Acceptance and Time

Last week another vault song was released on Manilow.com along with a letter from Barry. The song was an old recording of Barry singing as a child which is adorable. Also amazing. It is clear that to learn and perform such a song to accompaniment required not only a talented child but very much adult help. The letter posted with the song gave some insight into a new CD release Barry is working on and the apprehension that comes with stepping into new territory. Way to go, Barry! Still taking chances; trying new things. Barry also gave his version of the Vegas cancellations and offered a round about apology for something he views as being out of his control.



The beginning of the letter spoke of Barry’s birthday and aging. This caused speculation on the part of some in the fan world that Barry reaching out to his fans was a result of the death of Michael Jackson. Maybe it was. I don’t know. The important thing, to me anyway, was the song and the letter appeared. A lot of the people doing the speculating are the same people who complain Barry doesn’t blog or interact with his fans on Facebook or Twitter. Think about it – how many people Barry’s age do you know on a social network? Yes, Barry is a celebrity but he’s a person too. Social networks are the playground of the younger generation. (See I got back to the birthday and aging at the beginning of this paragraph to tie it all together.)



It is understandable to me that new fans or younger people would wonder why Barry doesn’t communicate with his fan base using the new technology. Long time fans should know that Barry has never been a celebrity that keeps up regular communication with the fans. Over the years Barry has tried various ways to be in touch with his fans. For reasons unknown, it has not worked for him. Can’t that just be an accepted part of being a Manilow fan and move on? After over thirty years I can’t see why anyone would expect Barry to change.



Now of course Barry could be all over the Internet, or at least someone from his management team could be writing as Barry on Facebook, Twitter, and even a blog. That has already happened with fake Barrys on Twitter, MySpace and who knows where else. People have even questioned if Barry was the author of the vault letter. I applaud Barry for not having a ghost-writer for blogs and social networks. At least he is being honest about what he wants to do. If blogs and social networking is not Barry’s thing then so be it. He has that right. Barry is sixty-six now. Be glad he is healthy enough to be performing and trying new projects, Michael Jackson’s death took me back to August, 1977 when I slept on the street in front of Graceland after Elvis’s passing. Talent can be lost so early. Remember those we have lost, because we have lost quite a few lately. Cherish the ones who are here still sharing their talent. No one knows when time will run out.

A House United

This past week Manilow fans found out that Barry’s Malibu beach house is for sale. (Sounds kind of like Barbie’s Malibu beach house, doesn’t it?) According to some online real estate sources the house has been on the market for four months. To peak interest, the selling price was dropped and the sale was made public. Pictures of the house, inside and out appeared several places online, all originating from the firm selling the house. Fans got a glimpse into Barry’s life that is not often available. Some enjoyed seeing the house while others thought the photos an invasion of Barry’s privacy. Then there was that celebrity real estate blog that brought the simmering battle among fans over Barry’s sexuality back up to a boil. That’s when I saw the common thread that joins the two warring groups. Both share a common belief – the belief that Barry Manilow is an unhappy, lonely, unfilled man. Let me explain.

Officially, fans are lead to believe that Barry Manilow’s private life is off limits to fans and the press. All anyone needs to know is that Barry’s life is music. The group who buys into this version of Barry’s life views him as a lonely man who never found his one true soul mate to complete his life. A small group of women fans think they are, in fact, that soul mate but that’s a whole different blog. The need to reach out and support this lonely man is an added draw to Barry.

Then there is the other group of fans who that believe for his entire career Barry has been forced to keep his true lifestyle a secret. Barry is seen as an unfilled man who has lived a lie for too many years. Claiming to love the music, these fans also stay around to support Barry if he ever comes out of the closet they believe he is hiding in.

Is the common thread evident to you? Both groups feel that Barry has a need for them, which he does, just not in the way they would like to think he does. An unhappy man, Barry will one day need the support both offer him. Is this not pure PR genius? Keeping Barry’s off stage life off limits to the public leads both groups of fans to believe they know the “truth” about Barry. Each group stays around so they won’t miss being proven right at some point in time. Whoever came up with this strategy is brilliant. It is working. This adds a mystique to Barry that will keep interest high for a long time to come. Great job in this day and age of celebrity media counting everything as fair game in the life of a public figure. May we fans never find out anything about Barry’s private life, because we seem to be the only ones who care.

The Girls in the Restaurant

The other night I had a rush of memories flood over me while eating dinner. My husband and I were eating at a local restaurant famous for its barbecue. This restaurant just happens to be located right across the street from the coliseum complex. When we pulled in my husband remarked on how big the show must be that was taking place that night. Being the parents of two sons who work in the music business things like that always catches his eyes. Lil’ Wayne was in town. After being seated we noticed some of the crew at a table nearby. (I know crew members. Comes from being the Mom of two.) A short time later a group of girls came in headed for the rest room.


ALERT: Rant
These girls came in to change clothes. They sure needed to change their clothes; they had on their pajamas. You know those flannel pajama pants that so popular? I love them; they are very comfortable. But, hey, they are not supposed to be worn out in public! You wear them at home. Or at least that’s what I think. Maybe it’s my age showing. Indulge me-wear your pajamas at home.


When the girls came out of the bathroom they were all dolled up for the concert. As they walked by our table, leaving a trail of glitter from their tee-shirts, I smiled at my husband and said, “Been there. Done that.”


A lot of you reading this can say the same thing. I did it more in my Elvis days than my Barry road trip days. Those were fun times. I was watching that group of young ladies make memories. I understood how they felt and the why of it. Fans are a very misunderstood group of people. All groups have members who take things too far. Go to extremes. It happens with golfers or race fans. Some people have addictive personalities. Fans of people, or in Manilow fans’ case, a musician are all thought to be a touch strange by people who are not fans. That’s a misconception. Most fans are normal people who happen to have an interest in a certain person. Like we do for Barry. It’s hard for people who don’t share that interest to understand why we seek each other out. It’s no different from being in a book or sport club. People like to connect with others who share a common interest.


I understood those girls in the restaurant because I had shared the same experience. In some of the Manilow groups I see people talking about how awful it is that people pay such high prices and go to Vegas. Why? Ten or so years ago it was fine for these same people to be paying to travel all over the country going from show to show to see Barry. Why isn’t it ok now? What’s the difference? As long it brings happiness,who should criticize? Maybe it doesn’t suit the place some people are in life right now but things are not the same for everyone. Go and have a great time. Write about your memories in blog or something. Share your experiences. Plenty of people appreciate your sharing.


My hope is that the girls I saw in the restaurant had a wonderful time at the show. I hope everyone who goes to see Barry enjoys the shows. Know that I appreciate and read when you share your stories. Somehow I suspect the stories from the Li’ Wayne concert got shared by that group of girls on the Internet with friends. Fans always find one another. That’s why I have blog readers, so that’s a good thing. We have to all stick together- we are the only ones who understand what it means to be a fan.