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| April 17, 2016 | Tribune Chronicle | "Manilow collects for needy students: Donate instruments for concert tickets" by Andy Gray |
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| Music changed Barry Manilow's life. He wants others to have the same opportunity. On his "One Last Time" tour, Manilow is collecting musical instruments as part of his Manilow Music Project. "I've been doing it for years," he said during a recent telephone interview. "I try to get instruments for schools that are running out of them. I start out by donating a piano in each city, and that's what I'll be doing in Youngstown. Then I ask all the audiences, if you have any old instruments you're not using, bring them down to the arena. We collect them, fix them up and then give them to the school district, and they give them to the schools that need them." Manilow will donate a Yamaha piano, and anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument starting Monday at the Southwoods Health Box Office at the Covelli Centre will receive two tickets (while supplies last) for Manilow's concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Youngstown arena. The box office is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and the instrument drive concludes at 5 p.m. Friday. "We're collecting a lot of instruments in every city, and I think we're making a dent in the cities where we're doing it," Manilow said. Instruments will be donated to the Youngstown Community School. "Youngstown Community School thinks it's amazing that there are still foundations that believe in supporting the arts," Superintendent/Principal Dennis L. Rice said in a released statement. "It is so beneficial in developing a well-rounded student and instilling a value for the arts in the future generations." While Manilow is best known for playing the piano, it wasn't his first instrument. "I come from Brooklyn, a very, very poor neighborhood with a family that was struggling to put food on the table," he said. "But they knew I was a musical kid, so they rented me an accordion. Every Jewish kid in Brooklyn had to play the accordion. It was the law. You couldn't get out of Brooklyn without playing the accordion. So I played the accordion, and I was good at it. That's where I learned to read music. Then I switched to piano a couple years later." |
| April 15, 2016 | WKBN-27 | Barry Manilow donates piano to Youngstown school: The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist local schools with their music programs |
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| YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is bringing his Manilow Music Project to Youngstown with the donation of a piano to the Youngstown Community School. Manilow is donating the Yamaha piano to launch the local music drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently-used musical instrument one week prior to the show will receive two free tickets to Manilow’s April 23 concert at the Covelli Centre. 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. The Southwoods Health Box Office at the Covelli Centre will serve as the base for the instrument drive in Youngstown from April 18 – 22. The instrument drop off location is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Youngstown Community School thinks it’s amazing that there are still foundations that believe in supporting the arts,” said Superintendent/Principal Dennis L. Rice. “It is so beneficial in developing a well-rounded student and instilling a value for the arts in the future generations.” The Manilow Music Project (MMP) 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 U.K. |
| April 15, 2016 | Blackmore Vale Magazine | Barry Manilow to perform in Bournemouth - tickets go on sale |
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| Tickets have gone on sale to see musical legend Barry Manilow performing in Bournemouth. Last year, Barry Manilow announced that he is going to "hit the road" and perform concerts across the world one last time. The music legend launched his multi-city One Last Time Tour last autumn in North America and is now heading to the UK. Due to public demand, extra dates have been added including a night at Bournemouth International Centre on 21st June, and tickets have now gone on sale. Platinum-selling and nine-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz has also been announced as special guest for the UK. Koz, who has previously performed with such stars as Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins, U2, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart, is no stranger to the UK, having previously opened for the likes of Liza Minelli at the Royal Albert Hall, and also supporting Barry on his last tour of the UK back in 2014. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said: "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, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The One Last Time Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, "is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support... one last time." The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musician's career rocketed to stardom when his hit song, Mandy, topped the charts in 1975. |
| April 14, 2016 | The Gazette | "Palmer High School Chamber Singers to back up Barry Manilow when he performs in Colorado Springs" by Debbie Kelley |
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| It's a miracle. The Palmer High School Chamber Singers will back up legendary singer Barry Manilow, when he performs at The Broadmoor World Arena on May 4. The three songs the 24 students will accompany Manilow on: "I Write the Songs," "Copacabana" and "It's a Miracle." "It's one of those opportunities that comes along once in a lifetime," choir director Jeff Peckham said Thursday. "It's something that I'm sure these kids will remember forever." When he received an email a few days ago, saying that Barry Manilow wanted Palmer's premier audition group to perform with him, Peckham figured it was a joke. "I thought it was a scam," he said. He did some research and found out the request was legit. Manilow is stopping in Colorado Springs as part of his "One Last Time" tour. Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time. He's had more than 50 Top 40 hits and worldwide record sales of more than $80 million. "I said we're certainly interested, and we committed to doing it," Peckham said. Students have been taking standardized state tests this week and will get their first chance to rehearse on Friday. The funny thing is, Peckham said, the students' parents are more familiar with the 72-year-old singer-songwriter's music than the younger generation. "A couple of kids have said I have to ask my parents and make sure that night is OK," Peckham said, "and I'm getting emails from parents saying of course they're going to do it." May 4 is a school night, after all. To prepare, students are listening to the original recordings of the songs online that the Manilow tour people sent. They'll have just a few short weeks to practice, but Peckham promises they'll be ready. The group has performed at many community events, including singing the national anthem at a Colorado Rockies' game in Denver, and doing shows at senior centers, nursing homes, military installations and other locations. "They'll get to see what a tour is all about, and being in that environment will be awesome for them," Peckham said. Manilow is known for his support of school music programs. In response to some schools cutting electives such as music, Manilow founded The Manilow Music Project, as part of his nonprofit Manilow Health and Hope Fund. The organization donates musical instruments and materials to music programs in high schools and middle schools, and funds music scholarships at universities. |
| April 14, 2016 | Green Bay Press-Gazette | "Manilow: Fans are 'gift of my whole life'" by Kendra Meinert |
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| Things you don't expect to hear from Barry Manilow: “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.” It’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when the artist who writes the songs that make whole world sing wasn’t always the consummate showman -- an icon with 50 Top 40 hits in the past 40-plus years, 15 Grammy nominations and a passionate fanbase that includes, yes, even Dave Grohl. But back in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the native New Yorker was just starting out, there were never any plans to be the guy on the stage, much less in the spotlight. “I was a musician with no goal to be a performer. Never even dawned on me. I was a musician and a composer, a songwriter and an arranger and an orchestrator and a producer. Anything in the background to make the artist better. That was my goal,” he said by phone last week. “I was doing that for 10 years. I was having a great time. I was doing commercial jingles. That was going to be my life, and then ‘Mandy’ hit.” That song would change everything. It was a time when music was dominated by '70s singer/songwriters such as James Taylor, Carole King and Joni Mitchell. Eager to sign another such act, Bell Records heard Manilow’s demos and, to his surprise, offered him a recording contract. The reluctant singer cut his first album but wasn’t prepared for what came next. “Then I had to go out and promote that album, so I had learn to stand up on the stage and entertain an audience. I really was very uncomfortable. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Then as you see, they gave me a second album. That’s when Clive Davis took over Bell Records, and then he gave me a song called ‘Brandy,’ which I rearranged and turned into ‘Mandy’ as a ballad, and that took off and went No. 1 in one month. Suddenly, I was headlining ... thousands of people in front of me, and it was a totally new life that fell into my lap.” Manilow went on to record some of music’s most recognizable songs -- “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “This One’s for You,” “Copacabana (At the Copa),” “Even Now” -- and become the charts' top adult contemporary artist of all time. He’s performed everywhere from a Las Vegas residency to the Nobel Peace Prize concert to legions of Fanilows everywhere. His long list of honors includes a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony. Whether with fondness or frustration, everybody knows a Manilow song. Now, at 72, Manilow is getting off the touring trail. His One Last Time! Tour, which stops April 21 at the Resch Center, will be his last big one. Music, however, will continue to be the driving force in his life. He’s working on an album of songs about his native New York -- half standards and half originals -- that he’ll release next year. He looks forward to catching “Hamilton” on Broadway. He welcomes more time at home in California with friends and his dogs. You’ll find him the same place he always is: his studio. “When I have free time, I go to my studio and I make music. That’s it. ... I sit behind the keyboard and time flies by,” he said. Green Bay Press-Gazette: Was there a conscious effort not to call this a farewell tour, for fear it might be too sad?
Barry Manilow: Well, it is the last time I’m touring. It’s certainly not the last time I’ll be performing, but it’s the last time I’m touring. I’ve got to get off the road, so this is the end of the road for me. Going to these cities that have always been very good to me, it’s kind of emotional, because I won’t be back to these cities. When I perform I’ll probably do Vegas or New York or Chicago or L.A., but no more road shows, no more touring. So I am saying goodbye to these cities. What’s interesting about it is that these songs that were never really emotional to me are becoming emotional. “Can’t Smile Without You,” which is a wonderful, happy song, now means a little bit more thinking about it in the way of saying goodbye to people ... And I’m finding that with a lot of the lyrics that they all kind of say goodbye. GBPG: How much was the grind of travel a factor in your decision?
BM: I think a lot of us who have been on the road for a long time, it finally gets to you, and it got to me. Sometimes these tours take me away from home for weeks and weeks at a time. In the past, they took me away for months at a time. ... Certainly, I like the job. I like performing, and I love the audiences. That won’t go away. But being away for so long, that finally got to me. So that’s the end of the road. GBPG: With so many hits to fit into the show, how do you decide which get the full treatment and which become part of a medley?
BM: I don’t know. Some of them work all the way. Some of them work better inside the medley. I haven’t done a lot of these songs in many years. “Read ’Em and Weep” and “Ships” and “Somewhere Down the Road” and “Let’s Hang On.” It’s just great doing all of them. It’s just great. Usually I go on the road with an album to promote, so we do songs from the new album or a medley of big band songs or we’ve got a medley of I don’t know what. But this year, it’s every song. I’m one of the lucky guys who has a catalog of music that people will recognize, so I’m able to fill up the whole evening with songs that people know, and we’re all having great time. One after the next, and it’s great. GBPG: You’ve become one of music’s great entertainers. Did that come naturally for you over the years?
