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| June 29, 2013 | Parade Magazine | "Barry Manilow: 'I Just Love' Bruno Mars's Exciting Shows" by Walter Scott |
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| Barry Manilow, 70, will perform on the PBS special A Capitol Fourth, airing live from the National Mall July 4 at 8 p.m. ET. Parade Magazine (PM): This is your second time doing this Independence Day special. What do you love about it?
Barry Manilow (BM): Participating in 2009 was thrilling. I closed the show with my song "Let Freedom Ring," which I’ll do again this year. The fireworks began during the last key change, and it was fantastic. PM: Are there any current artists you’d like to perform with?
BM: Bruno Mars. He puts together an exciting show with a band and choreography. I just love that kind of thing! PM: You’re very passionate about the importance of music in schools.
BM: Yes, that’s why I started my nonprofit, the Manilow Music Project. When I go on the road, I ask audiences in each city to donate instruments they’re not using to local schools. If people do that before we get into town, we give them free tickets to my show. I don’t know where I’d be without music—it changed my life. I’m only one guy, so I do what I can. I hope I’m helping. PM: How do you describe your relationship with your fans?
BM: My demographics are all over the place—from young people to grandmas. By the time the show is done, I’m not just a guy up there singing; it’s like we know each other. It’s always been that way. I think that’s why they stay with me. PM Online Extra: What does Barry have in common with Elvis and Neil Diamond?
All three of them have been on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart at least 50 times. Here’s what he had to say about the honor: "I’m very, very grateful. After all these years, I still see my name on every record chart. It’s just an amazing experience for me because I thought it would be over by now. The records and styles of music have changed so much over the years and I thought that my kind of music would fade into the distance. It doesn’t seem to be true because every year or so I wind up on that chart. It’s amazing." |
| June 29, 2013 | Dallas News | "Barry Manilow brought us a batch of old friends and a flood of fond memories during Verizon Theatre concert" by Mario Tarradell |
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| GRAND PRAIRIE – A Barry Manilow song is like an old friend that you didn’t realize you missed until the memories come pouring through. So there he was, still holding his own at 70, performing for a large audience Friday night at Verizon Theatre. This was Manilow’s makeup date for the May 17 concert he postponed because he had a bout of bronchitis. He was in great spirits, backed by a stellar 9-piece band that included a percussionist and two background vocalists. His set list was chock full of those familiar numbers, those songs that you welcomed into your lives so long ago. The best part of those songs is the way Manilow delivered them. Nothing’s changed. He’s still the same old-school entertainer that shot to stardom in 1974 with "Mandy." This is a man with an innate ability to connect with a venue full of admirers. It’s more than just a musician playing for his supporters. Manilow brings you into his living room. He talked about growing up in Brooklyn, about his grandfather who first discovered that "Baby Barry" had musical abilities, about finding his calling after taking an orchestra class in high school. Each story introduced a song. There was "Brooklyn Blues," his homage to home; "This One’s For You," his tribute to grandpa; and "I Am Your Child," his ode to self-discovery and perseverance. His voice gamely hit the showstopping notes as it conveyed the lyrics. Manilow seamlessly traveled from electric piano to baby grand to center stage with arms spread wide and head tilted back. His show was Vegas-meets-Broadway, disco-meets-pop-balladry and even ’60s rock 'n' roll thrown in for good measure. All of this could get corny and kitschy if it weren’t for the fact that Manilow has always known the value of a well-crafted song, whether he wrote it or not, and that his artistic sincerity is beyond reproach. When he launched into "Even Now" and "Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again," two of his all-time best ballads, there was no doubting any word he sang. Both songs remain immensely affecting, particularly the beautifully melancholy "Even Now." Musically speaking, "New York City Rhythm" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)" were hearty feasts. The former basked in a disco arrangement fortified by a bold combo of R&B and pop, while the latter was all about the Latin-flavored percussion piled atop the late ’70s dance floor vibe. "Bandstand Boogie," his salute to the late Dick Clark and the defining American Bandstand television show, was a jazzy-swinging merger of rock 'n' roll and disco. For pure Manilow romanticism we got "Weekend in New England" complete with the grand, dramatic vocal finale. It was that staple, more than all others, that roused the crowd into a frenzy. Manilow was so overtaken by the audience reaction that he exclaimed mid performance, "I still got it!" He’s the messenger bringing us a batch of old friends and a flood of fond memories. |
| June 28, 2013 | Washington Post | "Barry Manilow returns to 'A Capitol Fourth'" by Roger Catlin |
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| Having reached 50 singles on the adult contemporary chart, Barry Manilow is still performing before large audiences. He returns to Washington to play "A Capitol Fourth" on the West Lawn of the Capitol on Thursday as part of a concert that will include Candice Glover, Scotty McCreery, Darren Criss, Megan Hilty, Jackie Evancho, the cast of "Motown: The Musical," John Williams and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jack Everly before the fireworks kick in. The 33rd annual event will be broadcast live on PBS. Recently over the phone from Palm Springs, Manilow chatted about the performance and its key pyrotechnic turn, the prospects for him becoming a judge on "American Idol," the mellowing of critics, how young pop stars handle fame and how older ones continue. Washington Post (WP): I can't believe you're 70.
