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| January 27, 2016 | Hot Spots! Magazine | "Barry Manilow’s 'One Last Time!' Tour Stops in Florida" by Mike Halterman |
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| He writes the songs that make the whole world sing! Barry Manilow has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people around the world ever since his very first album was released back in 1973. Since then, he has sold over 80 million records worldwide, and he has topped the U.S. charts with such pop favorites as "Mandy", "I Write the Songs", and "Looks Like We Made It". Entire generations of memories have been made to those songs and other favorites such as "Can't Smile Without You", "Copacabana", "Weekend in New England", and "Somewhere in the Night." After over four decades in the music industry, Manilow is taking one last tour around the world. Unlike other singers who have gone back on their word, Manilow insists that his "One Last Time!" Tour will indeed be his last. If you're a fan of his music, this would be the time to see him! He will be making five stops in Florida: he arrives in the Sunshine State to perform at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola on Thursday, January 28; followed by concert dates in Estero at the Germain Arena on Monday, February 1; in Orlando at the Amway Center on Tuesday, February 2; in Tampa at Amalie Arena on Thursday, February 4; and in Sunrise at the BB&T Center on Friday, February 5. The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. for all five performances. Tickets can be bought by going online to barrymanilow.com/tickets. Joining Barry Manilow for this tour is worldrenowned saxophonist and composer Dave Koz. Dave Koz has been recording albums in the smooth jazz genre for the last 25 years and has amassed a number of hits on the jazz charts, such as "Got To Get You Into My Life", "Put The Top Down", "Castle of Dreams", "Faces of the Heart", and "Honey-Dipped". He is a Grammy Award nominee and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work. (Oh, did we mention he's openly gay and very handsome?) I spoke with Dave Koz about his career and what it's like to tour with Barry Manilow in this exclusive Hotspots interview. Hotspots: Welcome back to Florida!
Dave Koz (DK): Thank you. Hey, I can't get enough of Florida. What do you want from me? [laughs] Hotspots: You were just here for your Christmas concerts. Is it nice to be able to stop in the Sunshine State twice in one winter?
DK: I can't ask for anything better. I live out in California so I can't use the cold weather as an excuse to come down. I just really enjoy Florida. When Mr. Manilow asked me to tour with him, I couldn't say no. Hotspots: What's it like touring with Barry Manilow? You've done this once before.
DK: Yes, we did about 30 shows last year, followed by eight shows in the UK together. I've known him for 15 years and we're great friends. I've appeared on his albums; he's appeared on my albums. He's just such an incredible support system for me. When I got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was the one who inducted me. He's just been there for very pivotal moments of my life. I've learned so much from him. As far as longevity is concerned, he's made music for four-plus decades and he's always been at the very top of his craft. He's not just a great inspiration but a great teacher. Not that he sits me down and gives me lessons, but I absorb what I see when I'm around him. Many people know the star and entertainer, but I've been honored to observe his pure musicianship, and that's what inspires me the most. Hotspots: You've collaborated with him in the past; what parallels are there between your style of music and his?
DK: I mean, he's a singer, a great piano player and songwriter. I don't sing, but there's an emphasis on quality and a commitment to consistency. He's been a consistent entertainer since the beginning, and that's one of the things I've looked to him for, as far as guidance in my own career is concerned. When you see the name "Barry Manilow," you get hundreds of feelings inside of you, and you know when you see him, you're going to get only the utmost quality, and I feel that is imperative in my music as well. I want people to feel something when they see my name, and when they come to see me, whether it's at my Christmas shows or opening for Barry Manilow, they can rely on the fact that they will get nothing but quality. Hotspots: Please tell us about the collaboration that you made with Barry Manilow that made it to your 25th anniversary "Collaborations" album.
DK: The track that [Barry Manilow and I] collaborated on was originally listed on his Here at the Mayflower album. That was the first day I ever met him. I went into the studio, and he played the entire track that I was going to solo on, and when he was done, my jaw hit the floor. The song is about this woman in the Mayflower apartment building and she's alone at night, listening to a saxophone player. Near the end of the song, he even says, "She's listening to Dave Koz in the middle of the night." My name was sung in his song! [laughs] I'm meeting him for the first time and he sung my name! I was stunned. I didn't know what to say! It was more than just a song; it cemented a lifelong friendship. For more information on Barry Manilow, visit barrymanilow.com. For more information on Dave Koz, visit davekoz.com. You can buy Dave Koz's "Collaborations" album by going to davekoz.com/shop. |
| January 30, 2016 | The Advocate | "Barry Manilow smoothly reprises his hits at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center" by Keith Spera |
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| On the March 14, 1975, episode of the late-night music show “The Midnight Special,” guest host Clive Davis introduced “the newest star for America, Mr. Barry Manilow.” Rocking a powder-blue shirt with sequins, the singer delivered an earnest, piano-driven rendition of “Mandy,” his then-current hit. At the Smoothie King Center on Friday night, 40-year-old footage from that “Midnight Special” episode was synced up alongside a live shot of Manilow, now 72, singing “Mandy.” The juxtaposition illustrated his transformation from an endearingly awkward singer-songwriter to a manicured Las Vegas showman with a permanent, impenetrable show-biz veneer. His songs have survived the transition just fine. On Friday, he nourished his audience’s nostalgia with a polished presentation, an entertainer approaching the end of his performing career like a sunnier, more eager-to-please Neil Diamond. His “One Last Time!” tour, now in its second year, is his long goodbye. Early in his career, Manilow’s creative energy couldn’t be contained. He wrote and/or sang familiar jingles for the likes of State Farm, McDonald’s and Band-Aid. He composed music for TV shows. He helped launch Bette Midler’s career as her co-producer and musical director. He found his calling in the mid-1970s as a purveyor of romantic soft rock, so-called “adult contemporary” music. He sold millions of records and remains a pop culture fixture, even if his biggest hits are long past. “Fanilows” entering the arena Friday received complimentary glow sticks. They illuminated the club beat that preceded Manilow’s arrival onstage in an open-collar white shirt and black jacket with tails. The arbitrary dance mix quickly gave way to his 1975 hit “It’s a Miracle.” Ten minutes and three songs in, he elevated “Somewhere in the Night,” holding the final syllable for a big, sweeping finish — the first of several. His voice effectively communicated the pathos of “Looks Like We Made It.” The lyrics of “Can’t Smile Without You” appeared on the video screen, helpfully navigated, karaoke-style, by a yellow, bouncing smiley face. “I hear you!” Manilow enthused during it. The band behind him - guitar, bass, drums, percussion, three horns, a couple of keyboardists, three backing vocalists - was as well-oiled as he was. He started “[Weekend In New England]” alone at the piano; the musicians then ratcheted up the arrangement, only to set it down for a perfectly executed soft landing. Forty-plus years in the spotlight apparently have not lessened Manilow’s self-consciousness about his nose. From the most distant seats, he said, he “must look like a little singing, dancing nose.” Of the dozens of artists who have covered “Memory,” from the musical “Cats,” only he and Barbra Streisand succeeded on the charts, he said: “There must be some correlation between the size of one’s nose and the success of the song.” He is clearly a fan of his own recordings, though. “Brooklyn Blues,” he assured us, has “got a great groove, great melody, wonderful lyrics.” An ode to his native borough, “Brooklyn Blues” is a 12-bar blues done Manilow-style. A tidy electric guitar solo gave way to alto saxophone showboating by the show’s opening act, Dave Koz. Manilow’s 2015 album “My Dream Duets” is nominated for a Grammy and is “an amazing album,” he said. On it, his voice is paired with those of Louis Armstrong, John Denver, Whitney Houston, Jimmy Durante and other deceased singers. “I could have called it ‘My Dead Duets,’ ” he cracked. “The world’s greatest entertainer,” Judy Garland, appeared on screen to trade verses and harmonize with the live Manilow on “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” a clever presentation of the album’s concept. There is little room for spontaneity in such a tightly scripted show, but Manilow did manage to reference the first night of Mardi Gras and recount his first New Orleans performance, in 1973: “We’ve known each other for a long time, my friends.” During “Could It Be Magic,” he invited a young woman to dance. Her enthusiastic, especially tight embrace took him by surprise. He reminisced about the “dump of a high school” he attended in Brooklyn, New York. Neither a jock nor a gang member, he found his place in the school’s orchestra class. Now, his Manilow Music Project fosters music education by collecting instruments from fans and donating them to schools in cities his tour visits. In New Orleans, the beneficiary was the International School of Louisiana. A solo “I Am Your Child” spoke to that initiative. For “Even Now,” he followed a big finish with an even bigger flourish, playing to the crowd with an outstretched arm and steely gaze. “I’m so glad you still like these songs!” he gushed. Ten or so hits were compressed into a medley. “For those who were dragged here tonight,” he warned, “this medley is going to be agony.” But the segues were smooth, and the nostalgia abundant. “I Write the Songs” - which was written not by Manilow but Beach Boys bassist-singer Bruce Johnston - signaled the medley’s conclusion. “Copacabana,” confetti streamers and a brief reprise of “It’s a Miracle” capped the show at exactly the 90-minute mark. |
