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| March 31, 2016 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | "Barry Manilow speaks to Webster University students" by Joe Holleman |
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| Barry Manilow, the man who writes the songs -- except for the song "I Write The Songs" -- was a special guest Thursday at Webster University. Manilow performs Thursday night at Scottrade Center. Seth Jackson, a Webster fine arts professor and 1993 alum, arranged for the singing legend to speak to students about his show business career. A production and lighting designer, Jackson worked with Manilow on his 1999 "Manilow Sings Sinatra" tour. Accompanying Manilow on Wednesday was Amber Martin, his stage manager. |
| March 31, 2016 | Arkansas Matters | "UALR Choir to Sing With Barry Manilow" by Hilary Hunt |
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| LITTLE ROCK,Ark.--Some UALR students are preparing for the performance of a lifetime this Friday. [Their] voices will be on stage with a music legend. From spectator to Barry Manilow back up, 75-year-old Trey Johnson says he never thought his love for the old time singer would land him on stage. "Well its just a lot of fun," Johnson said."It's a lot of fun to do it with the kids who don't know so much about it but their parents do and that excitement is really transmitting to everybody." Johnson, along with more than a dozen other UALR students will be singing with musical legend, Barry Manilow at his North Little Rock concert Friday. It came as a shocking surprise for choir conductor, Bevin Keating. "You know, I took a deep breath and said really this is actually Barry Manilow talking to us right now," Keating said. "He said yes, we are coming into town on this date and we would love your group to be part of that." Keating says the group will be on stage for three songs. The whole process is making the members of the choir realize how much music can travel through generations. "Oh that's Barry too," choir member, Mandi Carrerio said. "That's another Barry song. So, its been a lot of fun learning new tid bits." For the younger members, they will be living in the Manilow moment, but for Trey Johnson he says Friday's performance will take him back in time. |
| March 31, 2016 | Argus Leader | "Sioux Falls students benefit from Manilow Music Project" by Megan Raposa |
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| Students in Sioux Falls schools may not know who Barry Manilow is, but they'll soon benefit from his commitment to the future of music. The Manilow Music Project launched a program Wednesday to collect instrument donations in exchange for a free pair of tickets to Manilow's April 6 performance. The instruments will be given to the Sioux Falls School District, along with a piano donated by Manilow. "Right now we have a gap between how many instruments we can provide for students and how many students are interested in band and orchestra programs," said James Weaver, fine and performing arts curriculum coordinator with the district. In the first day of the program, nine instruments were donated, including a trumpet, keyboard, flute and trombone, according to Rick Huffman, director of sales and public relations with the Denny Sanford Premier Center. "I think it's a wonderful idea, especially coming from someone like Manilow who has a pretty high profile still," Huffman said. Instrument donations can be dropped off at the Premier Center box office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations will also be accepted Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The Sioux Falls School District provides instruments for many students interested in pursuing music, particularly those from low-income families, Weaver said. Right now, the number of students joining band and orchestra is out-pacing the supply of instruments available, and Weaver hopes the donations will help expand that supply. "If they've got an instrument that they're not using anymore, then instead of having it collect dust in a closet ... put that instrument in the hands of a child who wants to learn music," Weaver said. |
| March 30, 2016 | Liverpool Echo | "Barry Manilow Liverpool tickets announced as part of One Last Time tour" by Jade Wright |
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| Barry Manilow has announced a Liverpool show. The Grammy, Tony and Emmy award winning singer and songwriter has added a Liverpool show at the ECHO arena as part of his One Last Time tour. Barry will be coming to Liverpool on Friday 17 June with his band of 13 musicians and singers. He says: “We had a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, Barry has limited his concert appearances. He says of the One Last Time tour: “It’s my way of thanking everyone for their years of support…one last time!” His career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, Mandy, topped the charts in 1975. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has triumphed in every medium of entertainment. With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with over 50 Top 40 hits. Tickets are £22.50 / £34.75 / £62.25 / £79.25 / £95.25 / £110.75 (incl. administration fee) Plus £2.55 fulfilment fee per order. To book tickets log on to www.echoarena.com, call the Echo Arena Box Office on 0844 8000 400. Tickets are also available via www.ticketquarter.co.uk or TicketQuarter Queen Square. |
| March 30, 2016 | KDLT | "A Once In A Lifetime Concert With Legendary Artist: Augustana University choir students to sing with Barry Manilow" by Ricky Cody |
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| SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Barry Manilow's well-known hits like "Copacabana" and "It's A Miracle," will get some help from one local university choir next week. It's an opportunity that will likely never happen again. "Even though he's not necessarily quite as well known by my generation, I kind of heard him on the radio growing up," recalled Augie senior, Christian Einerston. First on the radio, and now in person. Einertson is one of 30 Augustana University Choir members that are set to sing backup for iconic pop artist, Barry Manilow. "To be able to say one day to somebody that I got to sing with Barry Manilow, I mean that's a cool thing, not a lot of people get to say that they did," added Einerston. A little more than a month ago, choir conductor, Dr. Paul Nesheim, received an email from a Barry Manilow representative, who invited members of the choir to sing on his "One Last Time" tour stop at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. "I talked to the students and we had more interested than they actually have room for," said Nesheim. "I don't think I've ever really been a part of show that big that Barry Manilo wwill bring here," said Einerston. But the real challenge may not be the nerves of performing for such a large audience, it may be learning the lyrics. "I talked with the choir about it, and said we have this opportunity about half the choir didn't even know who he was." |
| March 30, 2016 | THV-11 | "Barry Manilow bringing music to Arkansas students" by Meredith Mitchell |
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| NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Barry Manilow will be bringing music to central Arkansas in more ways than one. Manilow is donating a piano and collecting new or gently used instruments in exchange for two free tickets to his April 1 concert at Verizon Arena. North Little Rock Choral Director, Donna Gosser says many of her North Little Rock High School Choir students had never heard of Barry Manilow. "I started asking the kids, how many of you know who Barry Manilow is? They looked at me like, who?” Gosser says in advance of his concert this Friday at Verizon Arena, the singer-songwriter announced that, through the Manilow Music Project, he will donate a new Yamaha piano to North Little Rock High School and collect instruments for the school. "I couldn't believe it, we've been talking about needing a brand new piano." Gosser says this donation will greatly benefit her 180 choir students. "We keep the ones that we have in tune, they have keys that don't work. The things that hold the music up, don't stand. Our kids deserve better than that and it's a wonderful gift from Barry Manilow." Band director Brandon Wilson feels the same way. "What I could benefit from at any point, is any of the woodwind instruments. Your flutes, your clarinet, your alto saxophone." In each city he performs, Manilow donates a piano to one school district. Typically, 75-100 instruments are collected from fans. Wilson says they will be put to good use. "It's like not having enough pews in church. We want every kid that we can get, but with a lot of that enrollment increase you run into issues of access to resources." Gosser says it provides a new way of teaching. "Kids can hear music, but for them to touch it and see it and feel it and see where the notes are on the keyboard, is invaluable." The piano should arrive in the next four to six weeks. |