BM: I was very surprised when audiences were connecting with me on my very first tour, my first little nightclub tour ... I’m telling you, I didn’t know what I was doing up there, but the audiences connected. I don’t know why, but they liked what they saw. And I wasn’t good. I was OK sitting behind that piano, but when I got up and tried to introduce songs or tell a joke or something, I didn’t know what I was doing. But they didn’t mind. They liked it. Within the first month of that little tour we were selling out every night and it was a huge shock. Over the years, I finally figured out how to do this, and I’m really enjoying it. I started to really enjoy it. GBPG: What have you learned about your fans over the years?
BM: They’re great people. They’re just great people. I’ve always thought I could probably have a great conversation with any one of them, and I do. I do these meet and greets before the show, and I’ve met them for years — for years — 10, 20 people before the show, individually, and I was right. I can have a great conversation with any of them. They’re all great people. I’ve never been disappointed in them, and they’re so kind. They’re so supportive. It’s the gift of my whole life — them. They are the gift of my life. GBPG: Being a Barry Manilow fan isn’t always viewed as cool. (But the Foo Fighters’ Grohl did once call Manilow “the coolest mother(expletive) in the room.”) How much do you pay attention to that sentiment?
BM: In the beginning I did, sure. I certainly don’t anymore. But in the beginning, I was young and it was insulting and it made me and my family and my friends and my band feel bad, but I always believed in the work that I did. Always. If I heard stuff like that, negative reviews, negative talk, I would say, “Go listen to ‘Weekend in New England’ ... and if you still hate it, well, then, that’s your problem, because I am very proud of that music.” GBPG: Which part of your career means the most to you — the songwriting, the honors, the 80 million albums sold, the longevity, etc.?
BM: I think the impact that I’ve had on strangers has been very positive, and it’s what I’m happiest about. I meet these people on the street, they come over, they say the nicest things to me. They say about what my songs have meant to them, what the music has done for them, what the shows have made them feel. I think I’m proudest of the impact that my work has had on total strangers. GBPG: Have there been moments on this tour where it has hit you that this is the last time with these audiences?
BM: I think that if I let that happen I think I would be a blubbering mess, and you don’t want to see that. I keep it very up and very joyful. It’s just a wonderful evening. I’m very grateful to them, and it’s a very positive evening. I don’t think it should be sad or emotional at all. It should be celebrative, and that’s what it is. It’s a celebration every night. We feel it. They feel it. It’s exactly what I want. GBPG: Last time you played Green Bay, you could look around in any direction and see people with the same giddy grins on their faces.
BM: That’s the best, the best reaction I can hope for. One of my friends said to me, “You know, you can’t cure cancer but you can make people forget about it for 90 minutes.” And that’s what I do. That’s what I try to do. I try to make them forget about the insanity that’s going on outside that arena and about the problems each of them have. I know that there’s a lot of people out there that have a lot of problems, and maybe for 90 minutes, in the dark, they’re singing and they’re smiling and they’re laughing and they’re crying. That’s one thing that I will never ever stop doing.” |
| April 14, 2016 | Tulsa World | "Dave Koz talks about his career as a saxophonist" By Jerry Wofford |
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| It took a lot of begging for Dave Koz to get his first gig. Saxophone in hand, the person he wanted to play for was his brother. Koz was a teenager, but desperate to join in the fun. "Then, at 13 years old, I proceeded to drive my brother absolutely bonkers every single day saying let me be in the band," Koz said in a recent telephone interview. "Finally in a moment of weakness to get me off his back, he said you can join us for this one gig. It was a wedding I think." With dozens of albums, including collaborations with Toby Keith and Tulsa jazz great Wayman Tisdale, Koz took that gig to the next level and built a successful career. This Friday, he opens for Barry Manilow at the BOK Center. Koz talks about how he got start in professional music, what it's like to play for the Fanilows and the appeal of the saxophone. Tulsa World: How’s the tour so far?
Dave Koz: The tour is fantastic. It’s been one fun experience after the other for me and my band. It’s an amazing opportunity to bring my music to a bunch of people who may have never even heard of me, but even if they know my name I’m sure many of them have never seen the music live. It’s an amazing gift, that’s the way I would say it. Also to be able to travel with Manilow, with Barry who is one of my mentors and favorite people, and just an amazing icon of music. To be able to travel with him and see from the inside out how it all works, the process is and how he has managed to be a relevant artist for so many decades. It’s almost an impossible thing to do and he’s done it and I get to see from the inside out how he’s done it. It’s like the master class of all master classes. TW: How did you get started with the saxophone?