| January 30, 2016 | The Times-Picayune | "Barry Manilow fills the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans with sweet memories" by Doug MacCash |
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| The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans became a time machine Friday (Jan. 29) night, as singer-composer Barry Manilow, the Midas of 1970s pop, spun the clock backward to the era of Jimmy Carter, Farrah Fawcett and the Big Mac. Wearing a midnight black tuxedo and a bronzy Ronnie Wood shag, the 72-year old cut a svelte silhouette in the intense, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" spotlight beam. His Caribbean blue eyes shone brightly in the mega-monitors that hung above the stage. His croon was as deep, yet somehow boyish, as when it poured from millions and millions of radio speakers across the planet. He wooed his fans with old-school show biz savvy. Backed by more than a dozen musicians and a trio of singers, Manilow led off the effervescent set with "It's a Miracle," followed by "Daybreak" and "Somewhere in the Night," songs with their hooks set deep in the psyches of those of us of a certain generation. As he sang the first bar of "Can't Smile Without You," the lyrics appeared on the video screen above the stage, as a bouncing yellow smiley face led the audience in a sing along. It was a charming touch, but totally unnecessary. Fans had already taken the liberty of singing along. Manilow's songs are passionate, yet not terribly personal. They are like valentine cards; his fans are easily able to superimpose themselves on the sentiments of the lyrics. His songs are our songs. The utterly familiar "Looks Like We Made It" and "Could It Be Magic" followed. Phrases from all the songs welled up unexpectedly from somewhere in my mind, following one another as inexorably as box cars. The 1980s number called "Brooklyn Blues" was unknown to me (and maybe most of the audience), but Manilow chose it for a purpose. He used the Brooklyn-based song as an autobiographical jumping off point. He'd attended a "dump of a high school," he said, where the options boiled down to sports, delinquency (Can you imagine me joining a gang," he asked rhetorically) or orchestra class. Music, he said, was his childhood salvation. In an era of ubiquitous budget cuts he said he hopes to pass on that possibility to current school kids by providing donated instruments to schools through his Manilow Music Project. In New Orleans, he gifted an elementary school with an electric keyboard, encouraging others to do likewise. More chromosome-deep classics, including "I Am Your Child" and "Even Now" came next. "I'm so glad you still like these songs," Manilow said, as affection rained from the audience. At the midpoint, the show took a momentary turn toward the eerie, as Manilow accompanied a vintage black and white video of the late Judy Garland in a digital duet of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart." The song is just one of several similar overdubs with recordings by everyone from Louis Armstrong, to Mama Cass Elliot, to John Denver, that Manilow has compiled in a collection titled "My Dream Duets." Here are a few other fetching details from the show. Manilow embraced a young Floridian woman from the audience who, to the singer's apparent chagrin, announced that she'd been listening to his songs since she was four. He introduced Melanie, one of his supporting vocalists, who hails from New Orleans. "Who dat, y'all," she said. Upon entering the arena, audience members were issued phosphorescent glow sticks to wave during the show. They became a huge, glowing crowd-sourced metronome that doubled as barometer of engagement (which only rarely flagged). Before the silky ballad "Memory" from the Broadway show "Cats," Manilow jokingly compared his substantial nose to the nose of Barbra Streisand, who also covered the song. Manilow put an even finer point on the decades-spanning aspect of his performance when he sang his hit-among-hits "Mandy" as a duet with a mid-1970s video version of himself from the bygone "Midnight Special" television show. It's safe to say that images of the lovable, puppy dog 1970s version of Manilow swelled hearts throughout the arena. Despite the warmth of the show, Manilow did not allow glimpses beneath the surface of his glittering big-stage entertainer persona. He played to the sentimental expectations of his fans, as expected, but no one left the show knowing Barry any better. Emerging at the end of the 1960s era, Manilow's musical compositions and selections served as a respite from the highly introspective, angst-ridden, message-laden product of his fellow singer songwriters. Though his popularity climbed into the stratosphere, "serious" music lovers mostly wrote him off. So it was delightful when, near the end of last night's show, as he prepared to launch into a medley of compressed hits, he provided a tongue-in-cheek wink to his devotees and any detractors embedded in the crowd. Die-hard fans, he promised, were going to love the medley. But, he said, "for those of you who were dragged here tonight, this medley is going to be agony." Manilow brought the show home with more intractable AM ear worms: "This One's For You," "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again," and "I Write the Songs (which, I learned just last night, was written by Bruce Johnson)." A scarlet-robed choir from Dillard University had appeared at the rear of the stage to add vocal swells to Manilow's closing songs (though, honestly, the choir was difficult to hear). Donning a LeRoy Nieman-esque jacket, Manilow finished the night with the ever-rollicking "Copacabana." A disco ball twinkled in the rafters. A rainbow carnation of paper ribbons exploded and descended into the crowd. Everywhere glow sticks waved. After a reprise of "It's a Miracle," Manilow climbed the orchestra staircase and, with seeming reluctance, disappeared at the back of the stage. Earlier he'd noted that he played New Orleans for the first time in 1973. Last night's show was part of his "One Last Time" tour. |
| January 29, 2016 | The Times-Picayune | "Barry Manilow concert in New Orleans" by Chris Granger |
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| Barry Manilow stopped in New Orleans for his "One Last Time!" tour on Friday, January 29, 2016. At the start of the show Manilow acknowledged that it was Mardi Gras and said it was time for everyone to have some fun. Known for hits "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You," and Copacabana," Manilow played at the Smoothie King Center in downtown New Orleans. |
| January 28, 2016 | News Channel Nebraska | Barry Manilow Prepared to Lose Grammy to Tony Bennett, Readies New York-Themed Album |
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| Barry Manilow is up for a Grammy this year in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, but he says he’s prepared to lose to everyone’s favorite legendary crooner: Tony Bennett. Speaking to Billboard, Manilow says, “Everybody loses to Tony Bennett, and [his latest album] is a really great album.” Bennett is nominated for a disc called The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, while Manilow is up for My Dream Duets, which features him singing with late legends like John Denver, Whitney Houston, Sammy Davis Jr. and Mama Cass Elliott. “This Grammy nomination...is a big surprise,” he tells Billboard. “I thought it was a great piece of work. It’s really special. It was a technical marvel…It’s amazing, so I’m really proud of it no matter what happens.” Meanwhile, Manilow is on to his next project: a new disc called This Is My Town: Songs of New York. It’ll feature original songs with covers of classic New York-themed songs like “On Broadway,” “New York, New York,” “Downtown,” “Lonely Town” and even Don Henley’s ’90s hit, “New York Minute.” The Brooklyn-born singer says, “I just get a great feel from New York. Yes, I’ve been living in California for the last half of my life, but when you’re born in New York you’re a New Yorker. There’s no doubt about it.” Barry continues his One Last Time tour tonight in Pensacola, Florida. For dates and ticketing, visit BarryManilow.com.