| March 30, 2016 | Wirral Globe | Music legend Barry Manilow heading to Merseyside on 'One Last Time' tour |
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| Barry Manilow will perform at Liverpool's Echo Arena later this year as part of his final UK tour. The Grammy, Tony and Emmy award-winning singer - whose many hits include Mandy and Copacabana will be at riverside venue on Friday, June 17, as part for his One Last Time show, joined by his band of 13 musicians and singers. The 72-year-old entertainer said: "it's my way of thanking everyone for their years of support ... one last time! We had a great time putting the show together. We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can't wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles." After performing more than 400 concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas from 2005 through 2011, the star has limited his concert appearances. Tickets for the Echo Arena show will be on sale at 9am this Friday, April 1. They will be available from www.echoarena.com or the box office on 0844 8000 400. |
| March 30, 2016 | GoErie | Barry Manilow announces April 25 show in Erie |
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| ERIE, Pa. -- Oh Manilow! Well he came and he gave Erie a show date: April 25. Yep. That soon. But we wouldn't dare send away the long-time Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning singer and songwriter, who's been on the road again for his One Last Time! Tour. Manilow -- known for his hits "Copacabana," "I Write the Songs," "Mandy" and "Looks Like We Made It" -- will perform with his band next month at the Erie Insurance Arena. Tickets, $19.75 to $169.75, go on sale Friday, noon, at the arena box office, by calling 452-4857 or online at www.erieevents.com. |
| March 30, 2016 | Stereo Board | "Barry Manilow Adds Liverpool Stop To 'One Last Time!' UK Arena Tour" by Laura Johnson |
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| Barry Manilow has added a Liverpool stop to his One Last Time! UK arena tour. The legendary entertainer will call at the Echo Arena on June 17, in addition to his shows in Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff before winding things up at at London's O2 Arena on June 23. Tickets for the new show will go on sale at 9.00am on April 1. Tickets for the previously announced dates are on sale now. Barry Manilow Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows: - Sat June 11 2016 - LEEDS first direct Arena
- Sun June 12 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Metro Radio Arena
- Tue June 14 2016 - GLASGOW SSE Hydro
- Wed June 15 2016 - MANCHESTER Arena
- Fri June 17 2016 - LIVERPOOL Echo Arena
- Sat June 18 2016 - BIRMINGHAM Genting Arena
- Mon June 20 2016 - CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena
- Thu June 23 2016 - LONDON O2 Arena
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| March 30, 2016 | NUVO | "Dave Koz loves Carmel's Palladium and touring with Barry Manilow: Koz calls Manilow shows 'the ultimate master class'" by Paige Watson |
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| We all know that Barry Manilow writes the songs that make the whole world sing and the young girls cry, but nine-time Grammy nominated saxophonist Dave Koz hasn’t had an issue mesmerizing audience members these 20-plus years either. They'll stop together in Indy on Wednesday, but before their stage time at Bankers Life, we grabbed time on the phone with Koz to talk hair dye and great Indy venues. NUVO: Tell me a little bit more about your new album Collaborations, and what the process was like putting that together?
Dave Koz (DK): Well, it was to celebrate a 25th anniversary milestone because 1990 was when my first record came out. We wanted to do something that addressed that and celebrated that so we looked at over the years what’s been the thread that has been running through most of my music, and that has been collaborations. It’s really when I’m most happy is when I’m working with other artists. Whether it’s song writing, or other artists in the studio. I think if left to my own devices, if I was left alone to do things I would probably just do the same thing over and over, so collaborations ensure that, at least for me, it gives me a chance to grow and to step out of my own comfort zone. We put together an album that had a bunch of these duets with people like Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow, and Michael McDonald and Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, and a bunch of other people. And then we recorded three new songs to hopefully point to the future, so that was what that album was all about. NUVO: I know that you’ve been to Indianapolis a few times. What’s your touring experience been like when you’ve travelled to Indy?
DK: Well, this goes way back. I’ve been coming there since the very beginning of my career, well actually before that because I would come to Indianapolis with people I’d worked with before, before I became a soloist, specifically Jeff Lorber and Richard Marx. I’ve always loved that city. A place that we played for many years is this place called the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Kind of a legendary place. … We played there for so many years, and a lot of different venues as well. But for the last three or four years, we’ve been doing our Christmas show in Carmel at that beautiful Palladium. That is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever played at in the world. It’s an incredible thing to have in anybody’s city. You walk in there, and it’s state of the art. It rivals any concert house that I’ve been to in the world. NUVO: How were you first exposed to Barry Manilow and his music?
DK: My parents. My mom was a huge fan of Barry’s. I grew up in California, in Los Angeles. So, my mom would have his music playing, and this was kind of the time period that I was, I was born in 1963, so in the '70s, late '70s I was in my teens. You know? Thirteen, 14, 15. That’s when you’re really in the prime of discovering music, and so I just heard his voice wafting through our house. My mom was a songwriter, never professionally, but she appreciated the artists that really were great songwriters themselves, and certainly Barry is one of those guys. So, that was my first exposure to him having never in a million years thinking that we’d become friends, and we’d be on the road together. All of this has been such a great, wonderful surprise. I met him about 15 years ago when he asked to me to play on one of his albums. I did that, and that was the beginning of a great friendship and a great musical alliance. Two years ago almost, he invited me to open his shows in England, and I had never been his opening act. I played in his shows a number of times, and he had been a guest on an album of mine. When I got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was the guy who inducted me because he’s got one. We were really in each other’s orbit, but we were never on the road together like this. So, I jumped at the chance and that was the beginning, and we’ve been on this tour pretty much ever since. It’s coming up on two years now. NUVO: What’s it like touring with Barry, and being with him, considering you had such an admiration for him when you were younger?