DK: I grew up in the suburbs of LA and my older brother, when I was growing up, had a band that was playing weddings and bar mitzvahs or charity parties and I just saw how much fun they had. They made money, they never had to get regular jobs and they were playing music. I just wanted to be in that. Of course, I had no musical talent. I failed miserable at both piano and drums. Yet, I just really wanted to be in that band. In seventh grade, I picked up the saxophone and it was really a different connection. It was like, ‘Oh, this instrument, I really feel something for’ and I got pretty good at it pretty quick. It surprised me a lot. My brother noticed and he said the only way I would ever get in the band is if I played the sax. That’s why I picked it up. Then, at 13 years old, I proceeded to drive my brother absolutely bonkers every single day saying let me be in the bad. Finally, in a moment of weakness to get me off his back, he said you can join us for this one gig. It was a wedding I think. I got paid $10, I did a good job and I was in the band from that point on. Everybody else made $100, so eventually I worked my way up to being an even member of the band getting paid as everybody else. It took a while. TW: The saxophone has a distinct sound. I wonder what you hear that stuck out to you.
DK: The one thing I really love about the instrument is its flexibility. It can be very soft and very melancholy, it can be very sad, it can be very happy and jubilant. It also fits in so many different genres of music. Looking at the records I’ve played on, whether it’s my records or other people’s records over the years, I’ve played on a lot of rock music, R&B music, classical music... TW: And you played with Toby Keith for a song, right?
DK: Yeah! Country music, exactly. The saxophone can find its place in such a wide variety of genres and that’s the flexibility I love about the instrument. And it’s very emotional thing. People connect to it because it’s so close to the human voice. It’s very connected to that base level emotion that all human beings relate to. TW: At what point did you decide to start making your own records and make it into a career?
DK: That sort of came and bit me on the you-know-what. I never planned on being a professional musician. I was a mass communication major at UCLA and was planning to get a regular job upon graduation. In fact, I remember my parents coming to me after graduation and I had nothing lined up. I had zero prospects of any job. They looked at me and said, ‘What do you think?’ ‘I don’t know. I’d like to give music six months and see if I can make something happen.’ Two weeks after graduating I got a call from Bobby Caldwell, a very famous R&B jazz singer. I auditioned for his band and I got the job and Bobby was the first guy who noticed something in me I didn’t know was there, which is this soloist vibe. He nurtured that. I met a guy named Jeff Lorber. He saw something else. He was the first person to ever say to me, ‘You should make your own record.’ We did a four-song demo together. That got me signed to Capitol Records, where I recorded for 20 years. It was all a big surprise. TW: Do you think not having formal music training or coming at it from a different angle gave you more freedom when you started composing on my own?
DK: It’s all about timing. The timing for one person doesn’t mean it’s the same for another. I can tell you the four years I was in college studying communications probably was as important as any musical training just from the standpoint of growing up and having different experiences. Kids today, they want to get it quick. The impatience of it all. I think life experience is a very important thing. In music, you have to have something to say. |
| April 13, 2016 | Hampshire Chronicle | "Barry Manilow to bring his One Last Time Tour to the BIC" by Hilary Porter |
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| Legendary showman Barry Manilow has announced a South Coast date as he performs his last ever concert tour. The 'Mandy' and 'Could It Be Magic' singer will perform at the Bournemouth International Centre on Tuesday June 21. Tickets go on sale on Friday from 9am. Last year Barry Manilow announced that he is going to “hit the road” and perform concerts across the world one last time. The entertainer launched his multi-city One Last Time Tour last autumn in North America and is now heading to the UK. Due to phenomenal public demand, extra dates have been added including the BIC. With his band of 13 musicians and singers, Manilow said, “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, Manilow has limited his concert appearances. The One Last Time Tour is a major undertaking and as Manilow said, “is my way of thanking everyone for their years of support...one last time!” The Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musician’s career skyrocketed to superstardom when his mega hit song, Mandy, topped the charts in 1975. Over the past 45 years he has built a massive collection of music. Of course, there are songs like “Copacabana,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Can't Smile Without You,” but Manilow has nearly 30 studio albums and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide! Platinum-selling and nine time Grammy nominated saxophonist Dave Koz has also been announced as special guest for the UK. Koz, who has previously performed with such superstars as Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins, U2, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart, is no stranger to the UK, having previously opened for the likes of Liza Minelli at the Royal Albert Hall, and also supporting Barry on his last tour of the UK back in 2014. Tickets are on general sale on Friday 15 April from 9am. Call BH Live Tickets on 0844 576 3000, book online at www.bhlivetickets.co.uk or visit the Bournemouth Pavilion box office in person. Groups 10+ call 01202 451865. |
| April 13, 2016 | Stereo Board | "Barry Manilow Adds Bournemouth Show To Summer Tour" by Jon Stickler |
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| Barry Manilow has added a Bournemouth date to his One Last Time! UK arena tour. The legendary entertainer will slot in a visit to Bournemouth International Centre on June 21, alongside additional stops in Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff and London. Tickets are on general sale at 9am on April 15. 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