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| January 28, 2016 | The Tampa Tribune | "After 45 years of room service, Barry Manilow playing Tampa ‘One Last Time’" by Ed Condran |
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| Barry Manilow isn’t going to pull a Cher, who has had a number of “farewell tours,” and return for a run through North America after his current jaunt ends. This is his swan song tour. The veteran singer-songwriter, who is on his “One Last Time” tour, which stops Thursday at the Amalie Arena, claims that he is serious about ending extensive road trips. “This is it for me going from one city to another and another but it’s not the end of me performing or making records,” Manilow said during a phone call from his Palm Springs home. “I love performing, but I don’t love the travel. I’ve had 45 years of room service, and that’s enough. So I’m out saying goodbye to wonderful cities, such as Tampa, which I’ve always enjoyed.” For his final, Manilow, who has made an extraordinary career courtesy of crafting big choruses and baroque arrangements, will play nothing but the hits. “If it were up to me. I would do all album cuts,” Manilow said. “But I don’t think the audience would be too happy. For the first time in my career, I’m doing 90 minutes of all familiar tunes. No album cuts.” Manilow, 72, has more than enough hits to deliver. Between 1974 and 1983, the Brooklyn native had three number one singles and 25 tunes that reached Billboard’s Top 40. “It’s been an extraordinary career,” Manilow said. “I’ve had so much success with these songs. So many hits.” But Manilow almost had fewer hits since he initially balked at some songs, which were offered to him. Manilow is an inveterate writer, who was reluctant to sing other songwriter’s material. “I started out as a songwriter and (iconic music industry executive) Clive Davis would give me these songs to sing and I would say, ‘No, I can’t do that,’ for whatever reason. I would hear these demos and they would sound so bad. It’s not like today with the technology to make everything sound so good. When I heard ‘I Can’t Smile Without You,’ it was a lousy production with a piano player and a singer singing out of tune. I turned down doing that song for three albums in a row. I said no way to that song. Clive was like, ‘Who does he think he is, Bob Dylan?’ But I finally gave that one a shot and I’m glad I did. The same goes for ‘I Write the Songs.’” When Manilow glanced at the lyrics for “I Write the Songs,” which was written by the Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston, he initially thought the songs exuded hubris. “Then I took a deeper look,” Manilow said. “I realized that the song is an anthem. I realized that I could make it into a terrific anthem. I rearranged it and it became a big hit. I did have some concerns at first that it would sound like I was bragging when I sang the song but if you look at the words, I’m not singing it as if it’s me. The first line of the song is ‘I’ve been alive forever.’ I’ve been around for a long time but please!” There’s always been some mystique with Manilow, who has always been very private. When asked if he could divulge an interesting tidbit about life off-stage, he laughed. “There’s nothing interesting about me when I’m away from music,” Manilow said. “My life is boring as crap. If you hung out with me, you would see there is nothing scandalous or interesting.” A good night for Manilow at home is listening to Mel Torme while he eats a salad. The fit and trim Manilow doesn’t even have a favorite dish he indulges in when he’s off the road. “I don’t like to eat,” Manilow said. “That’s why I weigh 140 pounds. I just don’t care about food. As far as I go is maybe eating a couple of hot dogs. I’m dull.” But that’s not so when Manilow is under the lights. The old school entertainer writes dramatic songs and has a high energy show with plenty of eye candy. “I guess that’s the exciting side of me,” Manilow said. “I become another person when I perform.” Is there a chance Manilow will perhaps tour again? “No,” Manilow said. “I’ll be happy with playing shows here and there. It’s time for me to have a different approach.” BARRY MANILOW - ONE LAST TIME: With Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Where: Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Tickets: $16.50, $56.50, $76.50, $96.50, $146.50 and $166.50; www.Ticketmaster.com |
| January 28, 2016 | Orlando Sentinental | "Barry Manilow brings final tour to Orlando" by James Tutten |
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| With more than 80 million albums sold and 25 Top 40 hits to his name, pop-music icon Barry Manilow is now looking to give his fans one last time to see him live on tour. "I got to say goodbye to the road," said Manilow, 72, by phone from his home in Palm Springs, Calif. "But not goodbye to performing, and making albums ... It's just those big road tours, they finally got to me." The final U.S. leg of Manilow's One Last Time! Tour brings him to Orlando on Feb. 2. He'll head over to Europe for several shows in June and then, he said, "we tour England ... and then that's the end of my touring days." The singer-songwriter said he is grateful to his fans for their support during the last four decades, but 45 years of hotel rooms and delayed flights have finally caught up with him. Manilow is still a creative force in pop music and received his 15th Grammy nomination for his 2014 album, "My Dream Duets." He is also celebrating the 40th anniversary of his breakout hit, 1975's "Mandy." Manilow has seen a lot of changes during this 40-plus year career, the most recent being the concertgoers. "It seems to be kind of a new audience out there that are trying to get to me before I die," Manilow said jokingly. "I know that I'm 100 years old, but it doesn't feel like that. I still feel like I'm 35 years old." Regardless of why they come to the show, Manilow says he wants to give his fans one last opportunity to hear all their favorites. "Can't Smile Without You," "Looks Like We Made It" and his Grammy-winning "Copacabana (At the Copa)" will be featured. Orlando is on his final tour because it is one "of the cities that have been good to me," he said. He has fond memories of the first time he performed in Orlando in 1989, when he visited Walt Disney World for the first time. He can't recall the name of the ride but remembers having second thoughts at the last minute and "as soon as she said 'you may get nauseous' I said 'get me out of here.'" Looking back on his career in music, Manilow has only one regret. "Just that stupid Copacabana shirt," said Manilow. Inspired by Ricky Ricardo, the shirt was over-the-top with more frills and fluff than anything else in his wardrobe. "You know, we all looked pretty stupid back in those days." Questionable fashion choices in the 1970s aside, Manilow's legacy in pop music speaks for itself. As for the future, he is looking forward to returning to the studio to work on his next album and plans on producing new music. Barry Manilow - What: One Last Time! Tour. When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2. Where: Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., Orlando. Cost: $19.75-$149.75. Online: amwaycenter.com |
| January 28, 2016 | News-Press | "Sorry, audience: It's not Barry Manilow. It's Dave Koz." by Charles Runnells |
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| The house lights go out, the crowd cheers and onto the arena stage walks ... Dave Koz. You can almost see the disappointment on the audience members’ faces. They’re expecting pop icon Barry Manilow, not some jazz dude with a saxophone. And they’re not happy about it. “They’re kinda pissed off that I’m even there!” Koz says and laughs. “Because I’m in the way of them enjoying their favorite artist.” Such is the life of an opening act. The headliner gets all the glory, and the opening band gets blank faces and people staring at their cell phones. If Koz was a less confident man, he might let the audience’s disappointment get to him. But he says he takes the opening-act gig very seriously, and he does his best to warm up the icy crowds. “As I say on the stage, usually: ‘Hey listen, if you hate it, Barry’s not going to come out any sooner,’” Koz says. “‘So we might as well have some fun together.’” It’s been a long time since the Grammy Award-nominated Koz has been an opening act. Two decades, in fact. But his good friend Barry Manilow asked him to open for his “One Last Time” farewell tour, which visits Germain Arena for two nights next week. And, of course, Koz had to say “yes.” “I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time,” he says, “and I’m proud to say a friend for the last 15 years.” The gig comes at a key point in Koz’s career. October marked the 25th anniversary of his first album, “Dave Koz.” And with that quarter-century milestone under his belt — not to mention nine No. 1 contemporary jazz albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — Koz decided this was a good opportunity to shake things up. “I haven’t been an opening act for probably 20 years,” he says. “And I thought it was a great time to take that tool out of the tool shed and sharpen it up. It’s given me the nice shove that I needed to reconnect with the core of what I do.” In other words, he has to prove himself every night to an audience that would rather hear Manilow sing “Mandy” and “Copacabana." “I get out on the stage, and there’s 10,000 people there,” Koz says. “And, for the most part, none of these people know who I am. So it’s a great challenge and singular responsibility. My goal isn’t necessarily to go out there and make them my fans, but to prepare them for the show that’s going to be happening right after me. And it’s a great job to have, and I really relish that job.” It helps that Koz gets to hang out with Manilow on tour, eat dinner with his idol and talk about music. Koz says he remains in awe of Manilow’s talent and his passion