Barry Briefs - Archive 6

Party at Barry's - According to FOX News, Barry Manilow celebrated his return to the top of the charts with "Songs from the Fifties" that he entertained his label chief, Clive Davis, and several friends at his Palm Springs estate last weekend. (The Desert Sun, 2/19/2006) http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060219/COLUMNS51/60217006/1215 Manilow Plans Audio Book - Veteran crooner BARRY MANILOW is planning to make an audio autobiography, as he has been spending years archiving his life on tape. The COPACABANA heart-throb had his life story SWEET LIFE: ADVENTURES ON THE WAY TO PARADISE published in the 1980s. But he insists it's time for a sequel. He says, "I have tapes and tapes of recordings of my life. There are years and years of cassettes. I saved everything and now have a warehouse full of them so, little by little, I've been putting my life story on audio." (Contact Music, 2/18/2006) http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/manilow%20plans%20audio%20book_18_02_2006 Top 5 Hits: Manilow Mania - Top 5 Hits: Manilow Mania - He might not have written the songs this time, but Barry Manilow has topped The Billboard 200 for the first time in nearly three decades with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, which sold 156,000 copies in the United States ... POP ALBUMS: 1. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, Barry Manilow... (The Miami Herald, 2/17/2006) http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/miamiherald/living/13884944.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_living Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party - We caught up with Barry Manilow in rehearsals for the hottest pre-Grammy party: Clive Davis' annual bash. These are special times for Manilow, who, after a nearly three-decade absence from the album chart, returned to the top this month with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties. The crooner confessed to a real jones for the Number One spot. "I'm keeping my everything crossed," he admitted. Ironically, Manilow wasn't sold on the album concept when Davis first pitched him. "I didn't get it at first. But as soon as the band started playing, I said, 'Oh, that's it!'"... (Rolling Stone, 2/14/2006) http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9309081/up_in_it?rnd=1139990012062&has-player=true&version=6.0.8.1024 Stars Turn Out for Clive's Pre-Grammy Party - Clive Davis' annual pre Grammy extravaganza is the hottest ticket of the year in Hollywood ... Jamie Foxx and Fantasia made the night memorable for spontaneity, and Rod Stewart was simply amazing singing his rock hits. Kanye West and Ludacris made a surprise appearance with Snoop Dogg for some rappin' and R&B with Jamie. Rob Thomas and Santana rocked the house with a seductive version of "Smooth." Kelly Clarkson showed that her power singing is for real. Chris Brown is a cool dancer. The night was unofficially dedicated to Barry Manilow, the first star of Arista Records in 1974 with "Mandy." Thirty two years later, his new album on Arista debuts next week at No. 1 with 156,000 copies sold. That gives Clive four albums in next week's top 10... (FOXNews.com, 2/8/2006) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184202,00.html Clive Davis Hosts Legendary Pre-Grammy Extravaganza - All eyes were on the Beverly Hilton Hotel last night as the legendary music mogul Clive Davis hosted his annual pre-Grammy bash. Touted as THE Grammy event by Hollywood and the music elite, this event always attracts the biggest names in entertainment -- with this year being no exception. Guests were treated to an unprecedented night of music featuring both solo performances and the most intriguing pairings of the industry's biggest names. With an introduction from famed LA Reid, Grammy winning artist Rod Stewart opened the show with a medley of his rock & roll greatest hits, Chris Brown and Heather Headley followed as did Grammy nominee Kelly Clarkson. The evening continued with the Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas' Grammy-winning duet "Smooth," followed by a fan-favorite medley by multi-Grammy winner Barry Manilow along with his rendition of "Unchained Melody." Jamie Foxx brought the audience to their feet with his performance featuring Ludacris, Jodeci, Kanye West, Snoop and Doug E. Fresh, and the evening capped off with a Luther Vandross tribute by Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton, Natalie Cole, Mario and Alicia Keys. (Press Release: Clive Davis, 2/8/2006) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060208/law089a.html?.v=2 RCA Music Group Celebrates Grammy Week With Four Albums In The Top 10 - As the music industry prepares for their annual Grammy festivities this evening, RCA Music Group is celebrating another historic week as they dominate the top of the Nielsen SoundScan charts, posting multiple artists in the Top 10 for the sixth consecutive week this year. Led by Arista Records' Barry Manilow who debuts at Number 1 for the first time in his remarkable career, RCA Music Group artists Heather Headley, Jamie Foxx and Carrie Underwood all enjoy chart positions in the Top 10 this week. Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Fifties is an incredible milestone for the singer, who up until now has never had an album debut in the top spot. It also marks only the second time a Manilow album has reached Number 1 -- 1977's Barry Manilow Live was the first. The 29-year stretch between Number 1's is virtually unprecedented, having only been exceeded by Ray Charles and Elvis Presley, according to Billboard Magazine. (Press Release: RCA Group, 2/8/2006) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060208/nyw167.html?.v=30 Top 10 Pop New Releases January 31, 2006 ... Barry Manilow - The Greatest Songs of the Fifties - It has been over 25 years since Barry Manilow routinely topped the pop singles chart with hits like "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs," but he maintains a large core audience of dedicated fans. This latest collection is similar to Rod Stewart's Great Among Songbook albums in concept, but the delivery is all Barry Manilow. He covers classic songs from the 50's like "Venus," "Unchained Melody," and "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." (About.com, 2/1/2006) http://top40.about.com/od/news/tp/newrel013106.htm Lend an ear to these tribute albums - Tribute albums are tracking high on the radar screen, with several notables arriving in stores today ... Barry Manilow could have slid perfectly into the 1950s pop scene. The proof is in his "The Great Songs of the Fifties" (Arista) where the butter-smooth balladeer proves remarkably at home with classics popularized by like-minded serenaders Tommy Edwards ("It's All in the Game"), Johnny Mathis ("It's Not for Me to Say"), the Everly Brothers ("All I Have to Do Is Dream") and Elvis Presley ("Are You Lonesome Tonight"). (Philadelphia Daily News, 1/31/2006) http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/nightlife/13752662.htm?source=rss&channel=philly_nightlife Personality Parade Q&A - Question (from E.J.M. of Shoreham, NY): Barry Manilow tells audiences he's planning a Broadway musical. When can I expect to see it? Answer (from Walter Scott of Parade Magazine): For Manilow, 59, singing his hits is one thing; writing a musical and bringing it to Broadway is a lot tougher. After a two-year legal battle with a producer, he won back the rights to a show about the Comedian Harmonists, a German singing group whose three Jewish members fled the Nazis in the '30s. (Parade Magazine, 1/29/2006) http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2006/edition_01_29_2006/Personality_Parade What they're saying about Palm Springs - Barry Manilow tells the New York Post he lives in Palm Springs, "not for the tennis and golf and climate, but for the peace and quiet. I like to get up at 6, feed my two Labs, take them for a walk, go online, read the columns. I'm sort of simple. I have a lovely home, but I'm not really into big cars and big houses." ... "There's a great deal of talent around. I don't really connect with today's hip-hop rap stuff, but I recognize the ability behind it. What can I tell you, I'm more into Gerry Mulligan and Sarah Vaughan..." (The Desert Sun, 1/29/2006) http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060129/COLUMNS51/60128002/1215 Year of the Fire Dog - San Mateo County residents may want to buy some fire insurance and hit the books after Chinese New Year kicks off this Sunday. Sunday marks the start of Lunar New Year, the biggest Chinese holiday and one marked by millions of people around the world as a time to celebrate family and new beginnings ... Chinese year: 4703. Dates: Jan. 29, 2006 - Feb. 17, 2007. Zodiac symbol: Fire Dog. Last fire dog year: 1946. Personality of Fire Dogs: Steadfast, stubborn, eccentric, ferocious, candid, giving, compassionate, generous, energetic, social, nosy, aggressive, impatient, principled, loyal. Famous Fire Dogs: President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, Barry Manilow, Andrea Dworkin, Patty Duke, Sally Field, Cher, David Lynch, Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Oliver Stone, Donald Trump... (San Francisco Examiner, 1/26/2006) http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2006/01/27/peninsula/20060127_pe03_firedog.txt Review: 'Viva' lights up the strip - M.A. Sterling is going to have a hard time topping "Copacabana." Brazos Valley TROUPE's Viva Las Vegas is a musical stroll down the neon strip, and one of the stops is at the Barry Manilow show. Brian Wright sings the catchy tune about a nightclub, with Tabitha Lamphear as Lola, the young dancer. By the end of the song, 30 years have passed. That's when Wendi Lamphear, Tabitha's mother, comes out with a walker, but that doesn't stop her from some high kicking. The crowd reaction nearly brought the house down... (Bryan-College Station Eagle (Bryan, Texas), 1/21/2006) http://www.theeagle.com/stories/012106/entertainment_20060121035.php Fans Flip for Barry Manilow - MOUNT KISCO, N.Y., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the heels of his current "Music and Passion" tour in Las Vegas, Barry Manilow now also stars in his first-ever flip book - available only at the Manilow store at the Las Vegas Hilton. With a simple flip-of-a-thumb, the flip books play an entertaining full-motion clip of Barry Manilow performing one of his trademark moves on stage during his "Manilow: Music and