- Tue June 21 2016 - BOURNEMOUTH BIC
- Thu June 23 2016 - LONDON O2 Arena
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| April 13, 2016 | Tulsa World | "Barry Manilow tours the world 'One Last Time': Barry Manilow brings farewell tour to the BOK" by Jerry Wofford |
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| After 45 years, songs Barry Manilow and his fans know by heart suddenly have new meaning. As he tours the world “One Last Time,” stopping Friday at the BOK Center, songs that have been happy and playful are now more emotional. “Knowing that I’m saying goodbye to this life that I had and these people I will probably never see again, singing songs like ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ now means something totally different than it ever did,” Manilow said in a recent telephone interview. “These songs that were just happy, fun — these are becoming deeper for me as I sing these lyrics. It’s been a big surprise to me at how moving the whole evening has become for me.” It was an easy decision, but that doesn’t mean saying goodbye has been easy. Manilow’s legions of devoted fans have been coming out in droves to see the singer, songwriter, producer and composer in cities across the world. But what has been surprising are the new fans Manilow is seeing at the concerts. “I don’t know where they’re coming from. Maybe they just want to see me before I croak or something,” Manilow joked. “There’s a lot of people out there, a lot of people having a great time. And I can swear there’s a lot of them who have never seen our show, ever. It’s a big surprise to them.” Maybe most surprising to those fans is how many of Manilow’s songs they know. After 45 years, Manilow has built a massive collection of music. Of course, there are songs like “Copacabana,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Mandy.” But Manilow has nearly 30 studio albums and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide, so chances are good that you know at least one Barry Manilow song. For Manilow, the fun has always been in piecing the puzzle together. He started in music with the goal of being the next big arranger of American standards, like Nelson Riddle did for Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Manilow did that for Bette Midler and others before doing it for himself. “If you listen to some of (Midler’s) earlier albums, for instance, ‘Do You Want to Dance’ used to be a silly rock ’n’ roll song,” Manilow said. “But when she did it, I turned it into a sexy, sensual arrangement, and she had a hit record on it because it was such a unique arrangement and she was so brilliant on it. That’s what I did for her for many years.” Manilow had a slow start on his own, but with the release of “Barry Manilow II,” his stardom rose quickly. The 1974 album included the song “Mandy,” which would be a breakout hit. Several more followed, and Manilow soon became a household name. Now as a performer and his own songwriter, Manilow took in more aspects of the song to consider in his arrangements. “Really, as a performer, it’s got to be the lyric,” Manilow said. “It’s got to have something that I can crawl into. I have to know what this story is about so I can tell the story when I sing it. It’s always about the lyric for me as a performer.” For instance, “Copacabana” on the surface sounds like an up-tempo novelty song with a Latin beat. But the song, written by Manilow, Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman, is an intricate story with a beginning, middle and end, a hard thing to do sometimes for songwriters. “A full story in three verses and a repetitive chorus,” Manilow said. “They told a story of Tony, Lola, Rico; somebody gets shot; they describe the Copacabana. It was such a complicated thing, yet it sounds so simple and effortless. But it’s a brilliant lyric. And it’s very difficult to do something like that and get it on the radio, too. I was very proud of that one.” Manilow loves singing those hits and seeing the reaction from “Fanilows” young and old. But personally, it’s the deep cuts that speak to him the most in this stage of his career. “The ones I don’t get to sing every night, the ones I don’t get to hear every night - those are the album cuts,” Manilow said. “Those are my favorites. There’s a little song called ‘I Am Your Child,’ which came from the first album, or another one called ‘All the Time,’ which is about feeling like a misfit, or ‘One Voice.’ Those are the ones that I like the best.” Manilow is retiring from the road, but he will never retire from music, he said. In 2014, he released the Grammy-nominated “My Dream Duets,” which included Manilow singing along with stars like Mama Cass, Whitney Houston, John Denver and Judy Garland. His voice was added to the tracks to make it sound like he’s right there. Manilow said it was a marvel to see the process, which all started with an idea. “I didn’t think it could be done because these records that we made into duets, in those days they weren’t doing separate tracks,” Manilow said. “What we inherited was an old scratchy record, done by Dusty Springfield. And that was it. She wasn’t doing separate tracks, and if they did, it had been destroyed. So we were stuck with scratchy records. So it’s an amazing album.” Manilow said he’s also in the middle of making an album now, which he hopes to release next year after he leaves the road. And more will come after. Will he ever totally leave music and performing? Never. “I’ll be working forever. I’ve just got to get off the road,” Manilow said. “Being away from home weeks at a time going from city to city to city from hotel room to hotel room. The day I can put my luggage in the garage will be a very big day.” Barry Manilow featuring Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15. Where: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. Tickets: $19.75-$167.75, available at bokcenter.com, by phone at 866-7-BOKCTR or at the BOK Center box office at Third Street and Frisco Avenue. |
| April 12, 2016 | NewsOK | "Barry Manilow donates new piano to kick off instrument drive for Oklahoma City Public Schools" by Brandy McDonnell |