for his audience - a passion they both share. “I think that’s one of the reasons why we connect, because we both realize that the audience is everything,” Koz says. “And we are there to nurture them and to give them an experience that they can’t get anywhere else.” Koz gets to watch Manilow work his mojo every night, either from backstage or out in the audience, itself. And to say that audiences love Manilow is an understatement. “This is healing going on, you know, for a lot of people,” Koz says. “It’s really interesting to see. All these people in every city love his music. People are getting nurtured by the experience, and it’s really inspiring to see.” Manilow still has what it takes to dazzle audiences, Koz says, even if this tour is being billed as his very last. “It’s like he’s called to do what he’s doing,” Koz says. “He certainly doesn’t need to do it. He’s 72, and at that age, most people are happy to just stay home and, you know, hang out. And as far as his abilities now, we should all be so lucky to have that kind of energy and strength and sound that good when we’re that age... Because he’s pretty much at the top of his game at 72. It’s pretty inspiring to see every night.” Koz thinks he’s winning over audiences, too - although nowhere near at Manilow’s level. “I don’t have an hour and 45 minutes of absolute hit songs that everybody knows,” Koz says and laughs. “That’s kind of a rarity." To soften the blow, Koz doesn’t dig too deep into his own catalog for his six-song set. Three of the songs are covers that everybody knows, he says, including The Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life” and an instrumental version of the hit song “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen.” Koz knows he can’t win over everybody. Some people are there to see Manilow and only Manilow. But he’s happy to see audiences warming up and actually giving him a chance. “I think when I get on the stage, it’s always a little bit of a disappointment for the audience,” Koz says. “Because the lights go down and they think that he’s coming. And then the announcement says ‘Dave Koz,” and so they’re always like, ‘Oh no...’ “But Manilow fans have been completely embracing and very warm and receptive. And I’m really grateful for that.” If you go... What: Barry Manilow with opening act Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Monday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and Feb. 6. Where: Germain Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero. Tickets: $15-$160 (plus applicable taxes and fees, prices subject to change). Parking is $10. Info: 948-7825 or ticketmaster.com. |
| January 28, 2016 | Miami Herald | "Looks like they made it - to Barry Manilow’s concert" by Keith Myers |
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| Congrats to the Nova Singers of Nova Southeastern University, who have been selected to be the backup choir for Barry Manilow’s “One Last Time” concert Feb. 5 at the BB&T Center. Thirty-five of the 150-member Nova Singers will join Manilow in the finale of the concert when he sings his signature songs including I Write the Songs, Copacabana, Mandy and Looks Like We Made It. “We are all about keeping choral music alive and believe that every opportunity we have to perform is a group adventure in the art of music making,” said Chuck Stanley, Nova Singers artistic director. “We are honored to be on stage with such a legendary singer, songwriter and producer.” |
| January 28, 2016 | News-Press | "Win tickets to see Barry Manilow at Germain Arena" by Mark Bickel |
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Barry Manilow Live! Subscribers of The News-Press just need to log-in at news-press.com/insider to enter and win. It is just one more perk for our valued Insiders.- You can win 2 tickets to see Manilow live at Germain Arena on February 6th at 7:30 pm.
- Entries are accepted daily until Wednesday Feb. 3rd at 11:59 pm
- Winner will be selected on Thursday Feb. 4th.
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| January 28, 2016 | Contact Music | Barry Manilow Donating Piano To New Orleans School |
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| Veteran Crooner Barry Manilow Is Stepping Up His Efforts To Give Instruments To Aspiring Musicians By Donating A Piano To A School In New Orleans, Louisiana. The Mandy singer has spent years supporting instrument donation drives through his Manilow Music Project, which aims to "bring the gift of music" to kids all over the U.S. He is now hoping to kickstart donations to the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans by handing over a Yamaha piano to the institution. Manilow is also offering free tickets to his upcoming show in the city to anyone who joins the drive by donating an instrument. He is set to perform at New Orleans' Smoothie King Center on Friday (29 Jan 16). |
| January 28, 2016 | KSN-TV | Barry Manilow donates new piano for new instrument drive for Wichita Public Schools: Public can trade a new or gently used Instrument for tickets to Manilow’s concert |
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| WICHITA, Kansas – Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow will bring his Manilow Music Project to Wichita Public Schools. The pop icon plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch the drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument one week prior to show date will receive 2 free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations on a first come first serve basis) for Manilow’s February 19th show. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” added Manilow. The Intrust Bank Arena Box Office, at 500 E. Waterman, will serve as the base for the instrument drive in Wichita from February 12th through February 19th. The instrument drop off location is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday. “The Wichita Public Schools’ nationally acclaimed music program is once again honored to be the recipients of the Manilow Music Project’s Instrument Drive,” said Shawn Chastain, Executive Coordinator of Fine Arts at Wichita Public Schools. “Through the generosity of Mr. Manilow’s foundation, our music students will benefit by having increased accessibility to instruments. WPS shares Mr. Manilow’s vision of enriching students through music education.” More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at http://www.manilowmusicproject.org. Tickets for Manilow’s show are available online at Manilow.com or selectaseat.com, in person at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, or by calling (855) 755-SEAT. |
| January 28, 2016 | The Wichita Eagle | "Barry Manilow again offering tickets to Wichita show for instruments" by Denise Neil |
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| Those who donate a new or gently used musical instrument can get two free tickets to Barry Manilow’s Feb. 19 concert at Intrust Bank Arena, his Manilow Music Project charity announced on Thursday. The instruments must be brought to the Intrust Bank Arena box office, 500 E. Waterman, between Feb. 12 and Feb. 19. The instrument drop-off location is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Manilow’s charity was formed to help depleted public school music programs. He will donate the instruments as well as a Yamaha piano to the Wichita school district as part of the drive. Manilow offered the same trade-in when he performed in Wichita in 2012. For more information, visit www.manilowmusicproject.org. |
| January 28, 2016 | Pollstar | Trade A New, Used Instrument For Tickets To Hear Manilow |
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| Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is trying to help spur donations of musical instruments to the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans. Manilow plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch the instrument drive and anyone who donates a new or gently used instrument between now and Friday will receive two free tickets to his Jan. 29 7:30 p.m. show at the Smoothie King Center. The Manilow Music Project has conducted similar instrument drives all over the country to help “bring the gift of music” to kids. Manilow is best known for such recordings as “Mandy,” ‘‘Copacabana” and “Can’t Smile Without You.” |
| January 28, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times | "This week in Tampa: Barry Manilow with Dave Koz" by Jay Cridlin and Ray Roa |
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| Barry Manilow is not ready to say goodbye. He’s ready to get off the road, for sure - he’s been ready for that for years - but musically, he’s not going anywhere. “There’s that joke that the prostitute says: 'It’s not the work, it’s the stairs,’” the 72-year-old singer laughed during a recent phone interview. “That’s me. It’s not the work, it’s the stairs. It’s getting there. That’s what it is.” That means every stop on his long-running One Last Time! Tour - such as Thursday’s gig at Amalie Arena in Tampa - could be the last time he visits a given city. “America’s big, and I really want to say goodbye to a lot of the cities that have been so good to me,” Manilow said. To do so, he’s packing his setlist with more familiar hits than on any of his previous tours - Mandy, I Write the Songs, Looks Like We Made It, Copacabana (At the Copa). “And I’m happy to do it,” he said. “I’ve never done a full show of just familiar songs. I’m one of the lucky guys that has a catalog that I could actually fill up 90 minutes with songs that everybody knows.” And he’s not done yet. His 2014 album My Dream Duets - a collection of duets with long-gone stars like Louis Armstrong, John Denver and Whitney Houston - is up this month for a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and he’s hard at work on a new album of standards and originals. If it goes as well as he hopes, who knows? Maybe he’ll be back here again someday. “I love my band, and the people that are with me, and the audiences are so fantastic,” he said. “Who would ever say you don’t want to do that again?” Barry Manilow with Dave Koz. THURSDAY 7:30 p.m. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $19.75-$149.75. (813) 301-2500, amaliearena.com. |
