Barry Manilow Biography Quotes 5 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a close-knit, working-class environment where music was a constant companion and the piano quickly became his instrument of choice. As he entered adulthood he adopted his mother's family name, Manilow, a change that would soon be associated worldwide with pop craftsmanship and theatrical showmanship. He pursued formal training at the New York College of Music and continued his studies at the Juilliard School, all while holding down day jobs, including a stint at CBS in the mailroom. The demanding balancing act of work, school, and practice honed his discipline and deepened his grounding in harmony, orchestration, and the language of American popular song.

Beginnings in Music: Jingles and Arranging
Before his name filled marquees, Manilow learned to write concisely and memorably by composing and singing advertising jingles. He contributed to campaigns for major brands and famously crafted the melodic hook for State Farm's "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there", and worked on Band-Aid's "Stuck on Band-Aid" jingle. The format's constraints sharpened his sense for hooks, key changes, and structure, skills that later carried over to his radio hits. In New York's music scene he also accompanied singers, arranged charts, and built a reputation as a meticulous studio professional.

Partnership with Bette Midler and Industry Breakthrough
A turning point came in the early 1970s when Manilow met Bette Midler while working as a pianist at the Continental Baths, a lively and formative venue for many performers. He became her pianist and musical director, helping arrange her early shows and working on her breakthrough recordings, including contributions to The Divine Miss M. The collaboration showcased his gift for arrangements that magnified a singer's personality while keeping the band tight and theatrical. The visibility he gained during this period led to a recording deal and set the stage for his own career in the spotlight.

Recording Star: From Mandy to Copacabana
Manilow's solo breakthrough arrived with "Mandy", a dramatic ballad adapted from Scott English and Richard Kerr's "Brandy". Its big modulations and emotional phrasing became hallmarks of his style. He followed with a string of hits that defined 1970s adult contemporary radio: "Could It Be Magic", built on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor; "Looks Like We Made It"; "Even Now"; "Weekend in New England"; and "I Write the Songs" (written by Bruce Johnston), a wry anthem that he did not write but delivered as if he had. During this period he worked closely with collaborators who helped shape the Manilow sound, co-producer Ron Dante; lyricist Marty Panzer; and, crucially, label executive Clive Davis, who championed Manilow's instincts for melody and song selection as Bell Records evolved into Arista.

Songcraft, Collaborators, and Theatrical Flair
Manilow's knack for fusing Tin Pan Alley craftsmanship with pop drama culminated in "Copacabana (At the Copa)", co-written with Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman. A vivid narrative set to a Latin-disco pulse, it became one of his signature songs and later inspired a television film and stage productions. Sussman would remain a key creative partner, notably on the long-gestating musical Harmony, while Feldman continued as a collaborator on theatrical projects. Manilow's studio approach favored layered harmonies, key-lift climaxes, and orchestral color, all designed to support a distinctive, conversational vocal delivery that brought characters and stories to life.

Stage, Screen, and Residencies
Beyond the charts, Manilow built an expansive live career with elaborately staged concerts and television specials. He brought the polish of Broadway and the intimacy of a cabaret to arenas, talking to audiences as much as singing to them, and fine-tuning arrangements from tour to tour. Decades into his career he found a second home in Las Vegas, mounting long-running residencies that blended hits, storytelling, and deep cuts, effectively transforming a catalog of radio favorites into a living stage revue. His onstage presence, part conductor, part raconteur, kept his shows personal even as they grew in scale.

Later Career and Musical Curiosity
Rather than settling into a greatest-hits circuit, Manilow continued to record ambitiously. He created concept albums that honored American song traditions, paying tribute to eras and icons and reconnecting with the classic songwriting values that shaped him. Working again with Clive Davis, he released multi-decade surveys that revisited the 1950s and beyond, bringing his precision as an arranger to familiar material. He also explored original narratives on concept albums, demonstrating an ongoing curiosity about how fame, storytelling, and melody intertwine. Theatrical work remained a constant: "Copacabana" returned in various stage incarnations, and "Harmony", with book and lyrics by Bruce Sussman and music by Manilow, progressed from workshops to major productions after many years of development.

Personal Life and Partnerships
Manilow's personal life occasionally intersected with public attention. Shortly after high school he married Susan Deixler; the marriage ended as he committed himself fully to music. Later, his longtime manager and partner, Garry Kief, played a central role in his life and career, guiding business operations and tours; the two married in a private ceremony years into their partnership. When Manilow spoke publicly about their relationship, he emphasized the support he felt from audiences who had grown with him through decades of music.

Philanthropy and Legacy
Committed to music education, Manilow founded the Manilow Music Project to provide instruments and resources to school programs, often coordinating instrument drives with his tour stops so support could flow directly to local classrooms. His philanthropy extended to health and community causes, reflecting a belief that popular music can do concrete good beyond entertainment.

Enduring Influence
Barry Manilow's influence rests on more than sales and chart positions; it lies in a songwriter's respect for craft and an arranger's ear for drama. He merged the discipline he learned from jingles with the sweep of the American songbook and the immediacy of pop radio. Along the way, he carried forward traditions sharpened in collaboration with figures such as Bette Midler, Clive Davis, Ron Dante, Marty Panzer, Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Johnston. The result is a body of work that spans ballads, narrative pop, theatrical scores, and reinventions of classic repertoire, music that has remained resilient because it feels like a conversation between singer and listener. As a performer, composer, arranger, and producer, Manilow helped define a strand of American popular music where melody, storytelling, and showmanship meet, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate across generations.

Our collection contains 5 quotes who is written by Barry, under the main topics: Music - Friendship - Aging - Vacation.

Other people realated to Barry: Bruce Johnston (Musician)