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| Hall of fame singer-songwriter Barry Manilow hopes others will again follow his philanthropic lead as he brings his Manilow Music Project to the students at Oklahoma City Public School District ahead of this week's OKC concert. The pop music icon plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch a local music instrument drive, according to a news release. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument will receive two free tickets (valid for pre-selected seat locations on a first come, first serve basis) for Manilow’s Thursday night show at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno. 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 in the release. The Chesapeake Energy Arena Box Office will be the base for the instrument drive in Oklahoma City. The instrument drop off location at the Chesapeake Energy Arena is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. “The Oklahoma City Public School District is honored to be the recipient of the Manilow Music Project’s Instrument Drive,” said Rhonda Taylor, Fine and Performing Arts Director for Oklahoma City Public Schools, in the news release. “The biggest need in our visual and performing arts courses is for music instruments. Through the generosity of Mr. Manilow’s foundation our music students will benefit by having increased accessibility to instruments. We have many students who are in need of instruments, this is a wonderful gift.” The Manilow Music Project is part of The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. It was formed as a grassroots 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 United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information on the Manilow Music Project, go to www.manilowmusicproject.org. As previously reported, Manilow recently announced that he is going on the road to perform concerts across North America one last time. He launched the multi-city "One Last Time! Tour" earlier this year, and the OKC stop is planned for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Peake. He also will perform Friday night at the BOK Center in Tulsa. Tickets for Manilow’s OKC "One Last Time!" concert are available online at www.Manilow.com, in person at the Chesapeake Energy Arena Box Office or by phone at (800) 745-3000. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com. With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Manilow's career encompasses virtually every arena of entertainment, including performing, writing, composing, arranging, and producing. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow has produced, arranged, and released more than 40 albums during the course of his career. He also has 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. |
| April 12, 2016 | NBC 26 | "Barry Manilow's donation drive benefits Bay Port H.S." by Stacy Engebretson |
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| Singer Barry Manilow is asking you to donate musical instruments and, in return, you could get two free tickets to his April 21st show at the Resch Center. Manilow is donating a Yamaha piano to kick-off the donation drive to benefit Bay Port High School's music program. If you'd like to donate new or gently used musical instruments, you can drop them off at the Ticket Star box office in the Resch Center from April 14th through April 21st. Click here for more information on the Manilow Music Project. |
| April 12, 2016 | KFOR News Channel 4 | "Barry Manilow kicking off music instrument drive for Oklahoma City Public Schools" by Dallas Franklin |
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| OKLAHOMA CITY – A legendary singer-songwriter is allowing the public to trade new or gently used musical instruments for concert tickets. Barry Manilow is bringing the Manilow Music Project to the students at the Oklahoma City Public School District. The pop icon plans to donate a Yamaha piano to launch a local music instrument drive. Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument will receive two free tickets for Manilow’s April 14th show. “I’m thrilled to once again bring the gift of music to these kids,” added Manilow. The Chesapeake Energy Arena Box Office will be the base for the instrument drive in Oklahoma City. The instrument drop off location at the Chesapeake Energy Arena is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “The Oklahoma City Public School District is honored to be the recipient of the Manilow Music Project’s Instrument Drive,” said Rhonda Taylor, Fine and Performing Arts Director for Oklahoma City Public Schools. “The biggest need in our visual and performing arts courses is for music instruments. Through the generosity of Mr. Manilow’s foundation our music students will benefit by having increased accessibility to instruments. We have many students who are in need of instruments, this is a wonderful gift.” Click here for more information on the Manilow Music Project. Tickets for Manilow’s ONE LAST TIME! concert are available online at Manilow.com or in person at the Chesapeake Energy Arena Box Office, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. |
| April 12, 2016 | Green Bay Press-Gazette | "Barry Manilow donates piano to Bay Port" by Kendra Meinert |
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| Barry Manilow is donating a new Yamaha piano to Bay Port High School, but other local donations to his Manilow Music Project don’t have to be that big. The celebrated singer-songwriter is calling for new or gently used musical instruments of all sizes to be donated the week before his April 21 concert at the Resch Center. In return, donors will receive a pair of tickets to the show. The instruments will go to Bay Port's music program. Manilow holds instrument drives all over the country as part of his Manilow Music Project, which helps schools with their music programs. Instruments can be dropped off at the Resch Center box office April 14-21. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. The free concert tickets will be valid for pre-selected seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Manilow did the same drive when he performed in Green Bay in 2012, collecting 19 instruments for the Green Bay School District, including two organs and assorted guitars, clarinets, trumpets and trombones. He donated a piano that year as well. Tickets to Manilow’s One Last Time! Tour at the Resch are $169.75-$19.75 and available at the box office, ticketstaronline.com and (800) 895-0071. He has said this will be his final big tour. |
