Barry Manilow- The Today Show, November, 1997

I visited New York City for the first time in 1997. Not only did I take my first trip to the Big Apple but I went again that same year. Both trips were related to appearances by Barry Manilow. I went in the spring to see shows at Radio City Music Hall. Then in November, I went back to watch Barry on The Today Show. That’s the trip I’m going to write about in this picture blog. This was a fun trip, as well as my family’s national television debut.

My kids had to miss a few days of school for this trip, but hey, it’s educational to go to New York and see Barry isn’t it? Anyway, we knew there was to be a sound check. We just didn’t know at what time. Someone we knew had the information about what time the sound check was but he said if he told us he’d have to kill us. As we’re all still here, he didn’t tell. To be sure not to miss the sound check we got to The Plaza where the outdoor concerts are staged around one in the morning the day of the show.

Mind you, this is November in New York. The Plaza is in between buildings in Rockefeller Center. Can you say freezing? I might not have been able to say it but I sure felt it. We were among the first fans to arrive but not the first. Picking a place to stand was hard. The stage wasn’t up yet. It was a matter of making a choice and hoping for the best. Turned out we made a good choice.

Sound check was at 6 am. For awhile the crowd was so small that we could walk around and visit. As the crowd got bigger we had to stay in one place to keep our spot. Our freezing was rewarded when Barry did sound check. This was around the time of the release of the Sinatra CD. Now I’m not a big fan of Sinatra music but Barry singing it live is great. It was also fun to be able to watch the show being mapped out. My sons found it especially interesting. So much so that it is now what they do for a living- production. (See, it was an educational trip.) I was very impressed by how respectful the crowd was of Barry. He came over to have a conversation with someone he knew in the crowd. Everyone stood quietly not interrupting or asking for anything until the conversation was finished.

Between the sound check and the show we got some heat! Big heaters were brought out. Of course they were for the guests appearing on The Today Show but until the show started, they were pointed at the audience. That small gesture was much appreciated. Barry’s performance was high energy and super. I even danced with him during “Copa”. When the show was over, we were tired, cold, hungry, and I had an urgent need to go to the bathroom.

Finally it was into the car and the drive back to the hotel. If I am remembering correctly, we stayed in Allentown, PA. Don’t ask me about the drive back to the hotel. I can’t even remember driving out of New York City. I conked out fast asleep between my two sleeping sons in the backseat of the car. Needless to say, we all went to bed when we got back to the hotel. That night when we woke up, we called home.

All everyone kept telling us was that we were all over TV. My husband said our friends said that because they knew us and were looking for us. By us, they meant my sons, our friend who went with us, and me. So where was my husband? No one saw him. Long time fans remember that 1997 was the year of the famous camera ban. The Today Show was exempted from the ban. All my husband was interested in was getting good pictures. He didn’t stay with us. We picked a spot at the side of the stage. He chose to stand in front of the stage. When the pictures were developed, his choice proved to be a good one. His pictures were beautiful.

On our return home, we found our friends had been right. We were all over the tape we left in our VCR. We had known that our friend Kathy, who was with us got some camera time. They kept shooting the “Ho, Ho, Ho, Manilow” sweatshirt she wore. The only disappointing thing was my dance with Barry got cut. The show went off before it got to it. Not to worry. Manilow fans are the best.

A fan in Australia emailed me when I mentioned something about not being able to see my dance on an email string we both were members of. Seems “Copa” was not cut when The Today Show was shown there. I didn’t even know The Today Show was shown in Australia. She was kind enough to send me a tape of the show, which I had converted. Thanks to her, I have that moment.

That’s my picture history from The Today Show in 1997. I’m glad I was able to give my sons the experience, as well as myself. It is amazing how they remember these trips we took on a shoestring. Nice hotels or fancy meals didn’t matter. They were centered on what they were interested in and got to see many facets of the industry they were thinking of going into. Plus we all love Barry and his music. Fun at the time and great memories we all share now.

Happiness in Manilowland

Time is very important to the posting of this blog since this event doesn’t occur often. It has been a very happy week in Manilowland. Beautiful pictures of a happy, smiling Barry Manilow arriving in Washington, DC for A Capital Fourth was just a hint of the wonderful performance he gave as a birthday gift for the USA. Barry had the crowd on their feet dancing, singing and responding to his high energy. Hope I have that much energy when I’m Barry’s age.