Barry Manilow (BM): You and me both. It's so odd. That number just doesn't make any sense. When my grandfather was 70, the best he could do was to bring up phlegm. I still feel the same way I always have. I'm creative and energetic and never stop. It just doesn't make any sense, but frankly I'm just grateful that I'm healthy and working and still got my hair. What more can I ask? WP: Has your touring slowed at all?
BM: When I began, I used to tour for months at a time. I don't do that anymore. I do weekends. I do one-nighters. But I don't tour the way I used to. That got to me. WP: You're back for "A Capitol Fourth" for the first time since 2009.
BM: Back by popular demand I guess. I thought it'd be 10 years before they asked me back, and it's only been four years. I certainly am looking forward to it. It was a great experience last time. Especially to be able to play my song "Let Freedom Ring" with that orchestra and those fireworks, wow, it was really fantastic. WP: Will "Let Freedom Ring" be the climactic song again this time?
BM: It will be. I'm pretty sure I'll close the evening with that song. I'll have a huge choir, and on the last key change, they hit the fireworks and it's really something. WP: Are there other songs in your repertoire that tend to resonate with the patriotic theme?
BM: I wrote a song called "One Voice," and I wouldn't call it patriotic, but it's an inspiring song. But "Let Freedom Ring" is right on the head. I'm doing three or four more songs at the beginning of the show and then I end with "Let Freedom Ring." WP: Have you had any problems playing outdoors?
BM: You just do it. You just get through it. I've done it for so many years. If we're doing outdoor shows, we're usually lucky enough to have a roof over the band. If we don't have a roof over the band, then that's a problem, because the musicians' instruments get wet, and the electricity goes out. But it's really the audience that gets wet because they have no roof over them. I remember when we did the July Fourth, I think there's a roof over the orchestra and the area that we play, so I guess it's the audience that's going to have to bring umbrellas. WP: A couple of the other performers on the bill are from "American Idol" — Candice Glover, the recent winner; Scotty McCreery. You've had some experience there as a mentor. Is that something you'd like to return to?
BM: I love doing it. And I hope I helped them. I did it three times. I worked with the kids before they got onstage. I worked with them for a week before they got onstage on arrangements and gave them some suggestions, and I hope it helped. I loved doing it back then. As far as being a judge, it's not really my thing. I can't be a wisea-- or even criticize, that's not what I do. But I sure did like helping them. WP: Does having so many hits to perform in concert sometime crowd out some of the new songs you'd like to do live?
BM: I know what the audiences want to hear these days. I can tell. They want to hear the songs they know. And I'm happy to do them. Now and again, I throw in an album cut and they're very polite. They put up with me doing a song they've never heard, then I do "Ready to Take a Chance Again" and the roof caves in. WP: One of your recent albums of original material, "15 Minutes," was a commentary on contemporary pop stardom.
BM: I did it from the point of view of a young guy who wanted fame. But it could happen to a businessman, too. They could be successful and famous, and how do they handle it? Are they good to their people? Do they become brats? It's not just in the entertainment world. But, certainly, my album was about a young musician who wanted to be successful. And my story was: He wanted it, he got it, he blows it and then he has to start again. It happens all the time. We see it in the newspapers all the time... You know, when "Mandy" came out, I was 29, and it nearly knocked me over. One day you're going to the grocery; the next day there's the paparazzi out there. How do you handle that? Especially when you're 19 years old? WP: Did you get any reaction from any of the younger people who may have learned a lesson from what you were writing about?
BM: No. No. We did get some really good reviews. And you know, me and the critics have never been friends. But they kind of liked that one. WP: What is it about those critics?
BM: When they started to kill me, and this happens to every one of us, is when you become very successful. In the beginning, I started off playing little clubs, and I got great reviews. There was one song "Could It be Magic," based on a Chopin prelude, followed by a jazz piece followed by a pop song. Oh, they loved it. As soon as "Mandy" went to No. 1 and the sold-out signs came out, they hated me. So I think it really has a lot to do with the success. WP: It could also be the label 'adult contemporary' that makes you a target.
BM: Yeah, but I like it. It's melody, filled with beautiful words. And if you listen to the radio these days, there ain't no melody anymore. There ain't no beautiful words. There's no emotion. There's a lot of rhythm, and a lot of anger. But if you want to call me the King of Adult Contemporary, that's a very proud title that I will accept. WP: Is retirement conceivable for you?