| January 25, 2016 | Billboard | "Barry Manilow Isn't Betting on Himself at the Grammys: 'I Always Lose to Tony Bennett'" by Gary Graff |
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| Barry Manilow is looking forward to this year's Grammy Awards -- but winning isn't on his mind. Manilow's 2014 collection My Dream Duets, which features posthumous collaborations, is up for best traditional pop vocal album -- the second year in a row he's been nominated for the prize. Yet Manilow's not betting on himself this time. "Of course, I always lose to Tony Bennett," he tells Billboard with a laugh. Bennett is up for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern with Bill Charlap and, of course, won the 2015 Grammy for his Cheek to Cheek project with Lady Gaga. "Everybody loses to Tony Bennett, and (The Silver Lining) is a really great album," says Manilow, who will be performing at Clive Davis' annual party during Grammy week. Nevertheless, he adds that, "This Grammy nomination (for My Dream Duets) is a big surprise. I thought it was a great piece of work. It's really special. It was a technical marvel, what these guys did to make it sound like I'm standing in the same room as Andy Williams. It's amazing, so I'm really proud of it no matter what happens." Meanwhile, the 72-year-old performer is on to the next thing, a thematic album called This is My Town: Songs of New York, for which the Brooklyn native is mixing originals with standards such as "On Broadway," "New York, New York," "Downtown," "Lonely Town" and even Don Henley's 1990 single "New York Minute." "It's half standards and half originals. We just got out of the studio with a beautiful 40-piece orchestra. It's gonna be a great-sounding album," says Manilow, who anticipates a release later this year. "I just get a great feel from New York. Yes, I've been living in California for the last half of my life, but when you're born in New York you're a New Yorker. There's no doubt about it. I speak different from the rest of the country. I'm more obnoxious. I'm faster. You talk faster. You walk faster. I had to learn how to calm down on the stage; most people couldn't understand me, I was going so fast in the early days. That's because you have to fight for a seat on the subway." Manilow is already planning a follow-up to This Is My Town, though he hasn't decided on a concept for that yet. He's also continuing to work with producers on bringing his musical Harmony to Broadway after successful runs in Atlanta and Los Angeles. And his One Last Tour trek continues with another leg starting Jan. 28 in Pensacola, Fla.; Manilow is considering one more North American leg in the spring before taking the show to the U.K. in June, and he still vows this will be his final full-scale tour, though not a retirement from performing altogether. "I just want to say goodbye to all the cities that have been very good to me, so I'm doing as many as I can," he says. "But that will be the end of touring and packing and unpacking. It's sad. I'm trying not to think about it; for me right now I think about the next show just like I always have. If I ever started to think about it, it would be really moving, so as of now I just think about the next day. But there won't be some big, final show or anything like that. I'll just keep going." And Manilow doesn't rule out a return to Las Vegas, where he spent seven years in residency at the Hilton and Paris hotels. "If that opportunity came up again that would be a really good compromise," he acknowledges. "I was able to be home and not be on the road, and I would just fly to Vegas and do the show and have a great time and then be home again. That was great. That was not being on the road. If that opportunity came up I might consider that again, but I'm not even after that yet." |
| January 27, 2016 | Billboard | Barry Manilow Fans Can Trade New & Used Instruments for Concert Tickets |
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| Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is trying to help spur donations of musical instruments to the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans. Manilow plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch the instrument drive and anyone who donates a new or gently used instrument between now and Friday will receive two free tickets to his 7:30 p.m. show Friday at the Smoothie King Center. The Manilow Music Project has conducted similar instrument drives all over the country to help "bring the gift of music" to kids. Manilow is best known for such recordings as "Mandy," ''Copacabana" and "Can't Smile Without You." |
| January 27, 2016 | The New Orleans Advocate | Show You Should Know About in New Orleans for Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2016 |
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| Notable shows in and around New Orleans for the week of Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 ... Barry Manilow: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Smoothie King Center, 1501 Dave Dixon Drive. Tickets: $17.75 to $147.75 plus service charges. At 72, Barry Manilow still pines for “Mandy.” He still “Can’t Smile Without You.” And he still very much embodies the spirt of the “Copacabana.” Soft rock’s ultimate showman has dubbed his current tour “One Last Time!” The implication, of course, is that this is his farewell, his final lap around the country before he settles into retirement (or a Las Vegas residency). Manilow headlines the Smoothie King Center [on] Friday, with veteran smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Kox opening. The star’s Manilow Music Project, which promotes music education in schools, is giving away pairs of tickets to anyone who donates a new or “gently” used musical instrument. Instruments can be dropped off daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday at the Gate A Ground Lobby of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, across from the Smoothie King Center. Donors may park for free in the Dome’s Garage 6 when dropping off instruments. For his part, Manilow is donating a Yamaha piano to New Orleans’ International School of Louisiana. |
| January 27, 2016 | The Times-Picayune | Barry Manilow donating piano to New Orleans school |
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| Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow hopes others will follow his lead as he brings his Manilow Music Project to the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans. Manilow plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch a local music instrument drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument from Jan. 27-29 will receive two free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations on a first-come, first-serve basis) for Manilow's Jan. 29 show at The Smoothie King Center. The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist local schools with their music programs. Gate A, Ground Lobby of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, adjacent to the Smoothie King Center, will serve as the base for the instrument drive in New Orleans from Jan. 25-29. The instrument drop-off location is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at http://www.manilowmusicproject.org/. Tickets are available online at Manilow.com or Ticketmaster.com, in person at the Smoothie King Center Box Office, or by calling 1.800.745.3000. |
| January 27, 2016 | The New Orleans Advocate | Want free tickets to see Barry Manilow? Donate an instrument |
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| Barry Manilow is giving away pairs of free tickets to his upcoming concert at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center. The only requirement is the donation of a new or “gently used” musical instrument to his Manilow Music Project initiative. The showman who put “Mandy” on the map is a big believer in the value of music education. His Manilow Music Project is collecting instruments for schools in cities along the route of his current “One Last Time!” Tour. In New Orleans, the beneficiary is the International School of Louisiana. Manilow plans to donate a Yamaha piano to the school, along with instruments provided by fans. “In New Orleans, we know firsthand how valuable music education is,” Melanie Tennyson, CEO/Head of School, said in a statement. “At the International School of Louisiana, we make music a part of our curriculum and employ full time music instructors to share their love of music with all of our students starting in Kindergarten. This donation will not only be of great benefit to our students and teachers, but to our community as well.” A limited supply of free tickets for pre-selected seat locations is available on a first-come, first serve basis. While supplies last, instruments can be traded for a pair of tickets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Friday, Jan. 29, the date of Manilow’s New Orleans concert. The exchange takes place at the Gate A Ground Lobby of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, across from the Smoothie King Center. Donors may park for free in the Dome’s Garage 6 when dropping off instruments. The Manilow Music Project is a program of the nonprofit Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, which assists local charities in providing musical instruments to high schools and middle schools, and funds music scholarships at universities. More information is available at manilowmusicproject.org. |
| January 27, 2016 | Miami Herald | "Jazz star Dave Koz to open for pop icon Barry Manilow on Feb. 5 at BB&T concert" by Steve Rothaus |