| April 12, 2016 | The Times of Israel | "Barry Manilow tickets go on sale: Brooklyn baritone to perform June 30 in Tel Aviv" by Jessica Steinberg |
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| Barry Manilow tickets went on sale Tuesday morning for the June 30 concert, at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim stadium. Tickets on sale at the Eventim site range in price from NIS 255 ($67) to orchestra seats for up to NIS 1,505 ($400). Ynet reported that Manilow would be performing twice, on June 30 and July 1, but only one date, June 30, appears on the Eventim site. Manilow’s Facebook page shared the Ynet article, but did not comment as to whether there would be a second concert. The popular crooner first announced a Tel Aviv concert on his Facebook page. Manilow is currently on tour in North America and Europe for the “One Last Time! Final Tour.” |
| April 11, 2016 | Ynetnews | "Barry Manilow coming to Israel: The legendary singer, famous for giant hits like 'Mandy' and 'Copacabana,' will peform two shows in Tel Aviv this summer" by Raz Shechnik |
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| Legendary singer Barry Manilow will be coming ot the holy land this summer: The legendary singer will perform two concerts in Tel Aviv's [Menora] Mivtachim Arena, on June 30 and July 1. In recent years, Manilow had discussed the possibility of coming to Israel with several local producers. Recently a deal was struck, allowing for Manilow's arrival this summer. Manilow, whose albums have sold over 80 million copies over the years, is considered one of the most successful artists in the history of music. He began his career in 1971, as a producer and lead pianist for Bette Midler. Manilow, who studied at the New York College of Music, was a partner to Midler's musical work up to 1975. Manilow's debut album, the eponymous Barry Manilow, came out in 1973. His second came out a year later and included the famed ballad "Mandy." In 1978, Manilow released the biggest hit of his career - Copacabana. For the past few years, Manilow has been performing in Las Vegas regularly. Tickets for his Israeli concerts are set to go on sale in the coming days. |
| April 8, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette | "Barry Manilow makes his last Oklahoma City tour stop" by Mark Beutler |
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| One of the first times Barry Manilow performed in Oklahoma City was as music director for an early Bette Midler tour. A few years later, he was out on his own, headlining a sold-out concert arena. Now, the 72-year-old superstar returns to OKC on his farewell tour, One Last Time, 7:30 p.m. April 14 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave. “I first came to Oklahoma City as a headliner in 1975. It was one of the first arena dates I played,” Manilow said during a recent phone interview from his Palm Springs home. “I remember Oklahoma City well. I remember the hotel, the room, the lobby and the arena. Fans there have always been on my side, and they’ve been there for me all these years. I couldn’t be more grateful.” Manilow is one of the best-loved entertainers of a generation. His breakthrough song “Mandy” topped charts early in 1975, becoming the first in a string of hits and multiplatinum albums. In 1978 alone, five of his albums topped charts simultaneously. Today, his worldwide record sales exceed 80 million. He is one of the most popular adult contemporary artists of all time, with more than 50 Top 40 hits. “This tour doesn’t mean I’m retiring; I don’t even know what that word is,” Manilow told Oklahoma Gazette. “I just have to get off the road. … It’s been a great experience every night over these last 45 years. I can tell you that every night is exciting, but it’s the road that finally got me. So this is the last tour.” Last Time: The One Last Time tour began early last year and has hit every major American city. “Fanilows,” as Manilow fans have come to be known, will experience a unique show. “I’ve never quite done a show like this,” Manilow said. “I am doing all of the songs that made it onto the radio. On every tour, I was always promoting an album or I had a 1940s Big Band medley or some special material. But since this is the last time I know I will be visiting these cities, I decided to do all the radio records.” For example, he said he hasn’t performed “Read ’Em and Weep” since that record came out in 1981. It has also been a long time since audiences heard “Somewhere Down the Road” or “Ships.” “So I am doing all of them,” he said. Recreating those songs is a feat in and of itself. He said he relearned many of the tunes, and he is one of the lucky entertainers who can fill an entire show with music audiences recognize. He launches each show on this tour with “It’s a Miracle” and ends with “Copacabana,” he said. “In the middle, it’s every song that ever made it onto the radio,” Manilow said. “This is the first time I have ever done anything like this.” Dream project: His most recent album, My Dream Duets, was released in 2014. It features Manilow and the vocals of some of his favorite performers, including Whitney Houston, Sammy Davis Jr., Mama Cass, Louis Armstrong and John Denver, among others. He features one duet from the album on his farewell tour. “This album is a miracle,” he said. “It really is a technical marvel. Technology has evolved so far that we were able to remove the old orchestras and just leave me with the voices.” That allowed him to do new arrangements, too. “I could put Andy Williams’ ‘Moon River’ in a different key or put a new ending on a Dusty Springfield track,” he said. “And to hear Judy Garland’s voice in my headset like she was standing right next to me, it was really a very emotional and special experience.” Becoming emotional: Manilow said he tries not to think about the moment he will step off the stage for the last time. “Each night, as we get closer to the final show, these songs that usually are not very emotional to me are becoming emotional,” he said. “Something as simple and fun as ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ is now starting to mean something totally different.... But I’m having a great old time on this tour, and I want to tell all my fans, especially those in Oklahoma City, how truly grateful I am for their support through these many years.” Barry Manilow with Dave Koz. 7:30 p.m. April 14. Chesapeake Energy Arena. 100 W. Reno Ave. chesapeakearena.com. 405-602-8700. $19.75-$169.75. |