BM: No. What a terrible word. Terrible word! Not for me. There's always a couple of ideas in the pipeline. I've got a couple of album ideas that I'm going to have to start to get to, and, of course, I have [my musical] 'Harmony' to work on until it opens [in September in Atlanta]. I've always got a million ideas. Just a million ideas. And like I say, I'm happy there are people out there interested in what I've got to do. "A Capitol Fourth," with Barry Manilow, John Williams, Candice Glover, Scotty McCreery, Megan Hilty, Darren Criss, Jackie Evancho, the cast of "Motown: The Musical" and the National Symphony Orchestra, will be presented Thursday at 8 p.m. on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. It will be broadcast live on PBS, 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET. |
| June 27, 2013 | My San Antonio | "Still making the world sing" by Hector Saldaña |
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| It's a long way to the top if you want to rock 'n' roll. The same can be said for ruling the middle of the road. Just ask Barry Manilow, whose name is synonymous with hits — "Mandy, "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana," "Looks Like We Made It," "Weekend in New England," "It's a Miracle," "Could It Be Magic" and "Bandstand Boogie." Manilow arrives at AT&T Center on Saturday to make up a show originally scheduled May 18. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. He has written and famously covered songs "that make the whole world sing." But as revealed in Clive Davis' best-selling memoir, "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of My Life," Manilow's good fortune didn't always come easily. The talented composer's close relationship with record-company mogul Davis was often stormy and contentious over the choice of songs. One of them was "I Write the Songs." Manilow hated it; Davis insisted he record it. "Nobody worries whether he wrote it," wrote Davis. But it really bothered Manilow, who saw himself as more than a song and dance man (Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys wrote "I Write the Songs"). Also, the song had been released twice in the mid-1970s - by Captain & Tennille on the "Love Will Keep Us Together" album and on David Cassidy's first solo album, too. Both came out in 1975. Manilow's beloved rendition was released in November 1975. Two months later it was No. 1. The ageless pop star, who turned 70 last week, talked about his feelings in his autobiography, "Sweet Life." "The problem with the song was that if you didn't listen carefully to the lyric, you would think that the singer was singing about himself. It could be misinterpreted as a monumental ego trip," Manilow wrote. But there is a reason why audiences have connected with Manilow and his songs. The delivery is always believable and genuine. "That opening piano riff on 'Mandy' is so deep for me, it's quite emotional," Manilow told the Sioux City Journal this month. "These songs are much more than pop songs and, sometimes, it is hard to sing them." Onstage, he keeps things romantic, upbeat and fun. For example, at a recent concert, Manilow called "Weekend in New England" the "most romantic song I've ever sung in my career." "If you can't get lucky with this, give up," Manilow joked at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, according to the Sioux City Journal. |
| June 27, 2013 | Wall Street Journal | Back By Popular Demand....A Capitol Fourth On PBS Welcomes Music Superstar Barry Manilow And America's Favorite Host Tom Bergeron Live From The U.S. Capitol! |
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| WASHINGTON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- America's favorite host, two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron (DANCING WITH THE STARS) will return to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to host A CAPITOL FOURTH, starring music legend Barry Manilow, who is back by popular demand following his powerful debut performance on the show in 2009. Broadcast live on PBS, the biggest and brightest birthday party in the country will also feature performances by: Candice Glover, the Season 12 winner of AMERICAN IDOL; country music artist Scotty McCreery (winner of AMERICAN IDOL); actor and singer Darren Criss (GLEE); musical prodigy and classical crossover star Jackie Evancho; Broadway and television star Megan Hilty (SMASH); Broadway's new hit Motown The Musical; and five-time Academy Award-winner John Williams conducting music from the Oscar-winning blockbuster LINCOLN; with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. Broadcast live on PBS, the biggest and brightest birthday party in the country will also feature performances by: Candice Glover, the Season 12 winner of AMERICAN IDOL; country music artist Scotty McCreery (winner of AMERICAN IDOL); actor and singer Darren Criss (GLEE); musical prodigy and classical crossover star Jackie Evancho; Broadway and television star Megan Hilty (SMASH); Broadway's new hit Motown The Musical; and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. Five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams will conduct music from the Oscar-winning blockbuster LINCOLN, with a special moment from legendary film director and three-time Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg. With twenty cameras positioned around the city, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House and the Washington Monument, viewers are front and center for the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation during this top-rated extravaganza. Capping off the show will be a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery, an audience favorite and A CAPITOL FOURTH tradition. |  |
The 33rd annual broadcast of A CAPITOL FOURTH airs on PBS Thursday, July 4, 2013 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The program can also be heard live in stereo over NPR member stations nationwide. |
| June 26, 2013 | Newsday | "4th of July TV specials set to light up the holiday" by Jay Bobbin |
