Barry Manilow reveals why he didn't e out as gay years ago

barry manalow gay

"I thought I would be disappotg [the fans] if they knew I was gay, so I never did anythg," he says.

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BARRY MANILOW OPENS UP ABOUT BEG GAY, EXPLAS WHY HE KEPT SEXUALY A SECRET

At 73, Barry Manilow announc he is gay, married, and has been wh the same man for almost 40 years * barry manalow gay *

Barry Manilow opened up about beg gay a rare terview about his private life.

BARRY MANILOW REVEALS HE IS GAY

At age 73, Barry Manilow is tellg the world that he's gay. In a new terview wh People, the legendary sger said that he waed this long to go public wh his sexualy bee he was sred of what his fans might thk. "I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I… * barry manalow gay *

”“I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay. Manilow on Wednday nfirmed that he was gay, that he and Kief have been together almost 40 years, and that they are married.

BARRY MANILOW: SGER OUT AS GAY AGED 73 NFIRMG S-LONG RELATNSHIP

At 73, Barry Manilow announc he is gay, married, and has been wh the same man for almost 40 years. ‘I thought I would be disappotg [my fans] if they knew I was gay. Barry Manilow has fally lowered his guard on his personal life and revealed that he is gay.

“I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay, ” he said.

The sger Barry Manilow has said publicly that he is gay after keepg his sexualy secret for s for fear of “disappotg his fans”. “I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay.

BARRY MANILOW CONFIRMS HE IS GAY AND IS MARRIED TO PARTNER OF 39 YEARS

“Not que sure how I’m gonna tell my mum that Barry Manilow is gay, ” said Takei, the gay actor bt known for his work the Star Trek televisn seri, was one of the first stars to react to the news on Twter. Femist wrer Roxane Gay said: “I didn’t realise Barry Manilow was the closet!

BARRY MANILOW 'DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS GAY' UNTIL HE MET HBAND

Sign up to Rois O’Connor’s ee weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the si track on all thgs micGet our Now Hear This email for eeBarry Manilow has spoken about his sexualy for the first time and e out as gay, nfirmg he is married to manager Garry Kief, his partner of nearly 40 famoly private pop in nfirmed his relatnship to People, explag that he feared fans would be disappoted if they knew he was gay. I thought I would be disappotg them [fans] if they knew I was gay.

Barry Manilow has publicly nfirmed for the first time that he is gay and legendary sger, 73, appears on the ver of People this week, speakg about his 39-year romance wh manager hband Garry pair married a secret ceremony at their tate Palm Sprgs, California, April 2014.

"I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay. Barry Manilow is openly gay. “I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay, ” the legendary sger recently told People magaze.

BARRY MANILOW HAD SECRET GAY AFFAIR WHILE CLOSETED, SOURCE CLAIMS

Durg that time, when gay rights were still a growg dream, the soon-to-be mil in allegedly fell love wh a man named Michael Kearns.

"Michael had guys fallg over him back the day, " the sir says, referrg to the now happily married 65-year-old acplished actor, wrer, director, teacher, producer and gay rights activist. "But Michael was openly gay 70's and that was nsired to be reer suici.

BARRY MANILOW REVEALS WHY HE DIDN'T E OUT AS GAY YEARS AGO

" PHOTOS: See 10 Photos Of Barry Manilow Wearg Weddg Band After Marryg PartnerAcrdg to the well-nnected iend, "Barry lived his whole life actually thkg that people did not know he was gay and he lost a ton of iends and rpect om people the muny.

""Instead of g his fame to bee an activist durg an era when gay rights were such a huge issue, he kept quiet and seemed he did not even want to be associated wh those who would out him, " the source tells Radar.

