This is Barry Manilow's biography
Created by www.barrymanilow.nl
Update: February 2023
Update: February 2023
Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus to Harold Pincus and Edna Manilow. His mother's family was Jewish, while his father, who was often known by the surname "Keliher," was born to a Jewish father and Irish American mother. Barry's name was changed to Barry Manilow at the time of his Bar Mitzvah, adopting his mother's maiden name. Reared in the community of Williamsburg in northern Brooklyn, Barry attended nearby Eastern District High School, from which he graduated in 1961. In the same year, he enrolled in the Juilliard performing arts school, while working at CBS to pay his expenses.
At CBS, in 1964, Manilow met Bro Herrod, a director, who asked him to arrange some songs for a musical adaptation of the melodrama, The Drunkard. Instead, Manilow wrote an entire original score. Herrod used his composition in the Off Broadway musical, which enjoyed an eight year run at New York's 13th Street Theatre. Manilow then earned money by working as a pianist, producer, and arranger.
During this time he began to work as a commercial jingle writer, an activity that continued well into the 1970s. Many of those he wrote and/or composed he would also perform, including State Farm Insurance ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there..."), and Band-Aid ("I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!"), for which he adopted a surprisingly convincing child-like voice. His singing-only credits include Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and the famed McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today" campaign. Manilow won two Clio Awards in 1976 for his work for Tab and Band-Aid. These jingles were a mainstay of his concerts for years as his "V.S.M.," or "Very Strange Medley."
By 1967, Manilow was the musical director for the WCBS-TV series Callback, which premiered on January 27, 1968. He next conducted and arranged for Ed Sullivan's production company, arranging a new theme for The Late Show, while still 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 New York's Upstairs at the Downstairs club.(1968 / 1969). 1970s
Manilow's well-known association with Bette Midler began at the Continental Baths in New York City. He accompanied her and other artists on the piano from 1970 to 1971, and Midler chose him to assist with the production of her first two albums, The Divine Miss M (1972) and Bette Midler (1973), and act as her musical director on The Divine Miss M tour. Manilow worked with Midler for four years, from 1971 to 1975. In 1974, Bell Records released Manilow's first album, Barry Manilow, which offered an eclectic mix of piano-driven pop and guitar-driven rock music, including a song that Manilow had composed for the 1972 war drama Parades.
Among other songs on the album were "Cloudburst", and "Could It Be Magic." The latter's music was based on Chopin's "Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20", and provided Donna Summer with one of her major hits. (It was also covered by Take That in the 1990s, as an up-beat disco version of the song. Take That have since performed Manilow's original version in their Beautiful World Tour.) When Manilow's record company, Bell Records, merged with other labels, new entity Arista Records formed. Under the auspices of its head Clive Davis many artists were dropped. Davis was reassured by the Manilow acquisition after seeing him perform as the opening act at a Dionne Warwick concert.
The partnership began to gain traction in 1974, with the release of Manilow's second album, Barry Manilow II, originally titled Sweetwater Jones on Bell Records and given its eventual title when reissued on Arista, which contained the breakthrough number-one hit, "Mandy." Manilow had not wanted to record "Mandy," which had originally been titled "Brandy" and was co-written and originally recorded by Scott English, but the song was included at the insistence of Davis. Following the success of Barry Manilow II, the first Bell Records album release was re-mixed and re-issued 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." As previously stated, this was a sampling of some of the commercial jingles that he had written, composed, and/or sung. Beginning with Manilow's March 22, 1975, appearance on American Bandstand to promote the second album, a productive friendship with Dick Clark started.[15] Numerous appearances by Manilow on Clark's productions of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, singing his original seasonal favorite "It's Just Another New Year's Eve," American Bandstand anniversary shows, American Music Awards performances, and his 1985 television movie Copacabana are among their projects together.