DK: It’s like the ultimate master class, as I would call it. Who gets a chance to be that close to one of their musical mentors on a daily basis? I see him everyday, we travel together, he’s been kind enough to invite me to travel in his circle, which is really really nice. And I get a chance to get into the mind of a genius every single day and watch how he works. This is a man who’s been at the top of his game for 40 years and singing better than ever. He takes the stage in these arenas in every town and there’s like 10,000 people a night or more! So they’re packed packed with fans, and he’s sounding great, the band is unbelievable, the songs are hit after hit after hit, and I sit there and just marvel at it all going, “How did this happen?” I spend the time looking at it trying to figure out the lessons that I could take from this, this experience, of which there have been many many many. Innumerable lessons learned just form being on the road with him. I’m very grateful and proud to have the opportunity. My band and I, we just go out there with one purpose every night—we get thirty minutes to make our case. My goal is to make sure that these people are in a great mood for when he takes the stage. I know that they’re not there for us, but hopefully they have a good enough time and let their guard down a little bit and we can get them in a great space for when their favorite artist takes the stage a few moments later. NUVO: Who were some of your jazz inspirations when you were learning your instrument and growing up?
DK: Well, I had a lot of different inspirations on the saxophone. Probably the number one for me was a guy named David Sanborn. He’s very much active. In fact, he was like my sax idol. So much so that he could probably get away with having a restraining order put on me. He hasn’t done that, thankfully. David Sanborn was this bridge, he was a guy who took the saxophone from more of a traditional jazz idiom and brought it into a more pop idiom. Not just with his own records, but with people like James Taylor and Carly Simon. He played with so many different people during that time, during that heyday of the '70s and '80s. So, cut to this summer, David Sanborn, this is a very exciting thing for me, David and I are going to be doing our first tour together this summer. I don’t know if we’ll be coming to Indianapolis — I sure hope so. But, for me, as an artist, to be able to do a tour with someone who I grew up worshiping — I’m terribly nervous about it, but also incredibly excited about it. It’s going to be a really fun experience. So, [Sanborn] would be one. Another one would be Tom Scott. But I love artists like Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, I listen to a lot of Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire and [Tower] of Power. The bands that had horn sections were a big thing for me. And then I would listen to the pop stuff that my sister was listening to and the progressive rock my brother was listening to, and my mom and dad had a lot of the singers and song writers- Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. So, it’s like an amalgam of all of that stuff into what made me the musician I am. NUVO: How do you prepare yourself for a tour?
DK: Before I go on tour, I have to get my hair dyed. That’s one very important thing. I’m 100 percent grey and not man enough to admit it yet. See? I’m telling you that, so that means I’m getting more comfortable with the fact that I’m grey. I’ve been grey since I was thirty, so that’s over 20 years of hair dye. Oh my god. I’m a slave to fashion. I’m a horrible packer. I spend my life on the road and travel for a living, and I never mastered the skill of how to pack a suitcase, or how to pack just enough. I always invariably pack twice as much as I need or more. Literally speaking, I’ve been doing this for so long that I kind of have one bag not “packed” per se, but that’s kind of out in my closet. It’s never put the suitcases away and don’t take them out for six months. That never happens. In fact, I can’t remember being home for more than a month before doing some sort of trip. When I’m away, I always long to be home, and when I’m home about two weeks in I’m like, “I gotta get out of here.” It’s just what happens with me. I guess I’m a rolling stone, if you will. NUVO: I’m really fascinated by how you maintain such high energy levels and enthusiasm during your performances. I noticed that you’re running around on stage, and you go in the audience, and then you’re not in the audience. How do you maintain such high energy levels and stay so enthusiastic through all of it?
DK: Not to sound cliché, but this is actually the truth. I could be as tired, like operating on fumes, three hours of sleep and sitting back stage a half hour before the show and be completely dead tired. I mean, “I can’t do this. I need to go to sleep. I can’t do a show right now.” And then, all of a sudden, something happens when the lights go down and you cross that threshold where now you’re on stage. The audience is really there for you and really excited to see you. It’s like the biggest jolt of energy you can find. It’s like somebody putting a plug into you. All of a sudden you get this incredible energy, and that’s what really does drive me. Also, I do love what I do. I love performing, I love making people, hopefully, happy, and taking their minds off of their problems even if it’s for an hour or hour and a half. I love that aspect of it. It never surprises me that, and I’m always surprisingly happy that that tank of energy is there. I really don’t think it’s me. It’s tapping into the energy of others and sometimes tapping into the energy that the universe gives you to do good work. NUVO: How do you manage to balance your radio show, and your wine business, and your music career? Are there some things that you devote more of your time to than others?