BARRY {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}BARRY MANILOW MA THE WHOLE WORLD SG WH HIS 1970S HS "I WRE THE SONGS," "MANDY" AND "COPABANA (AT THE COPA)."{MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 12, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(1943-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}SYNOPSISBORN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 1943, BARRY MANILOW ATTEND THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL NEW YORK CY BEFORE WRG MIC FOR TELEVISN AND ADVERTISG. IN THE 1970S, MANILOW'S VOICE ULD BE HEARD SGG "YOU DERVE A BREAK TODAY" ON ADS FOR MCDONALD'S. HIS BIG BREAK ME WHEN HE TEAMED UP WH BETTE MIDLER FOR A NIGHTCLUB ACT, LEADG TO SOLO HS LIKE "MANDY" (1974), "I WRE THE SONGS" (1975) AND "CAN'T SE WHOUT YOU" (1978).MANILOW'S STYLEBORN BARRY ALAN PC BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ON JUNE 17, 1943, BARRY MANILOW IS BT KNOWN FOR HIS ROMANTIC AND BORRLE SACCHARE SONGS. BUT BEFORE ACHIEVG STARDOM, MANILOW WAS A WHIPPG BOY FOR THE CRICS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE 1970S, EVEN AS HE SOLD LNS OF ALBUMS AND GAED A HUGE DIENCE BASE. THOUGH HE DIDN'T ALWAYS WRE MIC, EVEN WHEN RERDG WORK BY OTHER ARTISTS, MANILOW CULTIVATED A LH AND MELODIC MIL STYLE THAT WAS POPULAR DURG THE PRE-ROCK ERA. HIS STYLE EVOLVED DURG THE EARLY 1980S, OM TAME, STRG-LAN, AM-RAD POP TO A MORE CLASSIC, JAZZY SOUND FLUENCED BY BOTH SWG AND 1930S AND '40S BROADWAY SHOW TUN (MANY OF WHICH HE LATER VERED).UNABASHEDLY EMBRACG A SENTIMENTAL STYLE THAT APPEALED PRIMARILY TO WHE MIDDLE-CLASS WOMEN OF THE WORKG AND HOMEMAKG SORT, IS UNSURPRISG THAT THIS BROOKLYN-BORN AND -RAISED SONGWRER WAS EQUENTLY NOUNCED BY THE MALE-DOMATED ROCK AND ROCK CRIC WORLDS. BEE FEMALE-ASSOCIATED FORMS OF ENTERTAMENT SUCH AS SOAP OPERAS AND ROMANCE NOVELS HAVE HISTORILLY BEEN VALUED, ENTERTAERS TERG TO THAT DIENCE HAVE ROUTELY BEEN DISMISSED BY MASTREAM CRICS.EARLY LIFEUNLIKE HIS RAGTAG ROCK 'N' ROLL WORLD UNTERPARTS, HOWEVER, BARRY MANILOW'S RUMé HAS "PROFSNALISM" WRTEN ALL OVER . AFTER TAKG UP A VARIETY OF STMENTS AT AN EARLY AGE, MANILOW ATTEND BOTH THE NEW YORK COLLEGE OF MIC AND THE PRTIG JUILLIARD SCHOOL NEW YORK CY, AND BEME THE MIL DIRECTOR OF A CBS WORK TELEVISN SHOW 1967. THEREAFTER, MANILOW REMAED BY WRG A SUCCSFUL OFF-BROADWAY ADAPTATN OF THE DNKARD, DOG MIL ARRANGEMENT WORK FOR ED SULLIVAN PRODUCTNS AND WRG A NUMBER OF WELL-KNOWN MERCIAL JGL FOR DR. PEPPER AND BAND-AID, AMONG OTHER LARGE PANI. IN THE 1970S, MANILOW'S VOICE ULD BE HEARD SGG THE MCDONALD'S JGLE "YOU DERVE A BREAK TODAY." HE EVEN RELEASED A MEDLEY OF HIS MERCIALS ON ONE OF HIS '70S 73-YEAR-OLD SGER, WHO HAS A DITED, MOSTLY FEMALE FAN BASE LLED 'FANILOWS,' SAID HE WAS THKG OF HIS FANS WHEN HE KEPT HIS PERSONAL LIFE PRIVATE FOR MOST OF HIS REER. “I THOUGHT I WOULD BE DISAPPOTG THEM IF THEY KNEW I WAS GAY. SO I NEVER DID ANYTHG,” MANILOW SAID. “WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT GARRY AND I WERE TOGETHER, THEY WERE SO HAPPY. THE REACTN WAS SO BETIFUL — STRANGERS MENTG, ‘GREAT FOR YOU!’ I’M JT SO GRATEFUL FOR .”CAREER HIGHLIGHTSBARRY MANILOW GOT HIS FOOT THE DOOR OF THE POP MIC WORLD WHILE WORKG AS PART OF A DUO WH THE THEN-UNKNOWN BETTE MIDLER. WORKG OUT OF NEW YORK CY GAY BATHHO AS HER PIANIST, MANILOW SOON BEME HER MIL DIRECTOR AND ARRANGER, -PRODUCG AND ARRANGG HER GRAMMY AWARD-WNG BUT ALBUM AND S FOLLOW-UP. HIS OWN BUT ALBUM, ON THE OTHER HAND, WENT NOWHERE, BUT HIS SEND ALBUM FEATURED THE NUMBER ONE BILLBOARD POP SGLE, "MANDY," LAYG THE GROUNDWORK FOR HIS RISE TO FAME THROUGHOUT THE RT OF THE 1970S. MANY MORE H SONGS, CLUDG "I WRE THE SONGS," "LOOKS LIKE WE MA IT," "COULD IT BE MAGIC" AND "COPABANA (AT THE COPA)," FOLLOWED, AS DID GRAMMY AND TONY WS FOR A BROADWAY PERFORMANCE.IN THE EARLY 1980S, MANILOW BEGAN TO POSN HIMSELF AS A MORN TERPRETER OF SHOW TUN AND POP STANDARDS, WORKG WH SGERS MEL TORME AND SARAH VGHAN AND VETERAN JAZZ STMENTALISTS GERRY MULLIGAN AND SHELLY MANNE ON 1984'S 2:00 AM PARADISE CAFE. HE FOLLOWED THIS SAME PATH ON 1987'S SWG STREET AND 1991'S SHOWSTOPPERS, ON WHICH HE SANG WH MICHAEL CRAWFORD AND BARBARA COOK. ONE OF MANILOW'S SELF-SCRIBED REER HIGHLIGHTS WAS SRG MIC TO A LLECTN OF UNPUBLISHED LYRICS BY JOHNNY MERCER, THE FAMED LYRICIST WHO PENNED A MULTU OF POP STANDARDS OM THE 1930S TO THE 1950S. FROM POP STANDARDS TO SHOW TUN, MANILOW HAS PTURED A VOTED DIENCE WHO NTUE TO MATA HIS IMPORTANCE TO AMERIN MIC AND POPULAR CULTURE.AS TTAMENT TO HIS MIL SIGNIFINCE, MANILOW WAS DUCTED TO THE SONGWRERS HALL OF FAME JUNE 2002, ALONGSI STG AND MICHAEL JACKSON.PERSONAL LIFEAFTER GRADUATG HIGH SCHOOL, MANILOW MARRIED SAN DEIXLER, BUT THE MARRIAGE WAS SHORT-LIVED AND LASTED JT A YEAR. ACRDG TO PEOPLE MAGAZE, MANILOW AND HIS LONGTIME MANAGER GARRY KIEF SECRETLY TIED THE KNOT 2014. IN 2017, MANILOW OPENED UP PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS SEXUALY AND MARRIAGE TO KIEF AN TERVIEW WH {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}PEOPLE MAGAZE. THE 73-YEAR-OLD SGER, WHO HAS A DITED, MOSTLY FEMALE FAN BASE LLED 'FANILOWS,' SAID HE WAS THKG OF HIS FANS WHEN HE KEPT HIS PERSONAL LIFE PRIVATE FOR MOST OF HIS REER. “I THOUGHT I WOULD BE DISAPPOTG THEM IF THEY KNEW I WAS GAY. SO I NEVER DID ANYTHG,” MANILOW SAID. “WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT GARRY AND I WERE TOGETHER, THEY WERE SO HAPPY. THE REACTN WAS SO BETIFUL — STRANGERS MENTG, ‘GREAT FOR YOU!’ I’M JT SO GRATEFUL FOR .”{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS

Barry Manilow is explag why he took so long to acknowledge publicly that he's gay, even after he married his longtime manager/partner: He was aaid of "disappotg" his fans. For those who were snarky, Anna Kendrick had a sarstic retort: "Lot of people seem really proud of themselv for announcg they "already knew" Barry Manilow was gay.

)This week also saw the passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, affectg what n and n’t be said and tght the state’s classrooms.

BARRY MANILOW REVEALS HE IS GAY

The are jt the hight-profile of hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills prently Republin-n state legislatur, cludg would Manilow, who me out as gay 2017, say to all the Republin legislators tryg to ph this panoply of anti-LGBTQ, anti-trans bills, I asked. Workg out of New York Cy gay bathho as her pianist, Manilow soon beme her mil director and arranger, -producg and arrangg her Grammy Award-wng but album and s follow-up. Barry is actually her godfather, and Kirsten's age means she was born around 1976 — though 's not clear when her father cid he was gay.

A 2002 bgraphy of Barry by Patricia Butler, which the crooner threatened legal actn over, ntaed referenc to the star beg a gay man.

BARRY MANILOW RIPS ANTI-LGBTQ REPUBLIN POLICIANS AND THEIR BILLS: ‘SHAME ON YOU!’‘GO GET IT’BARRY MANILOW TELLS HOW HE STANDS WH TRANS KIDS, THEIR FAI, AND LGBTQ MUNI UNR ATTACK, AS WELL AS DISHG ON HIS NEW MIL AND HIS BROADWAY DREAMS.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED MAR. 12, 2022 3:57AM EST / PUBLISHED MAR. 11, 2022 10:31PM EST NOEL VASQUEZ/GETTYBARRY MANILOW IS NOT KNOWN FOR HIS VOL LGBTQ ACTIVISM, BUT AS THE MULTI-LN-SELLG POP STAR AND THIS REPORTER WERE SPEAKG ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON A TEXAS URT WAS HEARG EVINCE ABOUT THE ERNOR AND STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL BELIEVG GENR-AFFIRMG RE FOR TRANS TEENAGERS TO BE “CHILD ABE,” AND WORTHY OF OFFICIAL VTIGATN OF THEIR PARENTS. (A JUDGE LATER ISSUED A TEMPORARY STATEWI JUNCTN PREVENTG SUCH VTIGATNS GOG FORWARD.) THIS WEEK ALSO SAW THE PASSAGE OF FLORIDA’S “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, AFFECTG WHAT N AND N’T BE SAID AND TGHT THE STATE’S CLASSROOMS. THE ARE JT THE HIGHT-PROFILE OF HUNDREDS OF ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS PRENTLY REPUBLIN-N STATE LEGISLATUR, CLUDG ALABAMA.WHAT WOULD MANILOW, WHO ME OUT AS GAY 2017, SAY TO ALL THE REPUBLIN LEGISLATORS TRYG TO PH THIS PANOPLY OF ANTI-LGBTQ, ANTI-TRANS BILLS, I ASKED.