"Mandy" was the start of a string of hit singles and albums that lasted through the rest of the 1970s to the early 1980s, coming from the multi-platinum and multi-hit albums Tryin' to Get the Feeling, This One's for You, Even Now, and One Voice. Despite being a songwriter in his own right, several of Manilow's commercial successes were with songs by others. Among hits he did not write or compose are "Mandy," "Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again" by David Pomerantz, "Weekend in New England" (by Randy Edelman), "Looks Like We Made It" by Richard Kerr and Will Jennings, "Can't Smile Without You" and "Ready to Take a Chance Again." Ironically, another one of his hits that Manilow did not write or compose himself was his number 1 "I Write The Songs" (by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys). According to album liner notes, Manilow did, however, co-produce them with Ron Dante and arrange them.
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. This was quickly followed by Manilow Magic – The Best Of Barry Manilow, also known as Greatest Hits. On its initial release it was marketed with a large television campaign by the mail order label "Teledisc." In the late 1970s and early 1980s, ABC aired four variety television specials starring and executive produced by Manilow. The Barry Manilow Special with Penny Marshall as his guest premiered on March 2, 1977 to an audience of 37 million. The breakthrough special was nominated for four Emmys and won in the category of "Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special." The Second Barry Manilow Special in 1978, with Ray Charles as his guest, was also nominated for four Emmys.
Manilow's "Ready To Take a Chance Again" originated in the film Foul Play, which also featured "Copacabana," from his 4th studio album "Even Now." [17] "Ready To Take A Chance Again" was nominated that year for the "Best Original Song" Oscar. Copacabana would later take the form of a musical television movie, starring Manilow, and three musical plays. On February 11, 1979, a concert from Manilow's sold-out dates at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California aired on HBO series Standing Room Only, which was the first pay-television show to pose a serious challenge to network primetime specials in the ratings. From the same tour in 1978, a one-hour special from Manilow's sold out concert at the Royal Albert Hall aired in the UK.[citation needed]
On May 23, 1979, ABC aired The Third Barry Manilow Special, with John Denver as his guest. This special was nominated for two Emmy awards and won for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography." Also in 1979, Manilow produced Dionne Warwick'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" (written and composed by Ian Hunter, former lead singer of Mott the Hoople) from the album "One Voice."
The 1980s gave Manilow the adult contemporary chart-topping songs "The Old Songs", "Somewhere Down the Road", "Read 'Em and Weep" (a Meat Loaf cover, written by Jim Steinman) and a remake of the 1941 Jule Styne and Frank Loesser standard "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." Manilow continued having high radio airplay throughout the decade. In the UK, Manilow had five sold-out performances at Royal Albert Hall. In the United States, at Radio City Music Hall (1984) his 10-night run set a box-office sales record of nearly $2 million, making him the top draw in the then 52-year history of the venue.[20] In 1980, Manilow's One Voice special, with Dionne Warwick as his guest, was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction".[16]
Also in 1980, a concert from Manilow's sold-out shows at England's Wembley Arena was broadcast while he was on a world tour. Manilow released the self-titled Barry (1980), which was his first album to not reach the top ten in the United States, stopping at #15. The album contained "I Made It Through The Rain" (originally a minor hit for its writer, Gerard Kenny) and "Bermuda Triangle." The album If I Should Love Again followed in 1981, containing "The Old Songs," "Let's Hang On," and "Somewhere Down The Road." This was the first of his own albums that Manilow produced without Ron Dante, who had co-produced all the previous albums. Manilow's sold-out concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh aired nationally on Showtime, and locally on Philadelphia's now-defunct PRISM. In 1982, a concert from his sold out Royal Albert Hall 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 in Britain. It was the first such event ever held at that venue and was attended by a conservative estimate of 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/blues 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, such as Sarah Vaughn and Mel Tormé. In 1984 and 1985, England aired two one-hour concert specials from his National Exhibition Centre (NEC) concerts. In 1985, Manilow left Arista Records for RCA Records. There 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, among other languages. The Manilow album was a complete about face from the Paradise Cafe album, containing a number of tracks of a modern uptempo and synthesized quality. In 1985, Japan aired a Manilow concert special where he played "Sakura" on the koto.