Passion" show. Originally invented in 1882 and recognized as one of the earliest forms of interactive multimedia, flip books create the optical illusion of motion when images - stacked in sequential stages of movement - are flipped. Produced by Flippies, a New York-based manufacturer, the flip books feature a clip of Barry Manilow showing off his famous moves on one side, and simulate Barry Manilow's autograph being signed on the other. "In this age of high-tech interactive multimedia, the simplicity of flip books is not only refreshing, but its illusion is even more captivating than ever," said Jeffrey Kay, President of Flippies. "Creative merchandisers like STILETTO Entertainment are, once again, beginning to add flip books into the mix as consumers rediscover the medium as a fun and affordable novelty item." "The Manilow store strives to provide fans with a fun interactive experience, and that's precisely what flip books deliver," said Christopher Walters from STILETTO Entertainment. "The flip books provide fans visiting the Manilow store with a unique novelty keepsake at an affordable price." (Press Release (Source: Flippies, Inc.), 1/16/2006) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060116/phm017.html?.v=36 Elvis Presley: Viva Las Vegas - Tupelo birthed and raised Elvis Presley, but Memphis gave him a permanent home. Nashville made him a recording superstar, but Las Vegas turned him into an icon ... What the King did for Nashville, he also did for Las Vegas. It was Elvis who, during his 8-year sequined stint performing in casinos, started Las Vegas' career as an entertainment mecca and not just a gambling spot. "That was the beginning of the era of Vegas entertainers - Celine Dion, Elton John, Barry Manilow," said Erika Yowell, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 1/7/2006) http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=210111&pub=1&div=News Johnny Carson: An Appreciation - The Tonight Show became the place to be seen for established acts and rising stars alike. In fact, to be on Tonight was the break for comedians. The list of comedians whose careers he started or revitalized reads like a who's-who of comedy for the latter half of the 20th century: Don Rickles, David Letterman, Rodney Dangerfield, Gary Shandling, Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Joan Rivers, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Steve Martin and Drew Carey. It wasn't just comedians whose careers Johnny Carson made on Tonight. Bette Midler was singing in bath houses in New York when one of Tonight's talent bookers saw her act and invited her and her pianist on the show. Johnny took an instant liking to her, having her back several times and helping to launch the Divine Miss M persona. It also gave a leg up on her pianist's career as well, a guy named Barry Manilow; perhaps you've heard of him... (Box Office Prophets, 1/7/2006) http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=9354 Barry Manilow a top draw in 2005 - Powerhouse tours by the Rolling Stones, U2 and Paul McCartney helped drive concert ticket revenues in North America to a record $3.1 billion in 2005. Fans purchased 36.1 million tickets to the top 100 concert tours, according to Pollstar, the industry trade magazine ... Celine Dion and Barry Manilow, who performed mostly in Las Vegas, also were top draws in 2005 ... Manilow's shows drew $22.7 million in gross receipts. (Associated Press: Herald-Sun, 12/29/2005) http://www.heraldsun.com/features/wire/29-684120.html Barry Manilow #19 on Top 100 Touring Artists of 2005 - It started off slow but thanks to a strong final two quarters, 2005 proved to be another record year for gross ticket sales revenues in the concert business. Pollstar estimates that revenues for all major North American concerts increased to $3.1 billion, up from $2.8 billion in 2004. The Top 100 touring artists sold a combined 36.1 million tickets as compared to $37.6 million in 2004. Here are the Top 20 Touring Artists of 2005 (the first dollar amount is the total gross is in millions of U.S. dollars for all dates worked in North America; the second dollar amount is the artists' average ticket price): ... 19. Barry Manilow ($22.7 / $153.93). (Pollstar, 12/30/2005) http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=6558 Fans Scramble to Make Sure Favorite Celebs Land Top Spots on Santa's Celebrity Nice List - For the first time in history, Santa is letting the people vote for the top 10 Naughtiest and Nicest Celebrities of the year. Passionate Manilow Fanilows have rallied to put Barry in the Lead on the Nice List ... The votes have been rolling in by the thousands since the North Polls opened just two days ago. The celebrity with the most votes by far is Barry Manilow -- whose fanilows are gung-ho-ho-ho about making sure he's at the tippy top of Santa's Nice List. At last count the Mani-lovers had cast more than 1100 votes for their favorite Mani-man ... You can cast your votes right now at www.JingleVoteBlog.com. (Press Release Newswire, 12/22/2005) http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/12/prweb325284.htm Bette Covers Peggy Lee... Thanks to Barry - Bette Midler, the campy singer with the big, beautiful voice and the raunchy sense of humour, realizes she's an unlikely