne, which sold over a million copies. He also had a top ten hit with "Ships" from his album One Voice.

The 1980s: Continued Success

In the 1980s, Manilow continued to have hit songs on the Adult Contemporary radio charts. These included "The Old Songs" and "Somewhere Down the Road." His songs were played often on the radio. In the UK, he performed five sold-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. In the United States, his 1984 shows at Radio City Music Hall broke sales records.

In 1980, Manilow's One Voice TV special was nominated for an Emmy. He also released the album Barry (1980), which included the hit "I Made It Through the Rain." His 1981 album, If I Should Love Again, had two number one hits on the AC chart: "The Old Songs" and "Somewhere Down The Road." This was the first album Manilow produced by himself.

In 1983, Manilow performed a huge outdoor concert at Blenheim Palace in Britain. About 40,000 people attended! This concert was also shown on Showtime. In December 1983, Manilow gave money to music departments at six major universities. He wanted to support new musical talent.

In 1984, Manilow released 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe. This album was a collection of jazz and blues songs. A documentary showed him recording the album with jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan. In 1985, Manilow moved to RCA Records. He released the album Manilow and started performing songs in different languages like French and Japanese.

In 1985, Manilow starred in the CBS movie Copacabana. It was based on his hit song. He wrote all the songs for the movie.

In 1987, Manilow published his autobiography, Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise. He returned to Arista Records with the album Swing Street. This album mixed traditional jazz with newer sounds. It included "Brooklyn Blues," a song about his own life.

CBS aired Manilow's Big Fun on Swing Street special in 1988. It featured guests like Kid Creole and Carmen McRae. The special won an Emmy for its art direction. In 1988, Manilow performed at a benefit concert for AIDS research. In the 1988 Disney movie Oliver & Company, Bette Midler's character sang a new song written by Manilow.

His 1989 album, Barry Manilow, had songs like "Please Don't Be Scared." After this, Manilow started recording more cover songs and compilation albums. From April to June 1989, Manilow performed 44 shows at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. A video of this show, Barry Manilow Live On Broadway, became a bestseller.

The 1990s: Covers and Musicals

In the 1990s, Manilow released many cover songs. His 1990 Christmas album, Because It's Christmas, included a version of "Jingle Bells" with the group Exposé. He also released Showstoppers (1991), a collection of Broadway songs. Other albums included Singin' with the Big Bands (1994) and Summer of '78 (1996). In 1998, he released Manilow Sings Sinatra, a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

In the early 1990s, Manilow worked with Don Bluth to write songs for animated movies. He co-wrote the music for Thumbelina (1994) and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995).

Manilow produced the 1991 album With My Lover Beside Me for jazz singer Nancy Wilson. This album used lyrics written by the famous composer Johnny Mercer that had never been set to music. Manilow was asked to complete the songs. He had already recorded one of Mercer's songs, "When October Goes," in 1984.

In 1992, Manilow spoke to Congress to support a bill about home audio recording. This bill later became law. In 1993, PBS aired Barry Manilow: The Best of Me, a concert taped in England. Manilow also created a musical called Copacabana with his lyricist Bruce Sussman. It ran for two years in London.

In December 1996, A&E aired Barry Manilow: Live By Request. This was a very popular music program. In 1997, VH-1 aired Barry Manilow: The Summer of '78, where he played his hits and songs from his new album. Manilow and Bruce Sussman also co-wrote another musical called Harmony: A New Musical.

In 1998, Manilow Sings Sinatra earned him a Grammy nomination. In 1999, NBC aired StarSkates Salute to Barry Manilow, featuring figure skaters performing to his music.

The 2000s: New Albums and Las Vegas

In 2000, Manilow had two TV specials, Manilow Country and Manilow Live!. Manilow Country featured country stars singing his hits with a country twist. Manilow Live! was a concert special with his band, an orchestra, and a choir. He also worked with Monica Mancini on her album The Dreams of Johnny Mercer.

Manilow signed a new record deal with Concord Records. He released the album Here at the Mayflower, which he mostly wrote and produced himself. The Barry Manilow Scholarship was created to help students who were good at writing song lyrics.