In his only lead acting role, he portrayed Tony Starr in a 1985 CBS film based on Copacabana, alongside Annette O'Toole as Lola Lamarr and Joseph Bologna as Rico. Manilow penned all the songs for the movie, with lyrics provided by established collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman, and released Copacabana: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album on RCA Records. In October 1986, Manilow, along with Bruce 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 (D-TN).[23] They were there to lobby against a copyright bill put forward by local television broadcasters that would mandate songwriter-producer source licensing of theme and incidental music on syndicated television show reruns and would disallow use of the blanket license now 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 published his autobiography, Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise, which had taken him about 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".[25] Manilow returned to Arista Records in 1987 with the release of Swing Street. 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, produced with the help of Emilio Estefan, Jr., founder of Miami Sound Machine.
In March 1988, CBS aired Manilow's Big Fun on Swing Street special. It featured songs and special guests from his Swing Street and 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe albums, including Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Phyllis Hyman, Stanley Clarke, Carmen McRae, 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".
In 1988, he performed "Please Don't Be Scared" and "Mandy/Could It Be Magic" at That's What Friends Are For: 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 animated feature Oliver & Company, Bette Midler's character sang a new Manilow composition called "Perfect Isn't Easy." The 1989 release of Barry Manilow, which contained "Please Don't Be Scared," "Keep Each Other Warm," and "The One That Got Away," ended Manilow's streak of albums of original self-written material (he neither wrote nor arranged any of the songs except for two) 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 (also known as the Uris Theatre), where, by coincidence, he recorded Barry Manilow Live in 1976. A best-selling 90-minute video of the same show was released the following year as Barry Manilow Live On Broadway. 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.[citation needed]
[edit] 1990s
In the 1990s, Manilow released a number of cover tunes. It started with the 1989 release Barry Manilow, continued with his 1990 Christmas LP Because It's Christmas. Consequent "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", formerly a hit for Paul Davis in 1978. The decade ended with Manilow recording a tribute to Frank Sinatra Manilow Sings Sinatra (1998) released months after Sinatra's death.[citation needed]
In 1990, Japan aired National 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 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 to compose the songs with lyricists Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman for three animated films. He co-wrote the Broadway-style musical scores for Thumbelina (1994) and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995). The third film, entitled Rapunzel, was shelved after the poor performance of The Pebble and the Penguin. Manilow was also to be cast as the voice of a cricket. Manilow also composed the score and wrote two songs with Bruce Sussman for Disney Sing Along Songs: Let's Go To The Circus.
In 1991, Manilow produced the album With My Lover Beside Me by legendary jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson. The record is made up of lyrics left behind by famed composer Johnny Mercer that had never been set to music before the composer's death. Manilow accepted the invitation by Mercer's widow in 1983 to write music for the lyrics. His own recording of When October Goes, 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 of 1991. The bill was signed into law on October 28, 1992 by President George H. W. Bush. The Act, a historic compromise between the consumer electronics and music industries, became effective immediately. In 1993, PBS aired, as a fundraiser, Barry Manilow: The Best of Me, which was taped at Wembley Arena in England earlier that same 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 Greatest Hits...and then some, the video release of the show; however, 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. Manilow branched out in another direction and, with long-time lyricist Bruce Sussman, launched Copacabana, a musical play based on previous Manilow-related adaptations. They wrote new songs and it ran for two years on the London West End, and a tour company formed.[citation needed]
In December 1996, A&E aired Barry Manilow: Live By Request, the first of his two Live By Request 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 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 between Manilow and Sussman they co-wrote the musical Harmony, which previewed October 7 to November 23, 1997 at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California. Later in 2003, Harmony was originally scheduled for a tryout run in Philadelphia before going to Broadway, but was canceled after financial difficulties. After a legal battle with Mark Schwartz, the show's producer, Manilow and Sussman in 2005 won back the rights to the musical.
On October 23, 1999, NBC aired the two-hour special StarSkates Salute to Barry Manilow taped at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring numerous figure skaters performing to Manilow's music. Manilow also performed.