candidate to interpret such Peggy Lee songs as "Fever" and "Is That All There Is?" But interpret away The Divine Miss M does on "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook." ... Blame the idea on Barry Manilow, Midler's original piano accompanist. Manilow dreamed up -- literally -- their last 2003 collaboration, "Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook," and apparently had another dream which led to this year's Lee collection. "We had a wonderful time," says Midler, who has Manilow join her on the duet, "I Love Being Here With You." Bette is considering touring in support of "Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook." Would she ever consider an extended stay in Las Vegas, since her pal Barry Manilow is currently drawing crowds at his new show at the Hilton where he's booked through next year? "I think about it from time to time," she says. "He seems to think it's a lot of fun. My show is longer and harder because I wheel around in wheelchairs and all that kind of thing and he doesn't do any of that. It seems like something that people do." ... Midler caught Manilow's Sin City act (Manilow: Music and Passion) and enjoyed it. "He's in the same suite that Elvis Presley was in. And he's on the same stage as Elvis was on. What could be bad?" (CANOE - JAM!, 12/15/2005) http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2005/12/15/1353465.html ContactMusic.com's Fascinating Facts - Crooner Barry Manilow is going back in time by recording the hits of the 1950s. The Copacabana singer's new album, Greatest Songs of the Fifties, will feature Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea" and standard "Young At Heart", among other tunes ... Barry Manilow owes men's magazine Playboy for his big break in show business because it was the publication's famous advice column that gave him the impetus to follow his piano-playing dreams. The crooner was in his early 20s when he was offered a job as a resident piano player in a Virginia hotel, and he didn't know whether it was wise to quit his job at U.S. TV network CBS and chase his dreams. He recalls, "I had a really nice day job and I had gotten an opportunity to go and play piano out in the middle of the country, but should I quit my day job at CBS to make $75-a-week at the Holiday Inn in Richmond, Indiana. "I didn't know who to ask, so I wrote to the Playboy Advisor... They said, 'You're young enough, go sow your wild notes'" ... Barry Manilow staged his 100th show at the Las Vegas, Nevada, Hilton last night (12/16/2005). (ContactMusic.com, 12/16/2005-12/17/2005) http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/fascinating%20fact%20677 http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/ manilow%20owes%20his%20career%20start%20to%20playboy http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/fascinating%20fact%20683 Barry at #82 on Top 100 Most Successful Bands List - The Book Of British Hit Singles & Albums has unveiled their annual list of the Top 100 Most Successful Acts Of All Time. The annual Top 100 rates itself as "the most definitive and genuine list of its kind" as it's based solely on the total number of weeks each contender has spent on the official UK Singles and Albums charts and not on arbitrary voting. The artists are ordered according to who has spent the most weeks on the combined official UK singles and albums charts, and the list represents more than 50 years of chart music from 1952 to the present day. (XFM OnLine, 12/9/2005) http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?b=news&id=153173 Reba McEntire at Las Vegas Hilton Theater - McEntire, one of the most popular country performers in the nation since the early 1980s, will make her Hilton debut the week of May 3-7 (2006). In March 2005, pop icon Barry Manilow began a 24-week engagement, appearing at intervals through 2006 and into 2007. "The Las Vegas Hilton, home of Barry Manilow, now welcomes another legend to our resort, continuing entertainment as a key element for this classic property," Hilton Executive Vice President Ken Ciancimino said in a prepared statement. "We are committed to a strong entertainment policy," Hilton spokesman Ira David Sternberg said. "We have some weekends available for someone like Donna Summer or Johnny Mathis," Sternberg said. He added that discussions between the Hilton and McEntire began shortly after Manilow signed his agreement. Sternberg said McEntire, a native of Oklahoma, has strong crossover appeal. "Just as Barry as a wide range of fans," he said. "She is an artist who appeals not to just one specific group." Manilow has said he was tired of the wear-and-tear of touring. McEntire agrees that it is tough. "I started touring in 1976," she said. "That's a lot of miles and a lot of different venues and dressing rooms. It wears on you. I talked to Barry Manilow about his arrangement here, and he loves it." (Las Vegas Sun, 12/6/2005) http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/dec/06/519775118.html Home For The Holidays - Thursday (Dec. 1) was a big night at Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre with local stars, Palm Springs' own Barry Manilow with orchestra, singers and his special guest, Palm Springs' Suzanne Somers, taking the stage for Manilow's "Home for the Holidays" program. The show was capped by local philanthropists Jim and Jackie Lee Houstons' $5-million gift to the popular mid-valley performance space, the largest gift in the theater's history. (The Desert Sun, 12/6/2005) http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051206/COLUMNS50/512060330/1215 NBHS Drama Club invites you to 'Copa' - All we need to hear are the unforgettable lyrics, "her name was Lola" or "music and passion were always in fashion" and we know exactly where the song is headed: To the "Copa," of course, courtesy of Mr. Barry Manilow. This weekend, the New Bedford High School Drama Club brings "Barry Manilow's Copacabana" to the stage in a rousing, splashy show, reminiscent of musical extravaganzas of the 1940s ... The production at New Bedford High School is under the direction of Bruce Lackey. "Vocal director Pauline Brazil had seen a production of it and thought it would be a great choice for our students," he says. "It has the appeal of Barry Manilow music..." The New Bedford High School Drama Club presents "Barry Manilow's Copacabana" tomorrow (Dec 2) and Saturday evenings at 8 and Sunday at 2 p.m., in the Bronspiegel Auditorium, 230 Hathaway Blvd. Tickets are $10 with a $1 discount for students and senior citizens. Group rates are available. For reservations call (508) 763-9561 or visit the drama club website at www.nbhsdramaclub.com. (South Coast Massachusetts News, 12/1/2005) http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-01-05/c08co997.htm Houstons pledge $5M to McCallum - Jim and Jackie Lee Houston have pledged the largest individual gift to the McCallum Theatre in the Palm Desert non-profit cultural center's 17-year history, it was announced Thursday. The owners of the local CBS-TV2 pledged $5 million, which McCallum President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Giatas said is earmarked for the theater's endowment fund. The pledge is scheduled to be announced by Giatas shortly after 8 p.m. tonight at a gala fund-raiser before a performance by Palm Springs resident Barry Manilow... (The Desert Sun, 12/1/2005) http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051201/BREAKING/512010351 Singers present fall show - Thirty-six energetic Auburn choral students will don their blue and orange sequined uniforms, flash their pearly whites and snap their fingers Dec. 5 and 6 while entertaining audiences during the 2005 AU Singers fall show. The fall show is a yearly event for the AU Singers, directed by Thomas Smith, chair of the music department. The songs performed are usually show tunes ranging from Broadway catch tunes to crowd favorites performed each year. This year, the Singers will be performing "a wonderful unaccompanied ballad titled 'One Voice' by Barry Manilow." ... The fall show is at the Telfair Peet Theatre Dec. 5 and 6 with two performances each night at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling the choral office at 844-4194 or in person at 112 Goodwin Hall. (The Auburn Plainsman, 12/1/2005) http://www.theplainsman.com/vnews/display.v/ART/438f3286aa82b Kenneth Cole Creates and Launches 'We All Have AIDS' Public Service Campaign on World AIDS Day - The campaign exemplifies a unified response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, asserting that if anyone has AIDS, we all do, and if it exists anywhere it essentially exists everywhere. The tagline reads "We All Have AIDS ... If One Of Us Does." "Our goal is to create the largest public service campaign in the history of the devastating HIV epidemic," says Kenneth Cole. As part of the campaign's collaboration with KNOW HIV/AIDS, the outdoor PSAs are running across Viacom's outdoor properties, including billboard, bus and bus shelter advertising faces in the nation's largest markets. Radio spots feature Richard Gere, Barry Manilow (starred in Evening Under the Stars for AIDS Assistance Program and performed at Two by Two for AIDS and Art for amfAR), Ben McKenzie, Liza Minnelli, Julianne Moore, Natasha Richardson and Mena Suvari, among others, who lend their voices and read the "We All Have AIDS" tagline aloud. (Press Release [source: Kenneth Cole], 12/1/2005) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051201/nyth025.html?.v=35 Live From the Las Vegas Hilton - In making his return to local radio, Ira David Sternberg is employing Barry Manilow to open his new show, "Lunchtime With Ira, Live From the Las Vegas Hilton." The program debuts Monday at noon on KDWN 720-AM, and Manilow's song "Here's to Las Vegas" is the opening theme music (Manilow is also the Hilton's resident headliner). Sternberg's show will originate from the Shimmer Cabaret. Guests include Las Vegas newsmakers, celebrities and media types. Sternberg is also planning to invite members of Southern Nevada nonprofit organizations to speak about their various charitable causes. (Las Vegas Sun, 11/8/2005) http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/commentary/2005/nov/08/519628018.html Customers arriving at the Las Vegas Hilton ... are now met with scaffolding, drywall and a construction crew in the lobby as the 36-year-old property undergoes a makeover designed to make it look decades younger. Construction walls at the rear of the casino feature photos of