In 2002, Arista released a greatest hits album called Ultimate Manilow. It brought him back to the music charts. In May 2002, CBS aired Ultimate Manilow, a special filmed in Hollywood. It was nominated for an Emmy.

In 2003, Manilow produced Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. This was the first time he and Midler had worked together in over twenty years. The album sold well, and they worked together again in 2005. In December 2003, A&E aired A Barry Manilow Christmas: Live by Request. Manilow took requests for Christmas songs and performed them live.

In 2004, Manilow released two albums: 2 Nights Live! and Scores: Songs from Copacabana & Harmony. He also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Idol.

Manilow live in 2008 during a 1960s sketch

In December 2004, Manilow began a long-term show in Las Vegas at the Hilton hotel. His show was called Manilow: Music and Passion. In March 2006, his show was extended through 2008.

Manilow returned to Arista Records for a new album of cover songs. In 2006, he released The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. This album was a big success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It was his first number one album in 29 years! It sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

In March 2006, PBS aired Barry Manilow: Music and Passion, a concert recorded for fundraising. Manilow won an Emmy for his performance. A sequel album, The Greatest Songs of the Sixties, was released in October 2006. It also did very well, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200.

Manilow at the piano, live in 2008

In January 2007, Manilow performed three shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He also toured the East Coast of the United States. Another album in the decades series, Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies, was released in September 2007. A PBS concert special based on this album was taped in Brooklyn. He appeared on American Idol in 2009 to give advice to the contestants.

Manilow released the album In The Swing of Christmas in 2007. It earned him another Grammy nomination. In December 2008, Manilow narrated an animated Christmas special called "A Cranberry Christmas." He also sang two original songs he wrote for it.

In October 2009, Manilow TV launched. This is a monthly video service where he shares concerts from his personal collection. Manilow ended his residency at the Hilton in Las Vegas on December 30, 2009. He had performed 300 shows for 450,000 fans.

The 2010s: New Projects and Tours

On January 26, 2010, Manilow released The Greatest Love Songs of All Time. It was nominated for a Grammy Award. He opened a new show called "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" in March 2010. In December 2010, Manilow performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.

Manilow finished his new album, 15 Minutes, in March 2011. The album was about the good and bad parts of fame. It debuted at number 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Chart. The first song from the album, "Bring on Tomorrow," became his 47th top 40 hit.

In November 2011, Manilow recorded his shows at the Paris Las Vegas for a TV special and DVD. He ended his two-year residency at the Paris Hotel in December 2012. This also marked the end of his seven years performing in Las Vegas.

In January 2013, Manilow returned to Broadway with his concert series "Manilow on Broadway." This was his first time on Broadway in over twenty years. On July 4, 2013, Manilow performed live at the U.S. Capitol for A Capitol Fourth.

His musical Harmony: A New Musical had a second run in Atlanta in 2013. It also had performances in Los Angeles in 2014. On November 12, 2013, he performed at the BBC's Children in Need Rocks 2013.

On March 11, 2014, Manilow released Night Songs. This album featured classic songs performed only with piano and bass. It earned him a Grammy nomination. On October 28, 2014, he released My Dream Duets, which also received a Grammy nomination. This was his fifteenth Grammy nomination!

On February 11, 2015, Manilow began his "One Last Time!" tour. He performed in major venues across North America. The tour ended in Brooklyn on June 17, where he celebrated his 72nd birthday.

In 2017, Billboard Magazine noted that Manilow had a strong run on the Billboard 200 chart since 2002. He had a top 40 album in every decade from the 1970s through the 2010s. In 2019, it was announced that his musical Harmony would debut in New York.

The 2020s: Recent Work

On February 14, 2020, Manilow released Night Songs II. It debuted at No. 32 on the Billboard 200. This marked his sixth decade with a top 40 album! In April 2020, his song "When the Good Times Come Again" became his 36th top-20 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Fans made a video for the song during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Manilow shared it.