[edit] 2000s
In the year 2000, Manilow had two specials, Manilow Country and Manilow Live!, taped over two consecutive days at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 11, 2000, The Nashville Network (TNN) aired the two-hour Manilow Country, which featured country stars Trisha Yearwood, Neal McCoy, Deana Carter, Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan, Kevin Sharp, Lila McCann, Gillian Welch and Jaci Velasquez singing their favorite Manilow hits with a "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, DirectTV aired the two-hour concert special Manilow Live! where Manilow had his band, a 30-piece orchestra, and a choir. This HDTV 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 on her Concord album The Dreams of Johnny Mercer which included seven songs Manilow wrote to Mercer's lyrics. Meanwhile, Manilow's record contract with Arista Records was not renewed due to new management. He then got a contract at Concord Records, a jazz-oriented label in California, and started work on the long-anticipated concept album, Here at the Mayflower. The album was another eclectic mix of styles, almost entirely composed and produced by Manilow himself.
Barry Manilow live in 2008 during a 1960s sketch
While Manilow was at Concord Records, the Barry Manilow Scholarship was awarded for four consecutive years from 2002 to 2005 to the six highest-achieving students to reward excellence in the art and craft of lyric writing. The UCLA Extension course "Writing Lyrics That Succeed and Endure," taught by long time Manilow collaborator, Marty Panzer, and each student received three additional "master class" advanced sessions as well as a three-hour private, one-on-one session with Mr. 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. On May 18, 2002, Manilow returned to CBS with Ultimate Manilow, his first special at the network since his Big Fun on Swing Street special in 1988. The special was filmed in the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California and was nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Outstanding Music Direction".
Produced by Manilow, Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook was first released on September 30, 2003. It was the first time that Bette Midler had worked with Barry in more than twenty years. Instantly successful, the album went gold and they worked together again on a 2005 follow-up album entitled 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 was going to look like in thirty years, thus acknowledging an ongoing comparison between the two. Also on the special were guests Cyndi Lauper, Jose Feliciano, and Bette Midler (Midler, busy preparing her own tour in LA, appeared only in a pre-taped segment).
2004 brought the release of two albums. These were, consecutively, a live album, 2 Nights Live! (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.
Barry Manilow at the keyboard, live in 2008
During his third appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show 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 time period where Manilow appeared for the first time on the mainstream FOX program American Idol 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 executives in a press conference with Manilow on December 14, 2004 announced his signing to a long-term engagement as the house show. In March 2006, Manilow's engagement was extended through 2008.
Manilow returned to Arista Records under Davis for a new covers album, released January 31, 2006, called The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. Manilow said he was blown away with the idea, which Davis presented to him when he visited his 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 has reached number one in 29 years. It was eventually certified Platinum in the U.S., and sold over 3 million copies worldwide.
In March 2006, PBS aired Barry Manilow: Music and Passion, a Hilton concert taped exclusively for the network's fundraising drive. Manilow was nominated for two Emmys, winning for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program". A sequel album to his best-selling fifties tribute album, The Greatest Songs of the Sixties was released on October 31, 2006 including songs such as "And I Love Her" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". It nearly repeated the success of its predecessor, debuting at #2 in the Billboard 200.
Manilow live in 2008 at the Xcel Energy Center
In January 2007, Manilow returned to his hometown of New York City for three shows at Madison Square Garden. One highlight was the showing onscreen of Manilow performing in one of his first television appearances while the "live" Manilow played along onstage.
The same year saw him playing several shows on the east coast of the United States in August. Four more took place in December, half in the NY tri-state area in Uniondale and East Rutherford, and 2 in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit. Manilow launched another short tour in early 2008, visiting several large venues including the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. A further album in the decades themed series went on release September 18, 2007. Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies, a PBS concert special based on the work, was taped in Manilow's home town, Brooklyn, October 2007. The show aired on PBS 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.
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. The first month, Episode #1, showed performances from April 20 & 21, 1996 at Wembley Arena in London.
It is confirmed as of October 7, 2009 that Manilow will be concluding his Resident show at the Hilton "Ultimate Manilow The Hits" on December 30, 2009. Manilow opened his new show "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas in March, 2010.
On January 26, 2010, Manilow released his new album The Greatest Love Songs of all Time. In December 2010, Barry was nominated for a Grammy award in the category Best Traditional Pop Album for "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time." On December 11, 2010, Manilow performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. Manilow completed work on his new album, 15 Minutes, 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, Barry appeared at the Olivier Awards 2011 at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, singing Copacabana with the BBC Concert Orchestra and also singing with hit West End star, Kerry Ellis.