Entertainment Tonight had reported that Barry would escort Elizabeth Taylor to the Michael Jackson memorial service. Fans wondered if the concerts in Pittsburgh and Rochester, scheduled for the Monday and Tuesday after the Fourth, would be shortened or canceled for Barry to return to LA. The answer was no. A rep for Barry told Fox News Monday night that Barry’s schedule would not allow him to attend the memorial.

Reports from the two shows had been very positive. It was even reported that in Rochester Barry did “I Am Your Child” as tribute to Michael Jackson, after seeing a tearful Paris Jackson speak of her Daddy. So yes, everything is happy in Manilowland. I wish it would stay that way.

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 Cult of Barry Manilow

I cruised by My Manilow Network last weekend. Why I do that is beyond me but I do. The news had broken about Barry’s June shows being canceled. What I read in the posts about the shows reminded me of a remark my husband made a few nights earlier at dinner. I had been telling him about the banning of people off of MMN because they dared to express what is considered a “negative” opinion, or some other reason known to only to the great and powerful administrator. My husband made a very insightful observation. He remarked that MMN sounded like a cult – the cult of Barry Manilow.

That is scary. Even scarier was the fact that what I read on MMN supported the cult observation. Someone posted that they had called the Hilton box office and received confirmation that the June Manilow shows were canceled. Posters immediately admonish people not to jump to conclusions until “official word” was received from the fan club. As if that wasn’t enough to support the cult theory, it was added that if the “official” word did come, no conversations should take place that theorized why the shows were canceled. Is it just me, or does anyone else hear the Twilight Zone theme music? Why would the venue, in this case the Hilton, give out false information for a show in their theater? Why is it a crime to speculate why the shows were canceled, especially in light of the “official” word when it came later that day, did not jive with the story the Hilton had given out.

I haven’t been back to read what is being posted said now. I can just stand so much. Why shouldn’t people discuss, (i.e. theorized) these cancellations? Fans that had tickets for the June shows are directly impacted and have been treated very poorly. They aren’t the only people who have been affected. Other fans who planned on going to Vegas in the future may consider it too much of a risk to base a trip on only seeing Manilow shows. This is a topic that is very important among Manilow fans. It should be discussed.

To be clear, I am not saying that everyone on MMN is part of this group that makes up the Barry Manilow cult. In face, I’m sure in the next few days we’ll be hearing about some very nice people who are now banned from the My Manilow Network because they expressed an intelligent opinion. Most will not even be aware that their opinion didn’t follow party lines as dictated by TPTB and patrolled by cult members.

Cults work in much the same manner as MMN. Members don’t think for themselves but are told what to think. They have a fear of alienating their leaders and being separated from the group. Not only do they turn on people viewed as “outsiders” but on each other as well. This comes from the need to retain their standing in the cult and scoring points with the leadership is an ongoing concern. Here is the biggie – cult members have an unrealistic view of the figurehead of the cult. Sound familiar? Read the My Manilow Network.

TPTB are missing the use of a great tool on My Manilow Network. Open, honest, respectful discussion would allow people to ask questions, express feelings, and work through the issue. Then Barry’s management could put out a statement on the MMN saying, we hear you, thanks for your concerns, we’ll do what we can. Acknowledging feelings goes a long way with people. Fans are people too.

Personally, I have never seen anything posted on MMN that has been bad enough to kick someone off. I might have not agreed, or liked what has been posted and people felt the same about me, but nothing was as bad as to remove anyone. I blogged over there for a bit. Right off the bat someone threatened to turn me in to the BMIFC. I told them to go right ahead. Be sure to spell my name right so you give them the right person. Contrary to what a small group of people believe, (cult members?) there is life outside of My Manilow Network. A pretty good one.

Self-control is the key to MMN. Cults know how to find people’s vulnerable spots. When I read over there my fingers itch to reply. I have to step back and breathe. My time can be used in much better ways. I am trying to wean myself off MMN but it is like reality shows. Even though you know the shows aren’t real something compels you to keep watching. You have to see what happens next. Wish me luck as I try to cut out My Manilow Network. It can be a hard habit to break. People’s behavior fascinates me and that is a place to see many different types of behavior. I’ll stick with the reality shows. They don’t ban people.