“SHAME ON YOU!” MANILOW SHOUTED DOWN THE PHONE. WOULD HE WANT TEXAS TO CEASE S ACTNS TOWARDS TRANS KIDS AND THEIR FAI, AND FOR THE GENERAL TI OF ANTI-LGBTQ LEGISLATN-MAKG TO END? “Y,” MANILOW SAID, JT AS FIRMLY. BARRY MANILOW AND PARTNER GARRY KIEF ATTEND A 2016 GRAMMY EVENT.KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY MANILOW ME OUT PUBLICLY HAVG MARRIED HIS LONGTIME MANAGER AND PARTNER GARRY KIEF TWO YEARS PREVLY. HAD G OUT PEOPLE MAGAZE FIVE YEARS AGO BEEN LIBERATG OR SELF-AFFIRMG AFTER SO MANY YEARS THE CLOSET—FOR FEAR, AS MANILOW HAS SAID, OF DISAPPOTG HIS FEMALE FANS? “NO. IT WAS A NON-EVENT, NOTHG, FOR ME,” MANILOW SISTS TODAY. “IT WAS NO BIG AL. NOTHG CHANGED, NOTHG WILL CHANGE, AND NOTHG HAS CHANGED.”DID MANILOW WISH HE’D E OUT SOONER? “NO, NO,” THE SEND ONE SAID LOUR THAN THE FIRST. “IT WAS WHATEVER WAS.”IT WOULD BE 13 MUT WH MANILOW, I’D BEEN TOLD—AND THIS WOULD BE TIMED WH ARY PRECISN. ALONGSI HIM WAS HIS IEND AND LONGTIME WRG PARTNER BCE SSMAN, WHO LLABORATED WH MANILOW ON “MANDY,” A SONG WHOSE SUCCS AND NSEQUENC MANILOW TOLD ME DIVERTED HIM OM HIS REAL DREAM OF “WRG THE GREAT BROADWAY MIL.”THAT DREAM MAY BE A B CLOSER WH THE IMMENT NEW YORK BUT OF HIS AND SSMAN’S SHOW, HARMONY: A NEW MIL, ABOUT THE COMEDIAN HARMONISTS, ONE OF THE MOST SUCCSFUL MIL PERFORMANCE GROUPS EUROPE THE YEARS LEADG UP TO WORLD WAR II. HALF THE GROUP WAS JEWISH, HALF GENTILE, AND THEY ARE SO LTLE-KNOWN BEE THEIR WORK WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY STROYED BY THE NAZIS. MANILOW AND SSMAN SPOKE OM WHERE THE MIL WILL BE PERFORMED, THE NATNAL YIDDISH THEATRE FOLKSBIENE, NEW YORK CY, WH PREVIEWS BEGNG MARCH 23.SSMAN HAD SEEN A GERMAN-LANGUAGE-WH-SUBTL DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE GROUP, STCK BY THE SIX MEMBERS WHE TIE AND TAILS, HAIR BRILLIANTED. “I ME OUT GOBSMACKED. THEY WERE THE MARX BROTHERS MEETS MANHATTAN TRANSFER. I ULDN’T BELIEVE THE STORY I WAS HEARG AND I ULDN’T BELIEVE I DIDN’T KNOW . SO, I LLED BARRY OM A PAYPHONE AND SAID, ‘I THK I’VE FOUND .’ WE’D BEEN LOOKG FOR A MIL FOR YEARS. WE’D BEEN OFFERED SEVERAL THAT WE TURNED DOWN, BUT ON THIS ONE BARRY TOOK A LLABORATIVE LEAP. HE TOLD ME, ‘I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT, BUT GO GET .’ THE STORY KNOCKED ME OUT. I STARTED DOG REARCH—BARRY LLS ‘CIRCLG THE AIRPORT’—CIDG WHAT PART OF THE STORY WE WANTED TO TELL AND HOW.”MANILOW ADD, “THEIRS IS A REALLY CREDIBLE STORY, AND ’S AMAZG NOBODY REMEMBERS THEM. THEY VENTED A STYLE OF MIC AND EDY WE TAKE FOR GRANTED NOW, BUT THEY WERE HUGELY SUCCSFUL, THE BACKSTREET BOYS OF THEIR DAY. THEY DID MOVI, THEY SOLD LNS OF RERDS.” BARRY MANILOW PERFORMS DURG THE “WE LOVE NYC: THE HOMEG CONCERT” CENTRAL PARK AUGT.EDUARDO MUNOZ/RTERS SSMAN SAID HE THKS HIS AND MANILOW’S JEWISHNS RMED THEIR RPONSE TO THE MATERIAL, AND, “AS TIME HAS GONE ON AND THE HEADL GOTTEN WORSE, AS JEWS I FEEL MORE OF AN OBLIGATN TO TELL THE STORY THAN I EVER DID BEFORE. I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO SAY THAT, BUT HERE I AM STG AT THE GEO MM OF JEWISH HERAGE, ‘A LIVG MEMORIAL TO THE HOLOT.’ EVERY STONE THIS BUILDG IS HERE TO ENURAGE REMEMBERG. WE KNOW WE HAVE THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THE NEW YORK BUT OF THIS SHOW, AND ’S ALMOST UNFORTUNATE TO SAY THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE THE RIGHT TIME TO TELL THIS STORY AS WELL. IT’S MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER.”MANILOW SISTED “THE POSER PART OF HIM WAS THE STORY WRG THE SONGS THE SCEN WE WERE WORKG ON. I WAS MORE VOLVED TELLG THIS STORY MILLY THAN ANYTHG ELSE.”THE UNFOLDG HORRORS PERPETRATED BY RSIA UKRAE HAD GIVEN THE MIL AND S SETTG UNR THE GATHERG STORM OF NAZISM MORE PIQUANCY, THE MEN AGREED.“AGA, I AM NOT HAPPY TO SAY , BUT DO,” SAID SSMAN. “IT’S RONATG MORE THAN EVER, ALMOST TO THE POT THAT I HAD NCERNS OVER THGS I HAD WRTEN FIVE, SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO. THEY SEEM STOLEN OM THE HEADL. I ASKED BARRY AND THE DIRECTOR, ‘DO I HAVE TO CHANGE THAT LE? IT SOUNDS LIKE I WROTE YTERDAY BEE I READ SOMETHG THE NEWSPAPER.’” “I’VE NEVER SEEN A MORE EXCED CROWD MY LIFE. BY THE TIME GOT TO ‘LADI WHO LUNCH’ THEY WERE RIPPG THE WALLS DOWN.”— BARRY MANILOW MANILOW SAID HE THKS CURRENT EVENTS HAVE GIVEN THE SHOW A EPER RONANCE, BUT HE WAS MORE FOCED ON WRG “A PROPER SONG AT A PROPER MOMENT. MY JEWISHNS HAD NOTHG TO DO WH FOR ME. I WAS TRYG TO WRE A LOVE SONG FOR THE GIRL, AND I WAS TRYG TO WRE AN AMG SONG FOR THE GUYS. THAT WAS MY JOB.”FOR BOTH MEN, STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S MIL COMPANY, PRENTLY REVIVED ON BROADWAY STARRG PATTI LUPONE AND KATRA LENK, HAD BEEN ABSOLUTELY FORMATIVE. (SSMAN JT SAW AND LOVED THE REVIVAL, MANILOW IS PLANNG TO.)“COMPANY CHANGED ALL OUR LIV,” MANILOW TOLD ME. “YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAD ANY IA ABOUT GOG TO BROADWAY, WHEN WE ALL HEARD COMPANY, EVERYONE WENT ‘OK, IS THIS WHERE ’S GOG? I WANT TO BE THERE.’ EVERYONE RAN BACK TO GET TO THE BROADWAY WORLD BEE OF . I REMEMBER I SAW THE MIL ON S LAST PREVIEW BEFORE OPENG NIGHT. CAN YOU IMAGE? I’VE NEVER SEEN A MORE EXCED CROWD MY LIFE. BY THE TIME GOT TO ‘LADI WHO LUNCH’ THEY WERE RIPPG THE WALLS DOWN.”“IT ALSO HAD SOMETHG TO DO WH BARRY AND I WORKG TOGETHER,” SSMAN SAID. “AFTER WE MET, THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO HIS TY LTLE APARTMENT ON 27TH STREET, HE HAD THUMB-TACKED ONTO THE BACK OF HIS PIANO HIS FAVORE RERD ALBUMS, AND ONE OF THEM WAS THE ST RERDG OF COMPANY. AND I SAID, ‘OK. THIS GUY.’”MANILOW ROARED WH LGHTER. BARRY MANILOW PEFORMS DURG THE CURTA LL OF “MANILOW ON BROADWAY” 2013. ASTRID STAWIARZ/GETTY LONG BEFORE HIS REER WENT SUPERSONIC, MANILOW WAS AN OFF-BROADWAY ACPANIST. IS BROADWAY HIS BON?“THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO BE,” MANILOW SAID. “I WANTED TO BE A BROADWAY POSER. I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT PERFORMG OR SGG WHEN I STARTED OFF. I WAS EVERYBODY’S PIANO PLAYER, EVERYBODY’S ARRANGER, AND I WAS A SONGWRER. I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT HAVG THE REER I HAVE HAD. EVER! WHEN BCE AND I MET WE WERE GOG TO WRE THE BROADWAY MIL. THAT STUPID ‘MANDY’ JT STOPPED EVERYTHG.”BOTH MEN LGH OVER THE MENTN OF MANILOW’S BREAKTHROUGH H.