leggy models assuring visitors that the work going on behind the scenes "won't detour your fun." Another sign says, "Caution: Bright future ahead." Colony Capital paid $280 million last year to buy the 59-acre Hilton site from Caesars Entertainment. Colony in July created a new holding company to operate the Hilton, Resorts International Holdings. Resorts International Chief Operating Officer Roger Wagner called the Las Vegas Hilton "the buy of the century." Built by MGM Grand founder and MGM Mirage shareholder Kirk Kerkorian, the Las Vegas Hilton, then called the International, was then the world's largest hotel and home to resident entertainer Elvis Presley. Colony has begun work on a five-year master plan to spiff up the property ... Last year the Hilton announced a deal with singer Barry Manilow to become a resident headliner at the Hilton Theater into 2006. "Barry is a huge marquee value for us around the country right now," Wagner said. "This property, being off the Strip, needed something to use as a destination marketing device ... The community is talking about Barry Manilow in the same vein as Celine Dion." (Casino City Times, 11/7/2005) http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=154582 Newsweek Nov. 14, 2005 issue - If you're facing your big 60th birthday, you're not alone. The boomers we chose for our cover are all about to be sexagenarians ... #10 - Barry Manilow: He sings the songs. At the Las Vegas Hilton through next year. (MSNBC.com, 11/5/2005) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9939305/site/newsweek/ Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook debuts at #10! - On the SoundScan album chart this week: Debuting at number ten is Bette Midler with Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook. Released as a traditional CD and as a DualDisc, it features Midler reunited with producer Barry Manilow. (FMQB, 11/2/2005) http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=139972 Rounding out the top tier is "Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook," the first top 10 title for the Divine Miss M in more than a decade. The Columbia set notched a rounded total of 55,000 copies ... Midler last appeared in the top 10 in 1991 with the No. 6 peak of "Some People's Lives." (Billboard, 11/2/2005) http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001432508 Cruise and Holmes share Manilow passion - Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes share the same musical tastes despite a 17-year age gap - they've been to three Barry Manilow concerts since they began dating in April. Pregnant Holmes admits they both love the ageing crooner, and insists the Could It Be Magic hitmaker pushes all their buttons. She says, "He is one of our favourite stars." (Yahoo! UK News, 11/1/2005) http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01112005/364/cruise-holmes-share-manilow-passion.html New CD: Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook - Part of being a pop singer, and of being Bette Midler in particular, is playing "let's pretend": all right, boys and girls, who are we going to be today? Will we play it for laughs or for tears? On the "Peggy Lee Songbook," Ms. Midler plays it for both, as she revisits 10 songs associated with that great Benny Goodman vocalist turned legendary nightclub singer. For Ms. Midler, whose personality is as strong and defined as any legend she could honor, playing let's pretend doesn't mean literally assuming another persona, but affectionately translating an alien mystique into her own language. Where Ms. Lee, who died in 2002, could become dangerously and masochistically tangled in a torch song, Ms. Midler's residual optimism and humor reassure you, even when it's pouring rain, that the moment's misery is only a glitch in a fair-weather world. It's not that Ms. Midler can't dive into the depths of a ballad. Her version of "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," the dreamy Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein fantasy of marital bliss, is as deep and touching as Ms. Lee's classic rendition on her Frank Sinatra-conducted album, "The Man I Love." But what Ms. Lee evoked as a wistful faraway vision of contentment, Ms. Midler makes palpably present. On the lighter side, Ms. Midler's brassy-sexy "Fever" is an irresistible goof. And "Is That All There Is?," in which Lee embraced disappointment and nihilism with a sly, sinister wink, is inverted into an exhilarating celebration of living in the moment. The album, produced by Ms. Midler's old pal Barry Manilow allows the singer and the songs room to breathe; it swings, and Ms. Midler's vocals burst with confidence and generosity of spirit. (New York Times, 10/31/2005) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/31/arts/music/31choi.html Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook - Bette Midler offers another vintage valentine to fans with this slick but appealing collection of tunes made famous by sultry Peggy Lee. Midler's vivacious Divine Miss M persona lends a fresh flair to such standards as "Fever" (augmented by finger snaps and a lively horn chart) and "Is That All There Is?," fleshed out by a banjo rhythm. "Let's keep dancing and break out the booze and have a ball," Midler sings with a