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.

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.