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| PBS and NBC will hold to tradition July 4 by offering star-studded Independence Day specials with an emphasis on music. On PBS (8 p.m. on WNET/13; 9 p.m. on WLIW/21), Barry Manilow will return to "A Capitol Fourth" as he joins former "Smash" co-star Megan Hilty, award-winning composer-conductor John Williams, "American Idol" winners Candice Glover and Scotty McCreery, "Glee" star Darren Criss, "America's Got Talent" alum Jackie Evancho, the National Symphony Orchestra and host Tom Bergeron on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. "America's Got Talent" also will be represented on the Peacock network, as Nick Cannon -- that contest's host -- presides again over "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" (9 p.m., NBC/4) in New York, with musical guests including someone he knows quite well: his wife, recent "American Idol" judge Mariah Carey. Country superstar Tim McGraw also is on the bill. Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winner Manilow has a huge catalog to draw from, with "Copacabana" always a particular crowd-pleaser. While he plans to deliver a good dose of his hits on "A Capitol Fourth" -- much as he's doing in his touring show "Manilow on Broadway" -- he says he'll be especially pleased to render the clearly patriotic "Let Freedom Ring," which he wrote with his longtime collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman. "I worked with the guy who hits the button to set off the fireworks," Manilow recalls of performing the tune on "A Capitol Fourth" in 2009. "I wanted him to hit it on the last key change, so I gave him a video of me doing the song, and he'd already heard it and studied it. And right on the 'let' of 'Let freedom ring,' he hit that button, and I felt the ground shake! Those fireworks went right up on the downbeat. I didn't see them because they were behind me, but I knew because the audience just started to shriek and scream; what they were seeing was what they were there for. With this song and that orchestra, it was a thrilling moment. I thought, 'Well, another 15 years, and they'll wheel me out, and I'll do it again.' And, surprisingly enough, they've asked me to do it again only four years later." Having been a fan of NBC's now-canceled "Smash," Manilow is glad to be sharing the stage with Broadway veteran Hilty, who opened "A Capitol Fourth" last year. She says with a laugh that she "can't stay away" from the occasion . . . or its city. "It was totally nerve-racking" last year, she admits, "but it's kind of a home away from home for me now. My boyfriend and I have been to Washington something like five times in the past year, so I think it'll be maybe a little easier this time. And I'm a big 'Fanilow,' so I'm really excited to get to work with him." Five-time Oscar winner Williams is yet another returnee to "A Capitol Fourth," having led an Olympic tribute a year ago. His 2003 appearance was especially memorable since he received the National Artistic Achievement Award during the show. Coming back to the show for executive producer Jerry Colbert soon after creating his Oscar-nominated score for "Lincoln," one of Williams' many projects with director Steven Spielberg, is quite meaningful for him. "Walter Miller has been the producer of the event probably since its inception," Williams says, "and he's not only a legend himself in this field but also a very good friend of mine. I see him fairly frequently, and he knows how much I have enjoyed being connected with this program. I've also known the National Symphony Orchestra for many years, and I've always enjoyed working with them greatly, particularly during Leonard Slatkin's 10 years ." Though Williams conducted it in Baltimore and Boston recently, the "Lincoln" music hasn't had many live performances, and the appropriateness of showcasing it on "A Capitol Fourth" pleases him greatly. "Joining me," he says, "will be Christopher Martin, the principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, and he's a fabulous artist and a great young man. He played the trumpet solos in the film and was featured on the soundtrack, so Walter and I felt this would be a wonderful occasion to present him as a soloist. That will be another treat, certainly for me. It'll be great to see and hear him again." |
| June 25, 2013 | ABC 4 Utah | "Trade in your old muscial instrument and get free tickets to Manilow's July 12th concert" by Kimberly Nelson |
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| Barry Manilow is coming to the Maverik Center and kicking off a music instrument drive for Salt Lake County Public Schools. It was in orchestra class many, many years ago that Barry Manilow realized what he wanted to do with his life. Manilow told ABC 4 Utah, "I came from the slums of Brooklyn with no money. I don't know where I was going or what I was going to do and I joined the orchestra and I felt grounded." After selling 80 million records worldwide, Manilow he knows music can change a kids life. That’s why he started the Manilow Music Project. "We get brand new instruments into the hands of kids that are either running out of instruments or don't have any," explained Manilow. Then two years ago they had a great idea to get instruments donated. For every instrument donated the person would get two tickets to the show and the local school district would get the instruments. Since Barry is playing at the maverick Center this July his people called the Granite School District. Granite School District Spokesperson Ben Horsley said, "It came from Stiletto Entertainment out of Las Vegas and we were a little leery of that at first, but we're obviously very excited about the opportunity." With 67,000 students in the Granite School District, Horsley says the need is great. "We have a lot of interest in our music programs and so I don't think it will be difficult to find those kids who have those types of needs," said Horsley. The Manilow Project, on average, collects about 100 instruments at every stop and in every city Barry hears the same things from those schools that benefit. "They always tell me the kids in music classes, their grades go up and they learn how to interact with other students. They become better people," said Manilow. "I don't know what I would have become of me if I didn't have orchestra class back in Brooklyn, NY all those years ago." You can drop off your donated instruments and pick up your free tickets at the Maverik Center from now through July 12th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tickets are available online at Manilow.com or Ticketmaster.com and in person at the Maverik Center or by calling 1-800-745-3000. |
| June 22, 2013 | KCRG TV-9 | Manilow Fans Fill Downtown |
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Now 70, Barry Manilow has a track record that has brought together generations of fans. Yet the presence of this musical icon also brought together a large crowd to experience downtown Cedar Rapids in the summer. Manilow played Cedar Rapids for the first time in 17 years on Saturday, with his evening appearance at the renovated U.S. Cellular Center. It was three weeks ago when Lady Antebellum was the major musical act for the arena's opening weekend. TV-9's Chris Earl takes in the buzz before Manilow's show as well as a glimpse of the performance.