DK: I think that it boils down to having great people. In each of those individual things, whether it’s our cruise I host, radio, or wine stuff, or touring, each one of those projects has somebody who is in charge of that area. So I’m able to have total trust in those people. I’m able to jump into whatever it is, and jump right out, and know that while I’m not focused one hundred percent on it, it’s still being taken care of in the way that I would want to. I get a chance to work with great people. I’m very fortunate and blessed to have unbelievable people in my life that care as much as I do about the things that are important to me. We’ve raised, through the wine and the cruises -- we have a silent auction on our cruise -- every year we’ve raised probably close to, over the last maybe ten years, at least half a million dollars for Starlight Children’s Foundation, which is the charity that I’ve worked with closely for about twenty years. It helps kids that are in the hospital for long periods time, so that’s a good feeling. The wine raises money for that, and we have a lot of other programs that we do that raise money for Starlight, so at the end of the day and look at a number like that and realize that that’s changed a lot of these kids lives… it’s something to make you feel good. If you go: Barry Manilow and Dave Koz. Bankers Life, 125 S. Pennsylvania St. Wednesday, March 30. 7:30 p.m., prices vary, all-ages. |
| March 29, 2016 | KTHV-11 | Barry Manilow donates piano to NLRSD |
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| NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow has announced plans to donate a piano to the North Little Rock School District to kick off a musical instrument drive. According to a press release, the artist is bringing his Manilow Music Project to the district and will donate a Yamaha piano to launch the project. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument one week prior to the Barry Manilow concert date will receive two free tickets for the April 1 show at Verizon Arena. The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist schools with their music programs. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” added Manilow. The Box Office at the Verizon Arena will be the drop off point for the instrument drive from now through April 1. The instrument drop off location is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. “North Little Rock School District has a legacy of excellence in the area of art and music education, but we sometimes lack the instruments and equipment needed to take our programs to the next level, said Dr. Beth Stewart, Ed.D, Deputy Superintendent. “Mr. Barry Manilow's contribution and those of his fans will assist North Little Rock students in achieving their passion and reaching their dreams for the future.” |
| March 28, 2016 | Argus Leader | "Augie students to sing with Manilow" by Patrick Anderson |
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| Students at Augustana University will get a chance to sing with Barry Manilow when he visits Sioux Falls for an April 6 performance. An Augustana representative confirmed Monday some members of the university’s choir will get a chance to perform with the famous singer-songwriter. Details have yet to be worked out, said Kelly Sprecher, a spokeswoman for Augustana. Manilow, 72, is coming to Sioux Falls as part of his One Last Time! tour. He is resuming touring after having multiple surgeries in February. |
| March 26, 2016 | NYS Music | "Barry Manilow Packs The Turning Stone Event Center 'Even Now'" by Kathy Stockbridge |
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| 'Even Now', some forty years later, Barry Manilow can still sell out a venue. As patrons filed in to the Turning Stone Event Center last Friday evening, the diverse mix of attendees demonstrated his reach musically. Whether it was the sequin gowned grandma out for a night of dancing along to the big band medleys, the middle aged school girl who had that 70’s crush and played all his 45’s at slumber parties, or today’s millennials who perhaps heard his music through social media, this crowd was ready to become a part of history as Barry Manilow performed One Last Time. Opening the evening for the musical legend was the amazing Dave Koz, a dynamic and energetic saxophonist who’s musical talent jump started this crowd for the evening. Joined onstage by his equally talented band, these musicians brought the sounds of the seventies to Central New York. His ability to transcend vocalized music to a smooth jazzy saxy rendition, got the crowds toes tapping. His instrumental of today’s hit “Let It Go” from the Disney movie, Frozen would make his nieces proud, after all they were the inspiration for this rendition. By the time the lights came back up and Barry Manilow took the stage, this crowd was pumped. It was refreshing to see this packed venue up out of their seats waving their arms and glow sticks in the air as he belted out his opening number, ‘It’s A Miracle’. Thanking all those in attendance at the Turning Stone Event Center for his One Last Time tour , he told the sold out show goers that he’s so lucky to have had such an amazing career. Pulling one lucky lady up on stage for a slow dance to “Could It Be Magic” he serenaded her and asked how long she had been a fan. Claiming to be a fan for numerous years since the early 2000’s, he joked that it’s okay because “..for those of you who may not know, I was the Justin Bieber of the 70’s. Just ask your moms.” And it was true. No matter what you were listening to back then, a jingle on tv about Band-Aids or the famous State Farm ‘like a good neighbor’ ad, music that accompanied films and television, music produced for such artists as Bette Midler, Donna Summer, and/or Dionne Warwick, hosting his own television specials, or tuning in every Saturday morning to American Bandstand as he sang the opening number for Dick Clark’s entrance, Barry Manilow was the Beiber of the 70’s. I’m one mom that will attest to that statement. Everything he touched turned to gold and went to number one. With a trifecta of awards from the Grammy’s, Emmy’s, and Tony’s, he was and still is one of the ultimate musical performers, song writers, composers of our generation. Let’s talk about that voice. That beautiful voice was just as clear and strong as it was in the beginning, as he belted out hit after hit after hit Friday night hitting every single note spot on. Manilow’s personality shone too through as he spoke with the audience. Growing up in Brooklyn and attending one of the country’s most dangerous high schools, he claimed he had two choices, gangs or music. He thanked the orchestra teachers for offering him the choice of music, because “…can you imagine me in a gang?” His wit, his charm, and his humanitarianism shone through. Sharing information on how the audience can help out others like Manilow, he described The Manilow Music Project, a non profit agency he began to help refurbish donated instruments to hand out to children in schools. Explaining how this is usually the first programs cut in funding, he advocates nationwide to help keep music in schools and urged everyone to donate their unused instruments to the Turning Stone to be given to the students at local schools. Still recording, Manilow shared a number from his recent Grammy nominated album “Dream Duets.” With the help of technology, Manilow sang a duet of “Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart” with the one and only Judy Garland. This spectacular number is one of many on the album in which he sings together with the late and great artists that touched his heart over the years. Losing to Tony Bennett at the Grammys, he joked he was okay with it as “everyone looses to Tony Bennett. When I’m 90 I expect everyone to loose to me.” As the chorus of “Weekend in New England” began, the crowded cheered and stomped as though they were at a rock show waiting for their encore. Once again his humor preceded his song “I Made It Through The Rain” claiming he’s been touring since 1904, and this will be his final tour. Was quick to note