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| Saxophonist Dave Koz, with nine Grammy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, regularly sells out large concert halls and namesake jazz cruises. So it’s a bit strange for him to perform on an arena stage each night for thousands of screaming fans - who have no idea who he is. “These are 10,000 people or whatever that may have heard my name. Maybe,” Koz says. “But for the most part, these people are just seeing me blind: ‘Who is this guy and where’s Barry?’” As in Manilow. Koz has temporarily set aside his ego (and top billing) to be opening act for pop music icon Barry Manilow, who’s on tour ‘One Last Time.’ The two stars arrive Feb. 5 at BB&T Center in Sunrise. Usually the Manilow fans want to fast-forward past Koz’s 30-minute performance so they can swoon to their favorite crooner. “It’s kind of a funny position to be in because I’m in the way of these people enjoying their favorite artist,” Koz says. “I sort of say, ‘Look, if you hate me, it’s not going to go any quicker, so let’s have some fun.’” Koz, 52, loves Manilow, too. He grew up in Southern California listening to the pop star, who had his first [record] in 1973 with the album Barry Manilow and his song, "Could It Be Magic." “My parents were big fans of his music,” Koz says. “I was born in ‘63, so in the mid ‘70s and late ‘70s, Barry Manilow was everywhere. That was my niche, my music. I watched him sing 'Mandy' on American Bandstand.” Since then, Koz has become one of the biggest stars in the smooth jazz industry. Since 1990, he’s released 18 albums, including nine that went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He just wrapped his 18th Smooth Jazz Christmas tour (“For a nice Jewish boy, by the way. What’s wrong with this picture? Go figure.”) and is about to embark on a sold-out Dave Koz & Friends jazz cruise in the Caribbean. His most recent album, "Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection", features three new songs and previously released recordings with stars including Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Herb Alpert and Manilow. Koz met Manilow about 15 years ago and they’ve been friends ever since. Two years ago as he prepared for a United Kingdom tour, Manilow asked Koz to be his opening act. “I had never been asked to be his opening act. As a matter of fact, I haven’t done that slot, to be an opening act in quite a long time. But I jumped at the opportunity because I love him so much as an entertainer and as a musical powerhouse,” Koz says. “I felt like, ‘Oh my God, I can just watch him every day. I could learn a lot.’ And we had so much fun that he said why don’t you come do the states with us for the One Last Time tour. That was a huge success last year and we’re doing more. I guess the One Last Time continues.” In addition to opening each show, Koz also performs with Manilow. “I do play with Barry in his show, as well, but there’s always a time when I’ll slip into the audience during his show and just be among these incredibly loyal fans,” Koz says. “I see it night after night. These people, they’re coming for some healing of some sort. That’s the way I look at him: as some massive healer with his music.” Koz says he’s amazed at Manilow’s staying power. “He’s there and doing shows at 72. He certainly doesn’t need to do this anymore. The fact that he’s there — and not just there, he’s fully embodying the essence of who he is. These are the lessons that I take away with me.” The two stars complement each other with their “very different styles of music,” Koz says. “It goes together well,” he says. “There’s so many parallels looking at the way he does things and his commitment to the music. People look at him as a pop star, a great songwriter, singer. But he’s a musician first. And he’s constantly toiling with his songs and arrangements to make them not only new again for himself, but also for the audience so they keep coming back.” Koz also believes working with Manilow will increase his own fan base. “No matter how popular we are in our own worlds, there’s always these other worlds we can be exposed to,” Koz says. “Of those 10,000 people [at a Manilow concert], maybe there are 100 people that would be interested in coming to see me sometime when I come back to that city.” In addition to the music, Koz and Manilow have something else in common: They are among show business’ few openly LGBT pop stars. Koz came out publicly in a 2004 Advocate magazine interview. Manilow’s personal life became public in April 2015, when People magazine confirmed that he had married his longtime manager, Garry Kief, the year before. “What better way is there than to have the news break with that kind of piece of information,” says Koz, who is single. “It’s a wonderful thing. For all of us, myself included, I thought the sky was going to fall when people found out I was gay,” he says. “Nobody would come and record sales would stop. I created this huge mountain of fear in my head. And when I got on the other side of it, I realized there’s no mountain at all. It was all a figment of my own imagination.” Koz says that’s how it’s been for Manilow. “It just was a blip on the screen. I don’t think he even thinks about it. Those are the facts and he moves on with his life - and back to the business of entertaining people and creating music and creating healing for people.” If you go: What: Barry Manilow, One Last Time! with guest star Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. Where: BB&T Center, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise. Tickets: $19.75 to $179.75 via Ticketmaster. |
| January 25, 2016 | The Tampa Tribune | Manilow fans can trade musical instruments for concert tickets |
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| Singer/songwriter Barry Manilow is bringing his effort to raise awareness for schools’ music programs to Tampa, and giving residents a chance to gain free admission to his February concert at Amalie Arena. Manilow announced he will be donating a Yamaha piano to McLane Middle School in Tampa as part of his Manilow Music Project, which provides musical instruments to schools nationwide and offers musical scholarships throughout the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. As part of the drive, anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument at the Amalie Arena box office will receive two free tickets for Manilow’s Feb. 4 concert. “We know the importance of music for every student in our schools. We are thrilled to receive this generous donation of musical instruments from Barry Manilow and The Manilow Music Project,” Hillsborough County schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins said in a news release. “It will expand our program for more students and allow them to share in the gift of music.” The instruments can be donated starting Thursday through Feb. 4 on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Manilow, 72, known for such hits as “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana,” is coming to Tampa as part of his “One Last Time!” tour. Tickets range from $19.95 to $149.75 and are available at Amalie Arena, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at www.Ticketmaster.com. |
| January 25, 2016 | Cincinnati.com | "Barry Manilow to donate piano to Holmes High School" by Melissa Stewart |
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| COVINGTON - The Grammy-winning author of “I Write the Songs” is giving a special gift to Holmes High School. Pop singer Barry Manilow will donate a new Yamaha piano to the Covington high school to launch a local music instrument drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the BB&T Arena box office one week prior to show date will receive two free tickets valid for pre-selected seat locations on a first-come, first-serve basis for Manilow’s Feb. 11 show. The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist local schools with their music programs. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” Manilow said. Holmes coordinator of student athletics and activities Stan Steidel said they are happy to receive the donation. “At Holmes High School we work very hard to develop and maintain all of our programs,” Steidel said. “Music is one of the more difficult due to the number of participants and the expenses of printed music and instruments. To have The Manilow Music Project offer to help us is exciting and much appreciated.” The Box Office Lobby inside BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University will serve as the base for the instrument drive 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 4-11. The Manilow Music Project is part of The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. It was formed as a grass roots organization to assist local charities and programs. Its primary focus is to provide musical instruments to high schools and middle schools and to provide music scholarships at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and the UK. More information on the Manilow Music Project can be found at manilowmusicproject.org. Tickets for the show are also available online at Ticketmaster.com, in person at the BB&T Arena Box Office, or by calling 1-800-745- 3000. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has produced, arranged, and released more than 40 albums during the course of his career. He has also written and produced songs for Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, and many more. He has been honored with a Grammy, two Emmys, a Tony Award, an Oscar nomination, and a top-selling autobiography. |
| January 23, 2016 | Pensacola News Journal | "Dave Koz set to warm up the Manilow crowd" by Michael Smith |