frolicsome edge on this Leiber and Stoller composition. Midler soul mate Barry Manilow produced the disc and arranged many of its songs, as well as adding a vocal harmony to the classic party tune "I Love Being Here With You." Sings Manilow: "Do you want to dance?" To which Midler campily replies, "Don't mind if I do." Fans of the Midler/Manilow partnership will naturally relish this latest chapter of their chemistry. In fact, this may be a better CD than Midler's previous tribute, "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook," which was her last gold album. Midler not only has fun with these songs but exudes a welcome sensitivity on the sweet, strings-enhanced "Mr. Wonderful" and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." And let's not forget Midler's signature earthiness on "I'm a Woman," in which she plays a bluesy, sex-kitten role with a Hammond B-3 organ adding pungency. Best of all, Midler delves into this fertile '50s and '60s era and makes it come alive again. (Boston Globe, 10/28/2005) http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/10/28/cd_report/?page=2 Roger Wagner, COO of Resorts International Holdings, on signing Barry Manilow at the Las Vegas Hilton: Barry is a huge marquee value for us around the country right now. This property being off the Strip needed something to use as a destination marketing device. He's been just great. The community is talking about Barry Manilow in the same vein as Celine Dion. I think entertainment has to be a mainstay for the Hilton out here for as long as we want to be in the entertainment business. Do we come up with some more resident entertainers? Hopefully we have a long relationship with Barry Manilow and it continues to not wear out. I think we have opportunities for lounge acts. We've been experimenting with some stuff there that's kind of unique. One man off-Broadway shows and things like that. We have a good list of entertainers that want to play the room ... when Barry is off. (In Business Las Vegas, 10/28/2005) http://www.inbusinesslasvegas.com/2005/10/28/qanda.html Concert ticket on-sale date ... Tickets available Friday 9 a.m. [for] Barry Manilow - Home for the Holidays, 8 p.m. Dec. 1. McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. $75-$550. 340-ARTS (The Desert Sun, 10/28/2005) http://www.desertsunonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051028/LIFESTYLES0101/510280311/1050 The Divine Bette Midler to Meet & Greet Fans - The legendary Bette Midler will celebrate the release of her new album, Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook, with her New York area fans at a rare in-store appearance at Tower Records (Broadway and 4th Street, Manhattan) on Tuesday, October 25, beginning at 7 p.m. Bette Midler will sign copies of Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook, which is being released as both a traditional CD and as a DualDisc. Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook reunites Bette with producer Barry Manilow, her original piano accompanist and musical director. In 2003, Manilow -- who produced Midler's first two breakthrough albums, Divine Ms. M (1972) and Bette Midler (1973) -- helmed Bette's Grammy-nominated RIAA gold-certified Columbia Records debut, Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook, her highest-charting album of the SoundScan era. (Press Release, 10/24/2005) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051024/nym209.html?.v=14 Barry's back - He didn't make much of a fuss but tucked quietly in the back row of La Quinta Playhouse for its production of "The Fantasticks" Friday night was the legendary Barry Manilow. We're told the class act caught up with the musical director and others in the production after the show, gave them high marks and even signed an autograph or two. (Desert Sun, 10/18/2005) http://www.desertsunonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051018/COLUMNS50/510180320/1215 Could it be magic? For one Dublin couple the answer is yes, as the man who made those words famous in song, Barry Manilow, provided them with some wonderful relief in otherwise horrible circumstances. Manilow, the nice Jewish crooner from Brooklyn who now has a permanent gig at the Hilton in Las Vegas, read about the plight of newlyweds Aidan Nolan and Rachel Burke, who travelled to Sin City for their honeymoon but were deliberately run over with a group of other pedestrians by a psychopath driving a stolen car. The couple suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, including broken legs and other limbs. But they were lucky -- three people lost their lives in the horror, and the culprit is looking at a possible death penalty. This all happened on September 21, and the couple were due to fly home the next day after spending quality time together in California and Hawaii. Then, enter Manilow. The case obviously received lots of publicity in Vegas, and when it came to Manilow's attention he promptly made arrangements to have Aidan's parents and Rachel's mom flown to the hospital immediately, at his expense. "It was an amazing gesture. Barry has been fantastic," Aidan told Ireland's Star newspaper. After several days in the hospital recuperating from their injuries, the honeymooners finally made it back to