that this is not his final recording or in residence performances, but the final on the road shows he plans to do. Prior to singing “Mandy”, he shared that this is the 40th anniversary of it’s release. Suddenly feeling old, I was also surprised to learn that many of his songs were actual cover songs that he made famous on the charts during the 70’s and 80’s. With a setlist of more than 30 hits songs for the evening, he made certain to share all the crowd favorites including several in the most spectacular medley of 14 hits, beginning with “One Voice” and finishing up with the medley with “I Write The Songs.” Throughout the entire evening, one got a feeling they were at a rock show as audience members stood singing and dancing along and stomping their feet for more. Who knew grandma had it in her. The crowd was as dynamic as the performers. As the final song began in the medley, Manilow was joined on stage by local Rome Free Academy students from the A Cappella group Fermata Nowhere. Asked to join him for the last three numbers, these amazingly talented students donned their red choir gowns, and took to the stage where they backed up one of the most legendary singers of all times. Learning the choregraphy that day upon arrival, the students personalities and talent shone through and capped off the evening. As streamers flew through the air, they free style danced along with Manilow to “Copacabana”, and finished the night off with a huge shout out from the legend himself as they sang “It’s A Miracle”. Speaking with the students afterwards, the experience was life changing for them. Documenting this experience in a series of videos to be aired in the next few weeks, students were beyond excited. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or more of these amazing students one day on stage performing as the crowds chanted, waved their arms and glow sticks, and cheered for them. History was made Friday, March 18, 2016 at The Turning Stone Event Center, as those lucky attendees were able to share Barry Manilow’s final tour with him that evening. Only playing a limited number of venues, those who were able to take in this last tour were treated to a musical experience of greatness, not overshadowed by pomp and circumstance, but just truly great musical talent “One Last Time.” Set List: It’s a Miracle, Daybreak, Somewhere in the Night, Can’t Smile Without You, Looks Like We Made It, Could It Be Magic, Brooklyn Blues, I Am Your Child, Even Now, Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (James F. Hanley cover) (duet with Judy Garland video), Weekend in New England, Let’s Hang On! (The Four Seasons cover), I Made It Through the Rain, Mandy (Scott English cover), Medley: One Voice, The Old Songs, Bandstand Boogie, Jump Shout Boogie, New York City Rhythm, Some Kind of Friend, Read ’em and Weep, Ships,Somewhere Down the Road,This One’s for You, Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again, Ready to Take a Chance Again, and Daybreak, I Write the Songs (Bruce Johnston cover), Copacabana (At the Copa) Encore: It’s a Miracle |
| March 25, 2016 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | "Touring with Barry Manilow is an education for Dave Koz" by Kevin C. Johnson |
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| Classic pop singer Barry Manilow and smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz aren’t the most likely touring partners on paper. But they’re on the road together for Manilow’s “One Last Time!” tour coming to Scottrade Center on Thursday. Koz will open the show and perform a song during Manilow’s set. “He has a great appreciation for all sorts of music,” Koz says of Manilow. “People know Barry Manilow is a great singer, a great songwriter and a master showman. But he’s also one of the most brilliant musicians I’ve ever encountered with his ability to get inside the music from arranging to producing to piano playing.” Being on the tour with Manilow is like an education on the road for Koz, a veteran in his own right. “I get to see from the inside out how this man single-handedly kept his career relevant and growing for over four decades. It’s a painstaking attention to detail. He’s not calling it in. When he shows up he’s there fully and completely. He puts so much into it and he’s constantly reinventing himself, taking the songs everybody knows and rearranging them, putting them in a different order, tinkering them to push himself and make it new for the audience,” Koz says. Koz, usually a headliner, performs in a brisk 30-minute set. He doesn’t mind scaling back because he’s at the side of a master. He says he knows his place. “I haven’t been an opening act for a very long time. It’s like taking the tool out of the tool shed and sharpening it. It makes me focus on putting the absolute essentials into the show,” he says. “My only goal is to put these 10,000 people in a great mood to see their favorite artist.” He adds “although I know for a fact in many of these cities Barry Manilow fans have no idea who I am, Manilow fans are music fans too. If you present music to them in a fun way, even if they don’t know it, they’ll completely open up. We come out there with a very high energy set and put together songs everyone knows so there’s a familiarity.” Koz met Manilow 15 years ago when Manilow asked him to play on one of his albums, “Here at the Mayflower” (2001), which includes a lyric where Manilow says Koz’s name. “I walk into the studio, and it was my first time meeting this legend and he sings my name. My jaw just hit the floor. What was I supposed to do with that?” Koz later invited Manilow to sing on his album “At the Movies” (2007) on the song “Moon River,” and when Koz received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Manilow was there. Last year, Koz released “Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection” to mark his time in the business while also acknowledging his various collaborations. The set includes “When Will I Know for Sure” with Boney James, “This Guy’s in Love With You” with Herb Alpert and “Good Foot” with Jeff Lorber. “Whether I’m on the road or in the studio, I’m happiest to work with someone who inspires me to go to places I might not go otherwise, who allows me to get out of my shell into areas I never thought possible. That’s what I’m most proud of,” says Koz, who cites his collaborations with Manilow, Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross, Burt Bacharach and especially Stevie Wonder as favorites. Koz’s next big collaboration will be with Kirkwood native David Sanborn. “He’s my all time sax idol. I prayed this would happen for a lot of years.” What: Barry Manilow, Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Where: Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Avenue. How much: $16.75-$166.75. More info: Ticketmaster.com |
| March 25, 2016 | Indianapolis Star | "Barry Manilow remains a champion for songs: Pop star will visit Indianapolis on his 'One Last Time!' tour" by David Lindquist |