In August 2020, Manilow sold the rights to his song catalog. In 2021, Manilow started a new residency show called "The Hits Come Home" at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas. On December 11, 2023, NBC aired a Christmas special called Barry Manilow's A Very Barry Christmas. Manilow has also planned fourteen concerts at the London Palladium in May and June 2024. These are said to be his "last, last UK concerts."

Personal Life

Manilow married his high-school girlfriend, Susan Deixler, in 1964. He later said that his strong desire for a music career, along with his young age, put stress on their marriage. He left after one year to follow his musical dreams. Their marriage was ended in 1966.

Manilow began a relationship with TV executive Garry Kief in 1978. Garry later became his manager. They married in 2014. Manilow has a stepdaughter from Garry's previous marriage and an adopted granddaughter.

Philanthropy and Fundraising

Barry Manilow has used his fame to help others. In 1989, after Hurricane Hugo hit South Carolina, Manilow held a benefit concert. Tickets sold out quickly, and he asked concertgoers to bring canned food for those affected. He also gave $42,500 each to The Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Manilow helped raise money for the American Red Cross. For every dollar donated by his fans through his charity fund, he matched it, and the fund matched it again, tripling the donation. They raised $150,000 in just 48 hours.

In 2011, Manilow visited Joplin, Missouri, after a tornado destroyed part of the city. His "Manilow Music Project" donated $300,000 to help restore the music program and instruments that were lost at the high school.

Discography

Tours

Headlining

Opening act

• Freddie Hubbard in Concert (for Freddie Hubbard) (1974)
• No Way to Treat a Lady Tour (for Helen Reddy) (1975)
• An Evening with Roberta Flack (for Roberta Flack) (1975)

Residency shows

Awards

• 1977 Emmy for Outstanding Special—Comedy, Variety or Music—The Barry Manilow Special
• 1977 Special Tony Award—Barry Manilow on Broadway
• 1978 American Music Awards—Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
• 1978 Grammy—Copacabana Best Pop Male Vocal Performance
• 1979 American Music Awards—Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
• 1980 American Music Awards—Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
• 1980 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 2002 Songwriter's Hall of Fame
• 2003 Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program—Barry Manilow: Music And Passion
• 2007 RIAA—Plaque commemorating worldwide record sales of 75 million
• 2009 Clio Awards—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)
• The Dick Cavett Show—September 19, 1974 (with Bette Davis)

Manilow, with Linda Allen at the premiere of The Rose (starring Bette Midler), November 7, 1979

• ABC special The Barry Manilow Special on March 2, 1977
• ABC special The Second Barry Manilow Special on February 24, 1978
• ABC special The Third Barry Manilow Special on May 23, 1979
• ABC special Barry Manilow: One Voice on May 19, 1980
• In 1985, Barry wrote and starred in the television movie Copacabana, based on his 1978 song.
• CBS special Barry Manilow: Big Fun on Swing Street on March 7, 1988
• On May 17, 1993, he appeared on the CBS show Murphy Brown.
• Guest appearance in a 2001 episode of Ally McBeal.
• Played himself in a cameo in the 2002 movie Unconditional Love.
• On December 11, 2003, he appeared on the NBC show Will & Grace as himself.
• On April 20–21, 2004, Manilow reunited with Debra Byrd, his former backup singer and vocal coach on American Idol. He was a guest judge and worked with the top seven finalists.
• On December 8, 2004, he was a guest on the NBC special A Clay Aiken Christmas.
• On March 21–22, 2006, Manilow returned to American Idol for season five.
• On November 23, 2006, Manilow appeared live on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• He appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno multiple times.
• He guest starred on Family Guy in "Back to the Woods" on February 17, 2008.
• He narrated and performed original music for the animated TV special Cranberry Christmas in December 2008.
• On December 11, 2010, he ended the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway.
• On June 15, 2011, he appeared on Good Morning America to perform from his new album, "Fifteen Minutes."
• On January 23, 2013, he appeared on Katie (US).
• On July 4, 2015, he sang on A Capitol Fourth from Washington, D.C.

Images for kids

• 

  Manilow live in 2008 at the Xcel Energy Center

See also

In Spanish: Barry Manilow para niños