“THAT POP REER WHERE HE SOLD 100 LN RERDS. HOW DARE HE!” CKLED SSMAN.I TOLD MANILOW THAT DUCKIE, THE MUCH-LOVED LONDON QUEER CLUB, PLAYED “COPABANA” TO THE LIR LIGHT OF REGULARS.“OH WOW, GREAT,” HE RPOND. “AND THAT WAS A BIG SURPRISE TOO, HOW RAD PICKED UP AND MA A POP SONG. LTLE BY LTLE KEPT CLIMBG UP THE CHARTS.”SSMAN LGHED. “THAT SONG IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW BAD A POP WRER I WAS. I HAD NO IA HOW TO WRE A POP SONG, AND THAT IS THE STRANGT POP SONG I EVER WROTE, WHICH REMDS ME ABOUT WHY WAS SO SUCCSFUL. THERE WAS NOTHG LIKE ON THE AIR.”I ASKED MANILOW WHAT WAS LEFT FOR HIM TO DO.“THAT’S A BIG QUTN,” HE MED. “I HAVE DONE EVERYTHG I HAVE EVER DREAMED OF DOG. I’VE MA EVERY STYLE OF ALBUM I’VE EVER DREAMED OF MAKG, AND NOW THIS SHOW [HARMONY]. I WOULD LOVE TO DO ANOTHER ONE OF THE. WE’VE LOVED WRG THIS, BUT WE N’T WRE ANOTHER ONE UNTIL WE’RE DONE WH THIS ONE.”SSMAN RELLED A STORY ABOUT OSR HAMMERSTE, WHO HE SAID, THE NIGHT OKLAHOMA! OPENED, WENT FOR A WALK WH HIS WIFE THEIR GARN. “HAMMERSTE SAID TO HER, ‘I REALLY HOPE THEY LIKE , BEE THIS IS WHAT I LIKE AND IF THEY LIKE I GET TO WRE ANOTHER ONE.’ AND THAT’S HOW BARRY AND I FEEL ABOUT HARMONY.”MANILOW SAID HE WILL MOST LIKELY RETURN TO BROADWAY TO PERFORM A THIRD NCERT, AFTER THE SUCCS OF THE PREV TWO. BUT HARMONY MAY ALSO PROVI A TEMPLATE FOR A NEW STAGE-CENTERED FUTURE. “WE HOPE THIS IS A SUCCS—NOT ONLY BEE WE’VE BEEN WORKG ON SO LONG AND LIKE SO MUCH,” MANILOW SAID. “IF THE DIENCE BUYS THIS WE MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER ONE OR TWO OF THE WE’D LIKE TO WRE.” TIM TEEMAN

Publisher Chris Charlworth said he felt nfint publishg as " fairly well known wh the mic dtry that Manilow was gay", and there were plenty of supportg quot om iends and lleagu nfirmg that the book. But Barry, who did not sue after the book was published, has always referred to himself as "happily sgle" terviews and until now hasn't given his fans any e to believe he was gay. Barry Manilow opens up about marryg Garry Kief and g out as gay.

BARRY MANILOW ME OUT AS GAY AT AGE 73 – MEET THE MAN HE’S BEEN WH FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.

At age 73, Barry Manilow is tellg the world that he's gay. "I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I…By Jordan SargentAt age 73, Barry Manilow is tellg the world that he’s gay. “I thought I would be disappotg them if they knew I was gay, ” he told People.

”The uple currently live on a 53-acre property Palm Sprgs, as all gay men post Barry Manilow Reveals He Is Gay first appeared on SPIN. ) This week also saw the passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, affectg what n and n’t be said and tght the state’s classrooms.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* BARRY MANALOW GAY

Barry Manilow reveals why he didn't e out as gay years ago .

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