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| Flustered by his 1962 New York Mets, Casey Stengel wondered aloud, "Can't anybody here play this game?" These days, Barry Manilow isn't sure anybody in the music industry can write a song. Manilow, who will sing his hits on March 30 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, mentions Adele as a shining exception. "There's a girl who's written some great songs," Manilow said during a phone interview. "Look at what happened: Millions and millions of albums. Give the public a great song, they'll be there for you." Known for landing 25 songs in Billboard magazine's Top 40 between 1975 and 1983, Manilow said he believes modern artists and producers place too much emphasis on technology. "We're hearing great-sounding records, and that is delicious to listen to," Manilow said. "Music technology has gone so far. We can make such great-sounding records. It's all about rhythm and syncopation and machines. It's not about songwriting anymore." Grammy, Emmy and Tony award winner Manilow talked with IndyStar about songs that endure, how he coped with superstardom and why he is putting the brakes on touring life: Singing the songs: As part of the inaugural class of Great American Songbook Hall of Fame members, Manilow performed at Carmel's Palladium in 2012. Manilow praises Michael Feinstein's efforts to establish the Hall of Fame but said it would carry more significance as a brick-and-mortar destination in the style of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. "It's up to the singers to keep that music out there," Manilow said of the Great American Songbook, generally defined as Broadway show tunes and Hollywood movie numbers from the first half of the 20th century. "I think it's so important that young songwriters listen to the great lyrics of Cole Porter and listen to the great melodies of (George) Gershwin. It will inspire them to give us music." Manilow, who served as host for two BBC radio series based on the Great American Songbook, is performing "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" (written by Indiana native James F. Hanley in 1934) on his current tour. Navigating fame: Manilow's rendition of "I Write the Songs" is heard in the trailer for upcoming film "Popstar," an Andy Samberg comedy that lampoons stardom as experienced by Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake. Manilow said it's impossible to be prepared for the crush of fame. "There's no book to read. There's no class to go to," he said. "I was lucky. Before 'Mandy' hit, I had 10 years of being a music director and being an arranger and working in the recording studios and doing jingles. I had a career. I was an adult." "Mandy" reached No. 1 for Manilow in 1975. He previously worked as Bette Midler's music director, and he wrote memorable jingles for Band-Aid ("Stuck on Band-Aid") and State Farm ("Like a Good Neighbor"). "One Last Time!": The tour that brings Manilow to Indianapolis is titled "One Last Time!" - a reference the singer's intention to stop traveling from city to city for concerts. "This is the end of 45 years of room service," he said. "It's not the work; it's the getting there that has finally gotten to me." The 72-year-old said he is not retiring from one-off performances or possible residencies at a single site. "When that curtain opens and you hear that roar of the crowd, you have to be dead to not be excited," he said. "Your body just trembles, and you run around the stage. It doesn't make you older. I really think it keeps you young." Brooklyn roots: Longtime California resident Manilow is making an album that pays tribute to growing up on the East Coast. The project titled "This Is My Town: Songs of New York" features a mix of original songs and standards, he said. As a youngster, he lived in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, an area now defined by its thriving food, music, arts and entrepreneurial scenes. "I grew up in Williamsburg before it became the world's hippest area to live in," Manilow said. "When I grew up there, the taxi drivers wouldn't even take me back home. It was so dangerous where I lived. I come from the slums of Williamsburg." Barry Manilow. WHEN: 7:30 p.m. March 30. WHERE: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St. TICKETS: $19.75 to $169.75. INFO: Ticketmaster.com, (800) 745-3000. |
| March 25, 2016 | Parade Magazine | "Sax Player Dave Koz on Opening for Barry Manilow" by Alison Abbey |
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| Saxophonist, Dave Koz, commands the stage as a headliner selling out more than 60 concerts a year, but in 2015 he found success and fulfillment as an opening act. Just don’t call this sax player a second fiddle. The nine-time Grammy-nominated musician (whose song “Faces of The Heart” served as the General Hospital theme for 11 years) is proud of his collaborations and a year of opening for two very important guys named Barry. Koz, 52, spoke to Parade about opening for the man who writes the songs... Parade: Do you remember the first time you picked up the saxophone?
Dave Koz (DK): At my mom’s urging, my brother and sister and I had piano lessons, and I really did not take to the piano. I still love to play but I completely suck at it [laughs] so I rebelled. At around 10 or 11, I thought, “What better way to get back at my parents than take up the drums?” and I was even worse on the drums. My older brother had a band and my dreams were crushed because I realized I have no musical talent. Cut to the seventh grade when I was going into a Beginning Winds class and I picked up the saxophone because my brother said the only way I would ever be able to be in the band was if I played the sax. It was the first instrument that felt right. I always say, if you’re interested in music and you pick up an instrument and it doesn’t quite work, try something else and if that doesn’t quite work try something else, because if I didn’t go that one more time, I wouldn’t have had this surprise career. Parade: You just celebrated 25 years as a recording artist by releasing Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection. What was the significance of that anniversary and of that LP?
DK: It kind of snuck up on me. I still feel like I’m aging backwards - I may not look it - but I feel like my best years are yet to come. So instead of it being a retrospective, I chose to spin it as chapter one, and I’m really excited about the next chapter. I could truthfully say with all my heart that if it all ended tomorrow, I could have no other words but thank you. Collaboration has been the common thread [in my career]: When musicians are collaborating onstage together, that is a dialogue that is expanding and contracting, and offering and taking. It’s really a give and take and that’s what I feel like we need much more of in our world. Parade: You’re out with Barry Manilow as a special guest and opening act on his One Last Time tour. How did that come about?
DK: We’ve known each other for about 15 years. He invited me to be on one of his albums [Here At The Mayflower]. It was a concept album about different apartments in one building, and there was one song about this woman who listened to a sax player’s album every night. Cut to the recording session—and I’m already freaking out because I’m meeting one of my idols—and he says, “I’ve written this song about a woman who loves this sax player,” and he plays the song for me and sings, “I hear her playing Dave Koz in the middle of the night.” That’s the lyric! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. It was my first time meeting this man and he’s actually using my name in his lyric. So I knew this was the beginning of something special. From that moment on we became great friends and colleagues, but we had never done any proper touring together. That changed about two years ago, the beginning of his One Last Time tour in the U.K., and that became the U.S. tour that continues to get lengthened. It’s now going into its second year and we’re having a blast. I feel like this is such a big gift that’s been given to me. It’s the ultimate master class with one of the greatest entertainers of all time. |
| March 24, 2016 | Peoria Journal Star | "72-year-old Barry Manilow cheats Father Time with convincing, energetic show" by Phil Luciano |