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| June 22, 2013 | Norfolk Daily News | "Manilow takes audience down memory lane" by Sheryl Schmeckpeper |
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| Barry Manilow may not move as easily as he did 40 years ago, but the 70-year-old can still sing, which was all the crowd at Friday night’s concert in Sioux City, Iowa, wanted. The audience came to see and hear the man who wrote and sang the songs that defined their youth: "Mandy," "Weekend in New England," "Looks Like We Made It," and, of course, the toe-tapping "Copacobana." During the 90-minute concert at Sioux City’s Orpheum Theatre Friday night, Manilow took his audience on a walk down memory lane by just singing his signature songs. Along the way, he bantered with the crowd, paid tribute to his late grandfather who, he said, fostered his interest in music when he was just a toddler, showed video clips of some of his early performances and spoke about a couple of projects near and dear to his heart: The Manilow Music Project, which gathers new and used musical instruments for schools where he performs, and Harmony, a musical that he and a friend have written that will open in Atlanta, Ga., in September. The concert was fun [and] worth the time, money and effort to see and hear one of the most well-known, pop composers and performers of all time. |
| June 21, 2013 | Van Nuys News Press | "Barry Manilow 13-06-16 At The GREEK: Manilow Swoons His Way Into Your Soul At The Greek, Even At 70 Years Old!" by Lorenzo Marchessi |
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| The day before he turns 70 years old, on June 16th (his birthday is June 17th), in front of a crowd of thousands people, for the third night in a row, the man, the legend, who said, "I was the Justin Bieber of the 70’s...just ask your mom", Barry Manilow took the stage of The Greek Theatre in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles. Once again he crooned his hits from every decade of his career spanning almost 40 years now and left the audience singing, cheering and dancing in the aisles and wanting more. "I’ll keep coming as long as you are there," Barry says as he points to the sold out audience as a roaring cheer thunders loudly across the venue. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943 and with over 45 albums to his credit, he sang the old songs and the new ones and what impressed me most was how funny [he] can be. Humbling himself and with a little self-deprecation regarding his large nose over the years, Manilow knows exactly who he is and what people thinks of him, and he stills doesn’t stop because his fan base is global! It was amazing hearing the live performance of such songs as "Even Now," "Somewhere In The Night," "New York City Rhythm," "Tryin' To Get This Feeling Again," "This One’s For You," "Brooklyn Blues," "It’s A Miracle," "I Am Your Child," "The Old Songs," "Stay" and more[, including] Frankie [Valli's] "Let’s Hang On" and "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You," which brought the house down. He looked good for his 70 years of [age] and he had energy. [He] was moving and dancing around as he puts it "as best I can now that I’m old." [His] outfits were sharp and colorful. [He] poured love back into he audience as much as he was getting it from them. Add colorful lights and stage effects with a state-of-the-art video feed [and] you have a full blown musical concert extravaganza! Fanilow’s were everywhere, of every age and of every color, from all over the world. Several times he encouraged everyone to sing along with him and even held out the microphone to capture the thousands of voices joining in to song’s like, "Can’t Smile Without You," "Bandstand Boogie" and even "I Write The Songs." No one missed a beat and everyone seemed to know all the words. Of course there were the showstoppers and standing ovations for "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic," "Weekend In New England," "I Made It Through The Rain" and a version of "Mandy" where he sings with himself from a video clip from the 70’s of an old TV Show called "The Midnight Special"! [The show] was full of music and dance [with] video and images of his past albums, looks and hairstyles. [Barry] certainly [knew] how to please [the] audience. Wonderful sound and clarity of the visuals just [complemented] the entire Manilow experience. He still has the singing chops and musical timing, [and boy,] can he tickle the [ivories]! His last song was a solo, just outside the main curtain which had closed leaving the audience to believe the evening was over. [He] sang "Old Friends" from his Showstopper album and the audience was in tears. Then BANG, into ["Forever And A Day."] Then he said goodbye for the second and final time! If you have never seen Barry Manilow or heard of his music you should go for the experience of a life-time. [After] 40 years of writing, singing, composing and producing, he still can "[write (and sing, and compose, and produce) the songs that make the whole world sing!]" You [go,] Barry! |
| June 21, 2013 | Sioux City Journal | "REVIEW: Manilow offers a soundtrack for generations" by Bruce Miller |