From March 2011, he is hosting "They Write the Songs", a 10-part documentary series for BBC Radio 2 in which he looks at the life and work of popular composers.
In June 2011 Barry said, in an interview with the L.A Times, that his new album is influenced by Britney Spears, the album is about the pleasures and pitfalls of fame. It was influenced directly by Spear's personal struggles in late 2007.
In June 2011 Manilow's "15 Minutes" debuted at number 7 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 Album Chart.[citation needed] 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 May 2011 Barry recorded his concerts at the O2 Arena in London, for an upcoming CD & DVD release, stated for early 2012.
In November 2011, Barry also recorded his shows at the Paris Las Vegas for an upcoming TV Special & DVD release.
Barry Manilow concluded his 2 year residency at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas on December 11. This also ended his 7 year stay in Las Vegas.
In March 2012 Barry started with his concerts around the country. .in that same month Barry visited for the first time in 20 years Berlin(Germany). where he released his new live album .'Live in London" with the Royal philhamonic orchestra. April 2012 they release the same album in the UK and the US. May 2012 Barry was again in the Uk for more shows around the country. Back in the USA he started to continue with his city tour around the country.. In december Barry performed 4 times in Palm Springs for his Manilow music projects and to raise money for several funds around town.
He also presented a new serie of shows for broadway. Starting January 2013 at the St. James Theatre in New York, were at the same time the 44street was changed into Manilow Way. This was to honor Barry Manilow, who was born in Brooklyn, NY..... The premiere show was outstanding and Barry's show on broadway were the best selling shows in these weeks on broadway. March 2 it was his final show at the St. James Theatre. After that Barry started, together with Bruce Sussman to create the Harmony musical in Atlanta. Looking for the right singers and dancers. In between Barry did some shows around the country(usa). . In September there (finnely) was the premier of Barry and Bruce their child, "Harmony" and it played a month in Atlanta. Barry announced 2 new records. But he then was still working on it. .In November Barry visit the UK for the BBC - Children in need show. He sang, "Could it be magic" with Garry Barlow and Robbie Williams. On March 11, 2014, Manilow released "Night Songs". A album of standards performed only with piano and acoustic bass by Manilow himself.
After that Barry Toured through the Uk for 2 weeks. .
May 13 – London Wembley Arena
May 14 – London Wembley Arena
May 16 – Ipswich Town Football Club
May 18 – Manchester Phones 4U Arena
May 19 – Glasgow The Hydro
May 22 – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
May 24 – Southampton The Ageas Bowl
May 26 – London The O2 Arena
After the UK shows Barry went again into the studio to start creating a wondefull new project. And of course his musical harmony, written together with bruce Sussman started again.
In october 2014 Barry released his secret project. "My dream Duets". An album with duets sang with great singers as Whitney Houston, John Denver and Louis Amstrond and Judy Garland so so much more. Singer wich Barry never had the change to sing with but with special technical possibilities from today he do it now. The album entered the Billboard album list on number 4 in it's first week.
December 2014. Barry Manilow announced his LAST TOUR thought the USA.this las tour started on february 14 in Omaha en ended on his birthday, june 17 in Brooklyn,NY.
July , Barry Manilow opend the 4th of july ceremonies on Capitol hill in washinton. He sang 'America the beautiful' and 'One voice'. He closed the show with 'Let freedom ring' and a great firework in the back.
In september 2015 Barry announced another UK tour in 2016.
June 11 - 2016 - Leeds
June 12 - 2016 - NewCastle
June 14 - 2016 - Glascow
June 15 - 2016 - Manchester
June 18 - 2016 - Birmingham
June 20 - 2016 - Cardiff
June 23 - 2016 - London
Sales for these show went very fast. Sold out in minutes afer the opening day october 5th 2015.
In January 2017 announced a new album caaled This is my town, songs of New york. .All songs are about Barry's hometown New York. Some new, written by Bruce Sussman and some rearranged songs. And a great NY medley.