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| How appropriate that Barry Manilow opened the Peoria stop of his farewell tour with “It’s a Miracle.” I saw Frank Sinatra in his twilight and Tony Bennett in his 70s. Neither came anywhere close to the electric showmanship that the miraculous Manilow can still spark at age 72. Thursday night, his One Last Time! Tour filled the Civic Center’s Carver Arena with enough explosive energy to power a dozen rock shows. Not that he depends on bombast or gimmicks. I mean, this is Manilow, balladeer extraordinaire. His 85-minute set rode the power of those familiar slow numbers — “Looks Like We Made It,” “Could It Be Magic,” “I Made It Through the Rain” — that made him a Top 40 mainstay. But even while the tempo mostly stayed slow, Manilow brimmed with a sincerity that left about 4,000 fans not only bobbing along with heads and glow sticks (the latter a gift at the door; thanks, Barry) but gripped with the impression that the singer still believes in these songs. To be sure, in his eighth decade, Manilow’s pipes have gotten a little rattly. Thursday, the high notes still pierced and soared, but the lower end of his range sounded a wee bit thin and rough, a few times like a frog gargling gravel. No matter, he can still sell a song. You know that “Weekend in New England” that Manilow first mulled eons ago? He still delivers the ache. Plus, he has more zip in his step than in his heyday. The 30-something Manilow often seemed content to stand around and let his throat do the walking. But Thursday night, the trim Manilow - looking sharp with a casual black suit and intense cosmetic surgery — strutted all about the stage like a carnival barker, often cajoling everyone to join the fun and sing along. At one point, he suddenly called out, “Does anybody want to dance with me?” As the crowd roared with volunteers, he plucked out a middle-aged gal named Joan, from Iowa City — who could do little but shake and bounce with excitement. With Manilow just smiling along, she yipped, “I’ve loved you since I was 5!” - a truly genuine moment that was both amusing and poignant. Indeed, beside bounding through the hits, Manilow engaged the audience all night with his mirthful sense of humor. After “Even Now,” as a deluge of applause seemed to catch Manilow by surprise, he paused, smiled, then blurted, “You make me feel like Justin Bieber.” As the arena laughed, he added, “You know, I was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s.” More laughter. “Just ask your mother.” More laughter, again. Set pieces added other nice touches to the show, such as a 1975 clip of “The Midnight Special” declaring Manilow to be “the next big star” before the feathered-haired, fresh-faced troubadour launched into the initial chorus of his first hit, “Mandy” — itself an intro to the real-live Manilow taking his spot behind his piano and belting out the rest of the tune. Furthermore, all evening, his seven-piece band and three backup singers performed superbly, with the cast joined by a red-robed Bradley University chorale for “Copacabana,” bringing the crowd to its feet for not the first time. Amid all that verve and pizazz, it’s hard to imagine Barry Manilow as a tour retiree. Perhaps Peoria will be lucky enough in a few years to be a stop on a One More Last Time! Tour. |
| March 24, 2016 | CInewsNow | Barry Manilow plays in Peoria |
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PEORIA, Ill. -- The excitement was contagious at the Peoria Civic Center and it was all thanks to one man. Manilow fans from all generations packed the arena to see Barry perform "One Last Time". You couldn't get to your seats without hearing fans singing and hoping to hear their favorite song. Especially for one fan who has loved him for over 50 years. Of course there were karaoke screens behind Barry so fans could sing along. And famous saxophone player Dave Koz opened for him. |
| March 23, 2016 | Peoria Journal Star | "Barry Manilow not only writes the songs the whole world sings, he's funny, too" by Phil Luciano |
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| Barry Manilow still writes the songs, and still cracks the jokes. Funny ones, too. That might seem surprising to folks who recognize Manilow as simply a pop balladeer. But, as many longtime fans know, one minute he'll be tickling the ivories, the next he'll tickle the funny bone. The 72-year-old, who plays tonight at the Peoria Civic Center Arena, always has been a jokester. For instance, in 1989, he complained to reporters about his exasperation with his new Bel-Air neighbors, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who bought a home there after leaving the White House. Manilow explained that he'd long enjoyed sunbathing in the nude, but his privacy suddenly was being invaded by swarms of security helicopters overhead. "There is Secret Service all over the place," he carped to US Weekly. "I always know when they are coming home because of all the helicopters. If I am out there sunbathing in the nude, I go, 'Sh(oot), the Reagans are coming home.' But, who knows, maybe they will invite me over for dinner one night. In light of Nancy Reagan's recent death, the Journal Star asked Manilow if he ever worked things out with the Reagans. Actually, he admitted, most of that story was a gag. "Listen, not all of that is true," he said, laughing. "They did live nearby. And I used to hear the helicopters overhead. That's the part that was true. But I didn't sunbathe nude." Wow. Disappointing. But did Ron and Nancy ever send an invitation to dinner? "No," he said, chuckling. "They never asked me." Their loss. Manilow takes snubs in stride - and often with a laugh. To the Tampa Bay Times just before last month's Grammy Awards, Manilow expressed mock indignation over his inability to win for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. A four-time loser, he was nominated again this year, for "My Dream Duets." Manilow playfully kvetched about the imposing force called Tony Bennett - "I always lose to Tony Bennett!" - who'd won 12 of 24 times since the inception of the award. Make that 13 of 25. Weeks after the Grammys, Manilow chuckled to the Journal Star in appreciation over Bennett's dominance of the category. "Look, he's (almost) 90 years old, it's a beautiful album and it sounds great," Manilow said. "If I hit 90, I'll be glad to just be able to cough up phlegm." Chances are, his fans would pay to see that. Manilow has sold 80 million records, many of which - "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You," "Looks Like We Made It," "Weekend In New England," "Could It Be Magic" - have become indelible additions to The Great American Songbook. Despite a lone Grammy - 1979's Best Male Pop Vocal, for "Copacabana" - he has won many other awards, including a Tony (take that, Mr. Bennett) while remaining a powerful concert draw for almost a half-century. Indeed, his hard-core fans - the Fanilows - are truly fanatical, some rivaling Deadheads in on-the-road devotion. Manilow says he hears from faithful who have seen him 500 times or more. "They come along with me. It's great," he says laughing. "But then the Jewish guilt kicks in: how much money are they spending?" No doubt, a lot. But not for long. Manilow bills his current musical sojourn as the One Last Time! tour. And he is 100 percent sure he will never tour again. Maybe. "These won't be the final performances. I'll probably do a week here or there," he says. "But 45 years of room service is enough. I love the job. I love the people. But getting there is the problem. In the beginning, it was exciting. But this is a young person's gig." Manilow says he is looking forward to having more time at home, where he often works on songs and projects. But what if one day he finds himself with TV remote in hand, wishing it were a microphone to belt out "It's a Miracle" to thousands of adoring fans? He says he can always change his mind and get back to the road. "Eh, if I get nudgy?" he says. "I'll find a place (to play)." Though tonight's show will focus on his hits, Manilow continues to work on fresh material, an upcoming album will spotlight New York, with songs old and new. Despite his devotion to craft, Manilow calls songwriters an endangered species: as with the milkman and lamplighter, technology is pushing them into obsolescence. Production has become so slick, melodies and lyrics don't matter much anymore. "Today's technology is so good. The records sound so good," he says. "I think the change happened in the late '70s or early '80s. We had to write good songs, with a melody. These days, you don't." Though Manilow thinks country music still cranks out decent ditties - "Taylor Swift can write songs," he says, - pop-music producers seem intent on relying on techno-driven tracks to grab a piece of the dwindling, radio-fragmented pop market. "I do miss the lyrics," Manilow says. "But I don't think it's coming back." Not for a lack of an audience or market, he says. "Look at Adele," he says. "People went crazy. I think people are starving for a great song, for great music." Meanwhile, even under a lessened workload, Manilow says he'll continue to do his part to support pop music. "There's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There's a Country (Music) Hall of Fame. But there's not a Great American Songbook Hall of Fame," he says. "It's up to us to keep it alive." If you go... What: 'Barry Manilow - One Last Time!' tour with special guest saxophonist Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24. Where: Peoria Civic Center Arena. Tickets: $19.75-$169.75. Available at the Civic Center box office. |