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| Frankie Valli got "Jersey Boys" but why doesn’t Barry Manilow get his own Broadway show? "Brooklyn Boy," perhaps? The point became abundantly clear Friday night when Manilow did a mini-tribute to Valli and got one of many standing ovations. To be honest, Manilow has just as many hits and, as we learned in a couple of songs (accompanied by videos), a compelling story to tell. Admitting his grandfather was the first to spot his talent (and encourage it), Manilow sang a touching "This One’s for You" that could have melted wax. It was so heart-warming and heartfelt it could serve as the cornerstone for a dandy Broadway musical. Rolling through decades of chart toppers, he rekindled plenty of memories (complete with glow sticks!) and hit the highlights of a career filled with them, beginning and ending with "It’s a Miracle." With two back-up singers and an orchestra that sounded like dozens were filling the pit, he conjured plenty of eras including the "American Bandstand" years, the ballad days and, most recently, the '50s-'80s cover period. Changing jackets several times, Manilow got plenty of laughs, too, with the patter that accompanied some of those iconic songs. "Weekend in New England," he said, was "the most romantic song I’ve ever sung in my career. If you can’t get lucky with this, give up." The song had video backup, as well, and enough swells to make, dare we say it?, the whole world swoon. While two hip surgeries have limited his dance moves, Manilow still moved with purpose and got his groove on with naturally danceable songs like "Copacabana" and "[Bandstand Boogie]." Early on he said he hadn’t been in Sioux City before, but he wasn’t quite accurate. He played the Municipal Auditorium several decades ago. Friday’s appearance was his first at the Orpheum and it was a perfect fit – just like his blue-sequined jacket. By the time he got to "I Write the Songs" (one of the few he didn’t, oddly enough), he was ready to take up residency. And the voice? It was every bit as good as we remember from the cassettes we listened to, the vinyl we embraced. Watching those video clips, we could just see a new generation become as enlightened as their parents and grandparents. Some were in the audience but many need the nudge that comes from something like "Jersey Boys." Manilow has done the tough part – he wrote enough songs that could fill two hit shows. Now it’s just a matter of shaping that wowser story. And someone to play the leading role? If they can’t find anyone with the same skill set, I bet Manilow could do it. Friday, the 70-year-old proved he has the stamina for just about anything. |
| June 21, 2013 | Evansville Courier & Press | "Lessons on the accordion and in jingle studio underscore Manilow's half-century as pop icon: Commercial jingles taught lessons, he says" by Roger McBain |
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| Barry Manilow learned lots at New York’s Juilliard School, but his most notable musical training came before and after his time at the prestigious performing arts school, says the 70-year-old adult contemporary pop star. It started in the slums of Brooklyn, where his parents struggled to scrape together the money to pay for lessons on a rented accordion. And his "real college" came several years after Julliard, during the years he wrote jingles for soft drinks, fast food and self-adhesive bandages. Manilow comes to Evansville this week as one of the best-known and most enduring songwriters of his generation, still touring after more than a half-century writing, recording and performing his own and other’s songs. His repertoire of adult contemporary pop hits includes "Mandy," "Even Now," "Ready to Take a Chance Again," "Looks Like We Made It," "At the Copa," "Old Songs" and "I Write the Songs." Manilow won’t pump an accordion or pitch soda and hamburgers in The Ford Center Wednesday night, but his lessons on the accordion and in commercial jingle studios underscore all of his work, he said in a recent telephone call from his home in Southern California. It all started when his parents "stuck an accordion in my hands." "I come from no money," he said, "but my parents knew I was musical. They found enough money to rent an accordion for me and get me lessons." That was critical, because "I learned how to read music on that accordion." He learned lots more from jingles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, from composing to arranging to singing, he said. "I went to Juilliard, but my three or four years writing jingles was really my college." His assignments were commercial ditties for Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds ("You Deserve a Break Today"). He worked in the studio and sang on State Farm Insurance’s "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," and he affected a child’s voice for Band-Aid’s "I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, ‘cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me." His professors in jingle school were some of the top professionals in the business, from the studio engineers to the sessions instrumentalists and singers to the technicians, he said. He learned to arrange there and "I learned how to sing in a studio in a background group of studio singers," he said. And composing jingles taught him how to write a pop song. "You have to learn to write a catchy melody in 15 seconds," Manilow said. "Your melody has to be the catchiest melody there, otherwise the other guy that’s going up for the jingle is going to get the spot, and there were lots of other guys going up for those jingles." Manilow included some of his jingles in some of his early concerts. "When I started doing it, it was the act of a desperate man," he said. His first album has "some very nice songs," he said, "but I didn’t have any hit records. I knew if I didn’t give audiences something they knew, they were going to get bored. So I put together a medley of all the jingles I had been involved with." The segment, which became known as "V.S.M." or "Very Strange Medley," turned out to be "the right thing to do," he said. "It just blew the place apart and made the headlines in every review." After a half-century in the business, he doesn’t need to pad his programs with jingles, but the skills he learned writing commercial tunes plays through all his work. And he hasn’t forgotten the importance of the accordion, or of any instrument placed in the hands of a young person hungry to learn music. As with all his