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| In a small London jazz club, Dave Koz saw the sign. “Choose the life you want to live,” it said. And he did. Music had already changed his life. Now, he was going to chase it. Koz was an awkward California kid until seventh grade, when he started playing saxophone and saw Earth, Wind & Fire in concert. “They had these incredible outfits, explosions and a horn section,” he said. “There was so much excitement onstage and this really great funky music.” Koz gained confidence as saxophone studies guided him through the teen years. “If I didn’t get music to get me out of my shell, I don’t know what would have happened to me,” he said. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communications, but no plans for the future. It took a push from jazz pianist Jeff Lorber and vocalist Bobby Caldwell to set a new goal. “They saw something in me that I didn’t see,” he said. Koz played in their background, but the veteran musicians pushed him to choose a career in the spotlight. Koz chased a new dream, and 25 years after the release of his self-titled debut album, he enjoys a solo career filled with Grammy nominations, chart-topping albums and respect from the world’s greatest musicians. The once-shy saxophonist has worked with Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart. In 2014, another music legend asked Koz to join him for one, final farewell to fans. That year, Barry Manilow announced that he would go on tour to thank fans for their years of support. Pensacola is the first stop in 2016 of Manilow’s One Last Time! Tour and Koz promises a night to remember. “I guarantee you a great show from start to finish, and Mr. Manilow is sounding the best he’s ever sounded,” he said. “You will not be disappointed.” |
| January 21, 2016 | Pensacola News Journal | "Manilow is on his last leg (of his final tour)" by Julio Diaz |
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| Barry Manilow will be spending a few days in Pensacola leading up to his Thursday concert at the Pensacola Bay Center, but don’t expect to see him hitting the hot spots on Palafox Place. He’s here to rehearse for the last U.S. leg of his “One Last Time” Tour, which kicks off with Thursday’s show, and he’ll be all business while he’s here. “I will not see the sunlight, because I’m usually in the arena for, like, 24 hours a day,” the legendary singer-songwriter said by telephone. “People think that I’ve seen so much, but really, I’ve seen dressing rooms and airplanes and hotel rooms for 45 years. I’ve very rarely gotten out to see a city. Maybe, now and again, I get a day off - four shows and then a day off - but the last thing I want to do is get dressed and go out and see the city. Honestly, this touring is a job. And that’s the reason this is the last time I’m going to go on a big tour, because really, I haven’t seen very much of the world, even though it seems like I should have. I’m committed to what I’m doing on the road, and I’m always changing things or inventing things, so it’s not the kind of job that lets me get up and walk around.” That’s right, “One Last Time” isn’t just a clever name for a tour. The 72-year old Manilow is saying good-bye to touring after this run, meaning this is probably your last chance to see him in Pensacola - though he’ll definitely keep writing, recording and performing one-off shows. So if you’re at all a fan of massive hits like “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana (At the Copa)” -- among about 50 chart smashes -- you know you’ll want to make the time Thursday to see Manilow’s show. “It’s the touring that I’m done with,” Manilow said. “I think it’s over 45 years of touring, one way or another. The job? I love it. Working with the band and performing for people and singing these songs and arranging them and conducting them and being a musician? That’s wonderful! I’d never complain about that part. It’s just getting there, and leaving home, and not having a personal life - it’s totally committed to that, over 45 years. So this is the last time I’m going to tour America. I’ll probably do one-nighters at the Hollywood Bowl or Radio City Music Hall, but the touring, that’s all - it’s the end of running around the country.” Manilow discussed what’s next and what keeps him going in a telephone interview: Q: Is this the last leg of the tour, then?
A: I think I may do one more leg, my last leg - I’ll be on my last leg, and I ain’t kidding (laughs). Or I might agree to do one more month. And then I go to England in June, and that’s the end of my touring life. Q: Can we use “Barry Manilow is on his last leg” as the headline on this story?
A: (Laughs) On my last leg ... of the tour. Yes. Q: Once you’re through with that, what’s next?
A: Right now, I’m in the middle of making my next album. We just finished three marvelous days with a huge orchestra to do this next album. After that, I have another album for next year. So far, that’s it. I’m on the road for a while, and then I’m finishing this album, and then I go back on the road in England in June, and then I’ve got another album. There’s so much stuff. I know my schedule’s going to get filled up. There’s always something going on. Q: It hasn’t been that long since your most recent album, “My Dream Duets,” on which you duet with several singers who have passed away. Can you talk about your inspirations behind that?
A: I knew that if I put an album out of singing with dead people that it was going to be a problem (laughs). Because it’s a crazy idea. But if you listen to it, then it’s a magnificent album, because I had a team of technicians that did what they shouldn’t have been able to do. We started with scratchy old records. I came up with this crazy idea, but I never thought it could happen. Everybody’s doing duet albums, and of course, it sounded like a good idea for me to do a duet album, but I didn’t know how to make my duet album any different than anyone else’s. Everyone has used the same people, and it’s a big effort to get everyone together at the same time. It sounded like it was going to be a big ordeal to do a duet album. But then I got this idea, “wouldn’t it be great if I could sing with these people that are no longer with us that I’ve always admired?” I’m very good at my computer with music, and I took an old record and put it in my computer and played around with it until I was able to sing with Louis Armstrong. And I said, “Maybe this could work if I had a team of technicians that could actually help me do this.” And I did, I got this team of technicians, and what they did with these old, scratchy records - and I mean, that’s all we had. In those days, they weren’t making separate tracks, with the voice on one track and the orchestra on a separate track. It was all glued together. And this company was able to take these old records and remove the orchestra and just leave me with the vocal - like Andy Williams’ “Moon River,” they gave me just his voice, without echo, without anything. They were able to give me Andy Williams singing “Moon River” without any orchestra or singers or anything. You’d have to be a dog to hear the orchestra. They did that with every song, and I was able to re-arrange the orchestra and re-do every single one of these records and make them into duets. It was a very long process and a very complicated project, but I think it came out fantastic. If you just see the idea, “My Dream Duets” - singing with dead people, I could have called it “My Dead Duets,” but I didn’t do that - you say, “what the hell is that?” But if you listen to it, it’s an amazing record. Q: Are you using any of that material in the show?
A: Yeah, I’ve got three videos I can choose from every night. One is the song I did with Judy Garland, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” one is the one I do with Whitney (Houston), and the one I did with John Denver. So I can switch up duets every night. Q: You tend to put the fan-favorites first in your concerts. Are there any that are particular favorites for you?
A: I could give you stories about every single one, but it has come to the point where I’m very grateful to sing these songs and that there are audiences out there who want to hear them. These audiences don’t want to hear album cuts - my fans do, but the bulk of the thousands of people in every city, they really do want to hear the stuff they know. I’m one of the fortunate guys that has a catalog of music that people know, and this tour is just filled with all of those hits and familiar songs from my whole record career. I try, now and again, to throw an album cut in, and they let me do it, but they can’t wait for me to get back to the songs they know. I think that’s how it goes with all the artists that have been around. The audiences really want to hear the hits. Q: The last time you were here, your Manilow Music Project gave a piano to a school and conducted an instrument drive, and you’re doing that again. Talk about that.
A: I think that’s important and what I do seems to be helping a little. I do what I can do. Every city we go to, I give two free tickets to anybody who donates an instrument, and when I get there, I tell everybody if they can just bring down their instruments that we’ll fix them up and distribute them to schools. Every city that we’ve been going to over the last tour, we’ve been collecting between 75 to 100 instruments. I’ve always said that I believe music is very important to a young person’s life. It’ll change them. It did me. Every time I talk to a principal or a music teacher, they always tell me that the kids in music classes, their grades go up, they learn how to interact with other students, they become better people. And of course, because of budget problems, the first thing that goes is music and art. The schools that do have music, they’re running out of instruments, or the instruments are broken down, or they don’t have sheet music, they don’t music stands, they don’t have band instruments or they don’t have the costumes to wear - they’re always looking for help. So I thought, “I could do the instruments.” And that’s why I did this. Q: You’ve talked in the past about how you never expected to be a performer. A lot of people know that early in your career, you were Bette [Midler’s] music director, is that the direction in which you expected your career to go?