Live At the Greek Theater Replacement

I have not ordered the Live at the Greek DVD from Starbiz yet. I am still catching up on things from being on vacation for a week. Somehow I got the idea in my mind that this DVD would be available in stores. Since I am cheap, I didn’t want to pay shipping and handling. Seems I was wrong about that so I need to order it. The Greek theater concert is very special to me. Was I at the concert, hanging out in the trees? No. In fact at that point in my life, as hard as it would be for some of my family and friends to believe, I was not a fan of Barry Manilow. Not that my life was totally void of any Manilow; it wasn’t. Not in the least. You see, I was (and still am) married to a Manilow fan.

My husband has the honor of being the original Manilow fan in our household. At that time I don’t think he had any idea of the impact Barry would have on his family’s life. My husband loves the music. Having a husband who liked Barry is the only reason I saw any of the early network specials. This Greek theater special was exciting to my husband. It was on HBO. No commercials! We also had one of those new fangled machines that recorded TV shows- a VCR. The concert could be taped and played over and over. That happened. It did get played a lot. Just not by my husband. My kids played it.

1981 was the year I had my first child and became a Manilow fan. About four years later, we had another son. Both of my sons loved Barry from a very early age. Live at the Greek was one of their favorite videos. In stores my guys looked for “jive hats.” To this day, they can still sing the Jump Shout Boogie Medley. Other fans told me that a time would come when my children would discover that Barry wasn’t cool. They would drop him in favor of artists popular with their peers. Maybe that happened to their kids. It didn’t happen with mine.

The Greek theater special is one the main reason my husband wanted to see Barry in concert. When a show was announced for our hometown in October, 1981, my husband stood for hours in the cold and dark to get tickets. I didn’t want to go but finally agreed. That is the night I became a Manilow fan. I had to be won over in person. A whole chapter in our lives began with that night; one that is still going on.

Now that original much-viewed VHS tape can be replaced with the newer DVD technology. I guess it’s about time. We were all so much younger then. I like that awkward, geeky guy Barry was back then. I also like the mature performer he has become. Human nature is to change and grow. Barry didn’t stay locked into one type of music. He shared his talent and vision of many genres of music throughout the years. When that HBO special aired I could have never imaged the part Mr. Manilow would play in the life of my family. An even greater thing is that Barry is still sharing his talent. Now excuse me; I have to go order a DVD.

American Idol

Barry was on American Idol this past Tuesday night (2-3-2009). Before I go on, as a personal explanation, I am not at all a fan of AI. During the early seasons of the show, I was attending classes at night. The only AI I saw were the ones Barry appeared on as a mentor. My husband loved the show. Two years ago I watched a whole season. That was my first and last season. I was not impressed.

Since Barry was a guest, I watched again on Tuesday night. There wasn’t much to see. If you blinked, you missed Barry. His appearance had not been mentioned in any on air commercials or TV listings. Only the fan club hyped the appearance to the fans. I have read a lot on the Internet about people’s thoughts about Barry’s latest AI sighting. Fans were disappointed at the brevity of the Barry’s screen time. I thought the appearance totally represented what Barry Manilow felt was important- sharing his knowledge and experience with the younger generation.

Barry got a ton of reports in the press regarding his AI appearance as part of the Idol boot camp. One writer brought up a very interesting point; by Barry being on AI this early in the season he is not likely to be back on as a mentor later on. That means he did not sing on the show. Barry gave up the opportunity to increase the sales of his 1980 cover CD by promoting it on a very popular TV show. That demonstrates, to me, where Barry priories lay. He wanted to help the constants, not promote his own interests.

Now who knows? Maybe a deal was worked out for Barry to re-appear on AI later on in the season and he will sing, mentor, promote, or whatever. Just this time being on Idol wasn’t about the star Barry Manilow but about Mr. Manilow, the person, sharing a piece of himself. That brief appearance on AI was a glimpse into a generous man’s soul.

Note: Access Hollywood had a brief snippet on Wednesday (2-4-2009) of Barry on AI.

They also have an extended interview with Barry on their website.