1. This Is My Town (2:58)*
2. New York City Rhythm/ On Broadway (3:55)
3. Coney Island (3:00)*
4. Lonely Town (4:58)
5. Lovin' At Birdland (3:28)*
6. Downtown/ Uptown (3:35)
7. On The Roof (3:21)*
8. I Dig New York (2:51)*
9. The Brooklyn Bridge
(Virtual Duet w/Mel Torme) (2:42)
10. NYC Medley (6:57)
a. New York State of Mind
b. New York, New York
c. Manhattan
d. How About You?
e. The Sidewalks of New York
f. Native New Yorker
g. Empire State Of Mind
h. Theme from “New York, New York”
The album was released on on april 21 worldwide.
In march 2017 Barry Manilow was honored with Broadcast Music, Inc.'s prestigious Icon Award at the upcoming 65th annual BMI Pop Awards, held May 9 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Barry recieved the award because he is a visionary whose exceptional body of work has shaped the course of popular music for over five decades," said Cane in a statement. "He has left a lasting imprint on every aspect of music, influenced the careers of his contemporaries, and touched the lives of many with his unique gift of artistry. His musical brilliance defies genre expectations and I cannot think of a more deserving recipient."
In may Barry Manilow did some shows in the US to promote his new album. Cities were LA,Chicago and of Course New York. and later on Atlanda and Chicago. In December 2017 Barry did some Christmas shows in Chicago and his home town Palm Spring. The McCullem theater was fully booked for "The christmas gift of love" shows. In the new year, 2018, Barry was going to several places in the USA like, sarasota, Jacksonville and Estero and he also planned for MEXICO in June. One of the first times in years Barry went abroad. In july Barry started at the Westgate resort ( The Hilton before) in Las Vegas. Several days in the month he will be performing there. In september Barry went to the UK for shows in London Birmingham,Leeds and Manchester. Shows will continue for the Christmas period.for 2018 . show now on sal for Miami, Tampa and Orlando. More shows to add. In January Barry did came back to Las Vegas and started at the westgate with 6 shows that month. Barry even showed up at the New York fashoin week. where he performed at the show from Michael Kors. Barry sang "at the copa" and was surrounded by all models. A few days later Barry was "the act" on the stage at the Palm Springs 25th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards. In that same month Barry started performing at the westgate for 6 shows a moth. On july 26 Barry started for a serie of shows on broadway.He performed there at the Lunt - Fontanne Theatre. The shows ran till august the 17. Barry performed at the Hollywood Bowl in september that year. After the open air show Barry returned to the Westgate in Las Vegas. In december 2019 The album , Night songs 2 was there for pre order . Releasedate february 14, 2020.
Due the pandemic covid all shows were canceld in the UK as well in Las vegas. But in the meantime there was a hit born because a Israelian fan created an great clip for the song, 'When the goodtimes come again"..
Barry apeard an several shows via the webcam so the fans could get a climps from Barry at his home studio..
At the end of 2021 Barry restarted his Las Vegas show and in december 2021 Barry finnely celebrated christmas is his hometown Palm Springs with 6 shows. at the Mc Callum Theatre. They even did the show in Denver and Chicago. But due the Corona virus the last show in Chicago was canceld.
Barry recorded a New years message at one ot the shows in Palm Springs and was aired on January first on CNN's new years show.
A new release from the song "Dancing in the aisle"was released and became a hit on TikTok. and in the UK the people behind 7theHeaven remixes and a extra remix wich reslutls in a radio and dance mix and were released on June 17, Barry's Birthday. And that was also the second show of Barry's UK tour. Glasgow,Leeds, Manchester, London. Cardiff, New Castle.
A new album is coming up. Nobody know when it will be released. Barry will do concerts in: Boston, MA, US, Newark, NJ, US , Elmont, NY, US , Allentown, PA, US , Providence, RI, US , Philadelphia, PA, US. On August 15,2022. In January 2023 Barry went on the road again to, Nasville, Atlanta, Orlando, Sunrise, Tampa, charlotte, and Savannah . And back to Las Vegas in February. No news yet about the new album but we've heard Barry that it will be an original album and he is busy with 2 other productions. So..
To be continue..