A: That’s what I always wanted to do, and what I did for her and a lot of artists. That’s where I’m, frankly, the most comfortable. When I do my own albums, my favorite thing to do is to produce them and to arrange them. When I put my shows together, my favorite thing is to is to rehearse my band and put the whole thing together. My least favorite thing is to stand behind that microphone and sing! It’s just not what I was born to do ... but I guess I was! I finally figured out how to do it, and I’m now very comfortable on stage, but it took a long time to wrap my mind around this whole new career. I was resisting it for so many years, and I finally gave in and said, “how do I do this?” I can’t believe I’m still able to do it and there are still audiences interested in coming to see what I do. I’m a very grateful man. Q: Without traveling, this tour will be most people’s last opportunity to see you. Is there anything you’d like them to know about the show?
A: I think they’ll have a great time. My goal is to make them feel better when they leave then when they got there. That’s my goal. It always has been. I think they’ll have a great time. The music is uplifting, the people that are there are friends. I keep getting letters about people who meet each other (at shows), they will meet friends. I think they’ll feel great. Forget about whether I sing well or not, the feeling in the room is just great. And if you ask me why they should come, they should come for that, even more than my singing. It’s a great feeling. It’s 90 minutes of really great feeling. Want to go? WHAT: Barry Manilow in concert, with opening act Dave Koz. WHEN: 6:30 p.m. doors; 7:30 p.m. show, Thursday. WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. TICKETS: Tickets: $19.75 to $155.75, available at the Bay Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Additional fees may apply. PARKING: $10, cash only. DETAILS: 432-0800 or visit www.pensacolabaycenter.com. |
| January 3, 2016 | PPcorn | Barry Manilow: 15 Things You Didn’t Know |
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| Barry Manilow is one of the most renowned musicians in the world. The 72-year-old crooner may be past his prime, but he is still an important part of the musical community. Despite the fact that Manilow has spent a lot of his life in the public eye, there are still some things that many people do not know about him. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Barry Manilow. Number Fifteen: He Played Piano for Bette Midler. One of Manilow’s very first gigs was to play piano for Bette Midler. At the time, he had no interest in eventually becoming a performer, although things would shortly change. Number Fourteen: He Used to Write Jingles. Some of these jingles are still used today! Manilow wrote the jingle for State Farm. You know, the one that goes “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!” He said that he got paid $500 to write it. Number Thirteen: He Insulted the Smithsonian. Manilow wore a unique, frilly top one time while performing “Copacabana.” He was later contacted by the Smithsonian because they wanted to feature the shirt in their collection. He later said, “I always knew it would wind up in an institution,” and the Smithsonian was so insulted that they actually sent back the shirt. Number Twelve: He Did Not Like the Idea of Touring at First. After the success of “Mandy,” Manilow became terrified of the idea of touring. He was worried about interacting with other people, and he said that he was awkward and unprepared for the experience. Number Eleven: an NBC Journalist Knows All of His Lyrics. Savannah Guthrie, a journalist for NBC, was called on air because she knew so many Barry Manilow lyrics. She even sang along with Manilow over the phone. Number Ten: He Relates to Rock and Roll. Though many people think of Manilow as a soft and emotional singer, he actually identifies with rock and roll more than most people realize. He said, “I never thought I made wimpy ballads.” Number Nine: He Wrote the Melody for “Copacabana” in 15 Minutes. Though he didn’t write the entire song in 15 minutes like some people thing, Manilow came up with the super catchy melody in just 15 minutes. Number Eight: He Is Not Sure That He’s a Pop Star. When asked if he considers himself a pop star, Manilow said, “I don’t know where I fit in…I like to think of it as a pie. I’ve got my slice of this pie. It may be small, but it’s mine.” Number Seven: He Is Not a Fan of His Own Voice. Manilow has said that he does not really think he sings well, and he uses his voice to channel his passion and connect with his listeners. He wants to move his listeners more than be just another good voice. Number Six: He Admits That His Success Brought Out the Worst in Him. Manilow has described his success like a “tornado,” and he even said that it made him an “a**hole.” He blames the lack of rest and demanding schedule, although he did say he has made many apologies to make amends over the years. Number Five: He Was Not Financially Smart in the Beginning. After the insane success of “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” Manilow says that he was not managing his financial success very well, and he ended up losing a lot of money because of it. Number Four: His Latest Album Involves Duets With Dead People. Manilow’s latest album is called Dream Duets, and it involves him singing duets with late stars like Whitney Houston and Marilyn Monroe. He was able to organize the album thanks to advanced technology and genius engineers. Number Three: He Is in an Elite Group. At one point in 1978, Manilow had five albums on the best-seller charts at the same time. This feat has only been achieved by six other artists or groups. Number Two: He Hugged Bob Dylan. Well, Bob Dylan hugged him, to be more accurate. At a party in 1988, Bob Dylan stopped Manilow to hug him and say, “Don’t stop what you’re doing, man. We’re all inspired by you.” Number One: He Is One of the World’s Best-Selling Artists. Manilow has sold more than 80 million records worldwide. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that he is one of the world’s best-selling artists. |
| January 1, 2016 | Observer-Reporter | "Manilow, Lettermen, Temptations among pop hall inductees" by Brad Hundt |
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| Barry Manilow has never basked in the glow of critical approval, but he sold records by the truckload back in the 1970s and 1980s, still packs ’em in when he goes out on the road, and now has pride of place in America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame, based in Canonsburg. Manilow was the leading vote-getter in the online competition to select 10 acts to induct into the pop hall this year, it was announced Wednesday. The other acts include a varied mix of hitmakers from the 1950s to the 1970s: Barbra Streisand; Neil Sedaka; the Association; Dion; the Grass Roots; the Lettermen; Paul Revere and the Raiders; the Temptations; and Three Dog Night. This is the fifth batch of inductees into America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame, which celebrates recording artists who were solid-gold hitmakers. Nominees are chosen by a panel of experts and music industry professionals, and then voted on by the public. Manilow, Streisand and the other members of this class will be joining the likes of Brenda Lee, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra in the pop hall. What stands out about this class of nominees is how easily they all fit into the pop category, according to Terry Hazlett, a former Canonsburg borough manager who is the pop hall’s executive director. While inductees from previous years like Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash also had places in the country and rock and roll halls of fame, this year’s group are all firmly entrenched in the pop genre. "There were fewer crossover acts this time," Hazlett said. "Most of them were pure pop, which is what we’re going for. More than 1 million votes were registered this year from across the United States and many other points around the world. The surprises? Nominees Rod Stewart and Sam Cooke did not make the final cut in the public vote, Hazlett said, and "female acts have such a hard time getting in." He pointed out that singer Connie Francis has been nominated a handful of times, but has yet to break through in online voting. Four esteemed acts in the history of pop music are also being inducted this year in the "legends" category: Louis Armstrong; Bing Crosby; the Ink Spots; and the Mills Brothers. The "legends" category is meant to honor hitmakers who had a deep and lasting influence on pop music, but whose heyday might be well outside the memory of today’s music fans. America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame still lacks a permanent home, but a feasibility study to determine the size and location of a permanent facility is being conducted. The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane Township and other sites are being looked at. In June, a concert celebrating the pop hall is planned at the Meadows that will be headlined by B.J. Thomas, who had a hit in 1969 with "Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head." An induction ceremony for this year’s class is planned for September. Before then, memorabilia associated with artists who have been inducted into the pop hall will be displayed in Canonsburg, starting in January, Hazlett said. |
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