concerts on this tour, the Manilow Music Project and Yamaha Corp. will donate a Yamaha piano to the local schools — in this case the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. He’s also offered free tickets to audience members who give new or "gently used" instruments to the schools. Donors can bring the instruments to the Ford Center, where they can redeem them for a pair of tickets to Wednesday’s show. "If they do it before the show, I give them free tickets. If they bring them afterward I give them a big 'thank you,'" he said. "We’ve been collecting 75 to 100 instruments in every city," he said. "We’ll take anything we can get. They pile them up in the hallway outside my dressing room, and it’s great. Everything from guitars to drum sets to saxes and flutes. I’ve gotten everything. Somebody gave a kazoo." For Manilow, it’s a chance to help new generations discover music and all the skills that come with it. "Their grades go up, they learn how to interact with other students better, it makes them better students, it makes them better people. It changes their lives," he said. "It certainly did that for me." |
| June 20, 2013 | Norfolk Daily News | "Barry Manilow to bring magic to Sioux City" by Sheryl Schmeckpeper |
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| The New York Times claims the "magic is back." But in reality, the magic never left. That’s because Barry Manilow has been composing, producing and singing for more than 40 years and is still going strong. The Brooklyn singer’s star first rose in the early 1970s and reached its full height with "Mandy," a soulful ballad that, when written, initially was titled "Brandy." The song "has a long history. In fact, it changed my life," Manilow said during a recent telephone interview. Indeed, "Mandy" was the first in a long string of ballads, dance tunes and disco songs that still keep fans crying, dancing and singing along. Among them is "Made it Through the Rain," "Weekend in New England," "Looks Like We Made It" and the ever-popular "Copacabana." But one of Manilow’s favorites is "Could It Be Magic," which, he said, is based on a prelude by Frederic Chopin. "It’s a beautiful song," Manilow said. Before his name became a household word, Manilow wrote jingles for commercials, including "I am stuck on Band-Aid because Band Aid’s stuck on me," and "like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." Although he’s performed thousands of times in front of millions of people, the 70-year-old said he would rather be behind the scenes composing and producing than on stage. "I never wanted to be a performer. This lovely career was just an accident," he said. "My favorite thing is everything that keeps me in the background." In fact, Manilow still yearns to write for Broadway and is hoping that a musical he created with Bruce Sussman will make his dreams come true. Called "Harmony," the show tells the story of the Comedian Harmonists, a "boy band" that rose to fame in pre-World War II Germany. They were a "combination of the Marx Brothers and Manhattan Transfer," Manilow said of the Harmonists. "They were the Beatles of the 1930s in Europe." But because some of the members were Jews, the group was forced to disband when Adolf Hitler tightened his grip on Germany. When Manilow and Sussman learned about the group, they knew they had to tell the story. "They (the Harmonists) were brilliant, but no one knew about them," Manilow said. The musical will open in Atlanta, Ga., in September, which, Manilow said, is a feat in itself as mounting and funding a professional show is a challenge. "I give credit to anyone who can get their work out there on the stage. It’s a difficult process," Manilow said. Now, Manilow is in the midst of a summer tour that is bringing him to Sioux City’s Orpheum Theatre on Friday, June 21. As he does at every concert stop, he’s asking audience members to donate new or gently-used musical instruments to his charitable organization. The instruments will be refurbished and distributed to local schools. Manilow will donate a grand piano to the school system as well. Called the Manilow Music Project, it is intended to help ailing school programs by giving students who can’t afford instruments the chance to experience music. "We have been making a dent ... by collecting 75 to 100 instruments in every city," said Manilow, who credits his own career to a school music program. "I don’t know what I could have done if I had not had that opportunity." That opportunity not only garnered him fame and fortune, but also an Emmy, Tony and Grammy Awards. He’s performed for everyone from commoners and nobility. "Night after night, there’s a fantastic bunch of people out there," he said. |
| June 20, 2013 | KTIV News 4 | KTIV's Al Joens' extended interview with Barry Manilow |
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| SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - KTIV's Al Joens interviews Barry Manilow. KTIV: What keeps you motivated after all of these years?
Barry Manilow (BM): You know, I'm just one of the lucky guys, who just has energy and ideas. The next idea, the next album, the next one. I'm just one of those lucky guys who just don't stop. I don't feel any different than I did when I was in my 30s. This number 70, is the most confusing number that I've ever gone through in my life. Because I look at myself and I look at my life and nothing seems to have changed. It's very confusing. But I am very proud and I am very happy that I am still here and that I have an audience out there who is still interested in what I have to say. KTIV: How's it feel to be coming back to Sioux City? I know you have performed here before.
BM: These days I am just doing weekends. I don't think I've been to Sioux City in a long time, so that will be fun. KTIV: What led you to become a performer? Or who inspired you?