| March 22, 2016 | WREX 13 | "Barry Manilow brings the Manilow Music Project to Rockford Public Schools" by Joseph Edwards |
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| ROCKFORD - Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow donated a new piano to Rockford Public Schools to kick off a local music instrument drive as part of the Manilow Music Project. The legendary artist says he hopes others will follow his lead to provide new or gently used instruments to students in the school system. "I'm thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids," Manilow said. Anyone who donates a new or gently used instrument to the drive will receive two free tickets to Manilow's show at the BMO Harris Bank Center on March 26. The tickets are for pre-selected locations, and are available on a first come, first served basis. Those wishing to donate can do so at the BMO Harris Bank Center until March 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Manilow Music Project was formed to assist local charities and programs provide instruments to high school and middle school students, as well as provide music scholarships at universities around the world. |
| March 22, 2016 | Indianapolis Star | "Hitmaker Barry Manilow headed to town" by Seth Johnson |
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| After scoring his first No. 1 hit with the song “Mandy” in 1975, Barry Manilow launched into pop music superstardom with 10 more Top 10 singles through 1980. The Grammy, Tony and Emmy winner is visiting Indianapolis as part of his “One Last Time” tour. With a band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow describes the tour as a way to thank fans for their long-running support. Barry Manilow. 7:30 p.m. March 30, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., $19.75 to $169.75, (317) 917-2500, thingstodo.indystar.com/events/113517511. |
| March 21, 2016 | KCRG 9 ABC | "Barry Manilow to Donate New Piano to Cedar Rapids School District" by Alison Snider |
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| CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) The Cedar Rapids School District is getting a new Yamaha piano. It's a gift from singer Barry Manilow. The donation is part of his "Manilow Music Project," which helps schools improve their music programs. The singer is also asking people to donate new or gently used musical instruments to the school district. Anyone who donates will receive two free tickets for Manilow's Cedar Rapids show on April 8th at the U-S Cellular Center. Donations can be dropped off at the US Cellular Center Box Office from April 1-8. District administrators say the new piano and instruments will help connect students with music who couldn't otherwise afford it. "We have a lot of kids with financial needs in this school district, so when they want to play an instrument we try really hard to put an instrument in their hands," music curriculum facilitator Beth Davies said. "And we hope that it's the instrument they want." The school district will announce which school will receive the piano sometime in April. |
| March 21, 2016 | M Live (Michigan) | "Barry Manilow: 'It's kind of emotional knowing I won't be back to these arenas and cities'" by John Gonzalez |
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| The way Barry Manilow sees it, saying goodbye is "a little sad." After 45 years of being on the road, Manilow knew it was time to call it quits. "45 years of room service is enough for me," he said in a recent interview from his home in Palm Springs, California. It's been a heck of a journey for a jingle writer, producer, songwriter from Brooklyn, New York who went on to sell 80 million records and score some of the biggest pop hits of the '70s and '80s. His current "One Last Time" tour will take fans back in time to all of his major hits, and it also will serve as a farewell -- "thank you" -- to them as well. "That's the end of my touring days," he said. "It's saying goodbye to the cities that were so important to me. It's kind of emotional knowing I won't be back to these arenas and cities that were always so great to me." He won't miss the logistics of touring from city to city. "It's been a long time on the road and in hotel rooms, waiting for planes and being away from home," he said. "Again, I really do like the gig. I'm going to miss these audiences. It's just the getting there. If everybody could just come to my house it would be just great." So, party at Barry's place tonight? "That's impossible," he said with a laugh, "unless we do it on Skype. So this is the final tour, as of today." He didn't always want to be a singer: His career happened almost by accident, never dreaming of stardom, millions of fans and selling out venues as the headline entertainer. It's such a surprise, he said. "When I began making music it was all about being a musician, arranger, director or producer of records," he said. "Anything in the background." He was "having a ball" as Bette Midler's musical director, arranger and piano player. "Then I had his offer to make a record, which sounded ridiculous," he said. "I said to Bette, 'I got a record deal,' and she said, 'Doing what?' I said, 'Singing.' She said, 'You don't sing.'" He was signed to Bell Records in 1973. "I thought, 'Well, I'll get my own music out there, and nobody will buy it and that will be the end of that!" After a slow start, it looked like that might indeed, be the end of that. But then a year later, "Mandy" came out. "And suddenly I had this other career that I just wasn't prepared for and never expected," Manilow said. "And 45 years later it's quite a story. And quite an experience; something I never thought about." He has met these final days on the road with a lot of nostalgia. "I look back on these years with a great gratitude that this actually happened and that audiences for all these years have been on my side." Advice for aspiring entertainers: Manilow said he was not prepared for instant stardom, which caused a lot of issues in his early days. "I resisted it. When it hit I was so confused and terrified," he said. "So many of the young people on 'American Idol' and shows like that want it so badly, but when it hits them I can tell you that you're never too prepared for fame." His advice: "If you're about to go for it, you better be grounded. Sometimes I think success is even more difficult to deal with than failure. When you fail, it's over. With success you've got to really be grounded to handle that kind of thing. It really threw me, man." He said he became difficult to work with, "and it's all fear." "When I look back on it I don't think I was a nice guy. When I talk to people they don't agree with me. But I didn't. I wasn't the person I started out being. And it was all because I was so confused and terrified." He changed his way of thinking because he realized, "this is not going away." "I had to learn how to embrace this incredible success that was happening to me. And I did. I went back to my family and old friends and they grounded me. And I was able to handle all the craziness that was happening. If you don't that, and you just keep yourself in that world of success and applause, and people telling you how great you are, you could get yourself into real trouble." Barry Manilow: One Last Time. When: 7:30 p.m. March 25, 2016. Where: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids. Tickets: Starting at $19.75. Opening: [Dave] Koz. Contact: vanandelarena.com. |
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