Dublin, in wheelchairs, last Thursday. Bet the next CD they buy will be a Manilow greatest hits compilation -- which is well worth having, we might add! (Irish Abroad, 10/12/2005) http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/entertainment/manilow-magic-oct1205.asp Couple add spice to Copacabana - Husband and wife team Rachel and Leon Davies will be recreating the glitz and glamour of New York's nightclub scene in an operatic society production of "Copacabana" when they play lovers Lola and Tony. The Stourbridge Operatic Society has been running since 1909 and "Copacabana" is their 94th production. The romantic show follows the fortunes of Lola Lamar who travels to New York with her lover Tony to find fame and fortune. As well as the hit song, the Barry Manilow music also includes ballads such as "Sweet Heaven," "This Can't Be Real," as well as "Who Needs to Dream?" It is the first time the society has performed the show and it has cost about 30,000 to produce with its lavish costumes and dancing. The production can be seen at The Town Hall Theatre from Tuesday October 18 and it runs until Saturday October, 22. Tickets cost 7 or 10 for evening performances and 6 for a matinee performance on Saturday. To obtain tickets telephone the box office on 01384 812959 from 10am until 4pm on Monday to Saturday or from the ticket secretary on 01384 277398. Visit www.stourbridge-operatic.co.uk for more information. (Express & Star, 10/11/2005) http://www.expressandstar.com/articles/features/ents/article_81486.php Barry to Support "Cut-A-Thon" to Benefit Katrina Victims - The entire staff at J. Russell Salon on El Paseo is planning a fund-raiser for Thanksgiving weekend to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. The "Cut-A-Thon" will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 27. All salon services will be $20, whether it's a haircut, manicure, pedicure or blow dry. The Manilow Fund for Health & Hope, organized by valley resident Barry Manilow, will match each donation dollar for dollar. Manilow also will personally visit the salon during the event. For more information: 340-9229. (The Desert Sun, 10/11/2005) http://www.desertsunonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051011/NEWS01/510110323/1006 Martha Stewart Living Music Series in Stores October 18 - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and SONY BMG are proud to announce the creation of Martha Stewart Living Music, a partnership that will release a series of compilation albums for holidays and special occasions. Martha Stewart Living Music will launch with the release of "Martha Stewart Living Music: The Holiday Collection" by Epic Records on October 18th. Compiled by Martha Stewart, "The Holiday Collection" will be released individually and as a three-disc, deluxe box set. The initial holiday set includes three inspired CD compilations of Martha's favorite holiday music - Traditional Songs for the Holidays, Jazz for the Holidays, and Classical Favorites for the Holidays - each featuring well-loved selections performed by some of the finest artists of yesterday and today. Track listing for Traditional Songs for the Holidays [includes] "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Barry Manilow... (Press Release (Source: Epic Records), 10/3/2005) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051003/nym187.html?.v=20 TV soundtrack worth noting: "Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives" (Hollywood Records) includes the show's Danny Elfman-composed theme song, snippets of dialogue from the first season and loads of up-with-women, men-are-evil country-fried tunes by SHeDAISY, Sara Evans and k.d. lang. Be sure to listen to the hidden track, found after the Elfman theme song (just let the CD play silently for a few seconds). It's a little ditty performed by "Housewives" creator Marc Cherry called "Wisteria Lane." The brief song is set to an "Addam's Family"-like tune with music by Barry Manilow and lyrics by Bruce Sussman. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/30/2005) http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05273/580042.stm Slow jam superproducer Babyface influenced by Barry - Nearly three decades into a celebrated career earmarked by three consecutive production Grammys, the Indianapolis-born icon of slick slow jams and genteel funk seems to have checked into Classic Songwriters' purgatory along with pals like David Foster and Diane Warren. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds may have gone multi-platinum with the Essence Festival set, but 16 years of minor solo releases have undercut the magnitude of his behind-the-glass creative output ... Soul enthusiasts who refer to "classic Face" wax sentimental over his stylistic apex, roughly spanning 1987 to 1999, when he'd churn out smooth urban ballads of modulating emotion, melodic breadth, and harmonic sophistication, influenced by Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, the Isleys, Ashford & Simpson, and Bell-Creed, but also Sager-Hamlisch, Michael Masser, Barry Manilow, James Taylor, and David Gates of Bread... (The Village Voice, 9/23/2005) http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0539,king,68162,22.html

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