BM: I backed into it. I backed into this gorgeous career. I was going to be a musician and that was it. I never really thought about singing or getting up on a stage and performing. When I was starting out, it never dawned on me, that would be where I would wind up. I thought, well if I were lucky, I would be a composer or an arranger or a musician. That was it. But during those years in the 70's when singers/songwriters were becoming popular, I was making my demo's of songs that I wrote and out of the blue, I got an offer to make an album with me singing my stuff. Because that's what was going on singer/songwriters. And I did and I went on the road and I put together a show. Which I was terrible at, oh my God, I was terrible to be honest. But the audiences seemed to be okay with me bumbling around and learning on the job. And little by little, I got it, I got the hang of it. And the records started to become successful, the concerts started to become successful, and out of the blue, I wound up on a stage performing, making records. It was the biggest surprise, a beautiful surprise to me. KTIV: What advice would you give to people who are interested in or curious about music? Whether, it be kids or adults, whoever?
BM: For young people, I would say learn to read music. You might not wind up to be John Fogerty or Mariah Carey but if you learn to read music and you are interested in music, you'll always work. Because you can always work in a recording studios, doing background singing or you could always work in a band because everyone is looking for musicians and singers who read. If you are lucky and have a lot of talent, well that's even better. But if you really want to go into music, learn to read music and then you'll always work. KTIV: How big of a group do you have? Do have a lot of back up singers?
BM: Every year, it changes. I always have the basic core. My band, my six guys and a few singers and every few years, I change it around. A couple of years ago, I went out with a symphony orchestra and a couple of years before that I went out with 14 people, and a couple of years before that it was 20 some people. This year, it's a small band and we sound great. And what's great about this year, is my small band knows every [song] in my catalogue and I can just call out any song and we can do it and we've been doing that on this show and it's really a lot of fun. Tickets are still available for Manilow's performance Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum in Sioux City. Or if you have any gently-used musical instruments to donate to the Sioux City Schools, you'll receive two tickets to Manilow's concert. You can donate musical instruments at the Tyson Events Center box office. |
| June 20, 2013 | Sioux City Journal | At 70, Barry Manilow looks and feels great |
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| "There are three rules to writing a hit song," Barry Manilow teases, then pauses. "And nobody knows what they are." Manilow's method -- write on demand -- struck when he was doing commercial jingles. ("Like a good neighbor ... State Farm is there." That was his.) "They'd call and give me the lyrics. Then I'd ask, 'Do you want a ballad or an up-tempo song?' And I'd just do it. I like writing on demand. I like knowing what to write. I'm not one of those people who can just write a song about whatever ... those usually wind up in the garbage." Music that makes the whole world sing -- words from "I Write the Songs," one of the few hits of his Barry Manilow didn't pen -- has been around for more than four decades, prompting plenty of TV specials, Broadway shows and tours. His latest -- a "best of" jaunt -- will include "more hits than you can imagine. It's what the audience is really looking for," says Manilow, who will turn 70 just days before he comes to Sioux City Friday for a concert at the Orpheum Theatre. Although he set aside songs in past shows ("ones I felt I had done too much"), he insists the hit list is intact this time out. Projects, though, make him salivate. Currently, he's tweaking "Harmony," a Broadway musical that will have test runs in Atlanta and Los Angeles this year before heading to New York. Plus, "Manilow on Broadway," his one-man show in February, was a huge hit, suggesting New York is ready for another incarnation next year. Although hip surgery slowed his dancing, Manilow still has moves. "I don't think my hips will ever come back to where they were," he concedes. "But that's OK. I'm more concerned about Lady Gaga. She had the same labrum tears and after that surgery it never really comes back like it's supposed to. I'm still able to do my thing but she's a dancer, I'm not. I hope her surgery went better than mine." That's just the way his life is: Experts throw roadblocks in his way; he knocks them over. Possessing a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmy, he's just an Oscar shy of having an entertainer's grand slam. "They're just not writing the kinds of songs that I love to write," he says of Hollywood. "I may have missed the boat on that one. But I did get a nomination." Among his latest projects: Covering the songs of other artists in a series of CDs. He says it's an honor to give them a new spin. "They're more than just songs. They're anthems. They're hymns. I'm proud I get to do them." But are they more fun than the entries in his own catalog? Manilow hedges. "It depends on the song," he says. "But if I forget the lyrics to one of mine -- which isn't often -- I can just turn to the audience and they always help me out." The Details - Who: Barry Manilow. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Where: Orpheum Theatre, 520 Pierce St. Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com. |
| June 19, 2013 | KTIV News 4 | "Barry Manilow says music helps kids succeed" by Kim Wilson |
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| Some of his famous songs include, Copacabana, Mandy, and I Write The Songs. Grammy winning artist Barry Manilow is also behind a local instrument donation drive. The instruments are then given to students who otherwise couldn't afford them. Manilow says music class isn't just a time for play. Instead, it can be life changing. He says if it wasn't for music he wouldn't be the person he is today, and he believes that is true for all students. "When the kids take music classes their grades go up, they learn to interact with other kids. They become better students," said Barry Manilow. Every one who donates instruments to the Tyson Events Center gets two free tickets to his concert in Sioux City on Friday. The concert will be held at the Orpheum starting at 7:30 p.m. |
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