| April 7, 2016 | The Gazette | Barry Manilow to appear at Broadmoor World Arena |
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| Barry Manilow is coming to Colorado Springs. Manilow’s “ONE LAST TIME!” tour will be at the Broadmoor World Arena on May 4. Tickets will go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time with more than 50 Top 40 hits and worldwide record sales of over $80 million. Among his biggest hits have been “Looks like we made it,” “Copacabana,” and “I Write the Songs.” According to a press release from the Broadmoor World Arena, Manilow insisted that the average ticket price be made low. Because of that, tickets will start at $19.75 in deference to Manilow’s 1975 mega-hit “Mandy.” “We’re having a great time putting the show together,” Manilow said in the release. “We hope to take everyone on an emotional roller coaster. I can’t wait to see everyone dancing in the aisles.” Tickets may be purchased online here, and at all TicketsWest locations by dialing 520-SHOW or by visiting the Pikes Peak Center or Broadmoor World Arena Box Offices. |
| April 7, 2016 | KKTV-11 News | Barry Manilow's Final Tour To Stop In Colorado Springs |
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| Broadmoor World Arena announced Barry Manilow will stop in Colorado Springs as part of his final North America tour. Tickets for the May 4 show go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. They can be purchased online at the World Arena's website, all TicketsWest locations, or by calling 520-SHOW. Most recently, Manilow has performed in more than 400 shows in Las Vegas at both the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas. |
| April 7, 2016 | Argus Leader | "'That was fun!' Manilow delivers in Sioux Falls" by Brenda Wade Schmidt |
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| He needed no introduction, but he politely offered one anyway. “I’m Barry Manilow,” said the entertainer who Wednesday night brought a crowd of mostly women in their 40s to 60s to the Denny Sanford Premier Center for his One Last Time concert tour. “We’re going to be here all night long.” With a concert of almost 30 hits, it does take awhile. But Manilow ran through many in a medley format, using his trademark dynamic, sustaining vocals and just a little less swivel in his hips. He also sat at his grand piano and played along with many of the numbers. Starting the show with “It’s a Miracle,” “Daybreak” and “Somewhere in the Night,” he asked the audience to sing along with “Can’t Smile Without You,” complete with a smiley face emoji bouncing over the words. Manilow, 72, brought energy, a radiant smile and complete entertainment to the stage. “That was fun,” was a common comment overheard as smiling fans left the show awash in memories. Karla Brown from Sioux Falls got on stage for a close dance with Manilow during one number. She hadn’t been to his concerts before. “Oh. My. God,” she said when face to face with the star. “This is my first time, and I have loved you forever.” The crowd heard about Manilow’s childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he said he attended the roughest high school. “I wasn’t good at sports, and I wasn’t going to join a gang. Can you imagine me joining a gang?” Instead, he joined the orchestra, a choice that made it possible for him to be onstage today. While in Sioux Falls, as with other stops on the tour, he donated a piano to the Sioux Falls School District and asked fans to consider donating unused instruments so that students can experience and learn music. “Music will change a young kid’s life like it did mine,” he said, and followed his pitch with a touching rendition of “I am Your Child.” With a supportive and appreciative crowd reaction to his music, Manilow thanked them back. “You’re great. You make me feel like Justin Bieber. You know, I was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s.” A flashback feature that combined video of his appearance on “The Midnight Special” early in his career singing “Mandy” with a live performance of the song drew a standing ovation from the crowd. The crowd erupted in applause, too, when members of the Augustana University Choir, dressed in red robes to match the pageantry on stage, sang and grooved to “I Write the Songs” and “Copacabana (At the Copa),” as Manilow closed his show. With an explosion of confetti streamers, the entertainer went “dancing in the streets,” with a reprise of “It’s a Miracle.” |
| April 7, 2016 | Jewish News | Barry Manilow to play Israel for the first time |
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| Legendary crooner Barry Manilow will perform in Israel for the first time later this year, according to his official Facebook page. The Jewish singer, 72, is set to play Tel Aviv as part of his ‘One Last Time Tour’ in June. Full details of the show - the Copacabana hitmaker’s first in Israel - are yet to be announced. A photo posted on his Facebook page read: “Manilow. Israel. June. Will you be there?” A comment lower down on the post mentioned the show would be on June 30. The gig will be added to Manilow’s official tour schedule as soon as tickets go on sale, a spokesman said. |
| April 7, 2016 | The Times of Israel | "Beloved crooner Barry Manilow announces Israel gig: Brooklyn-born singer announces June concert on Facebook page, but few details provided" by Jessica Steinberg |
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| Beloved iconic crooner Barry Manilow looks to be heading to Israel this summer for a concert on June 30, according to his official Facebook page. A black-and-white poster stating “MANILOW ISRAEL JUNE” appeared on the singer’s Facebook page Wednesday. When fans commented that it was too good to be true, and that tickets hadn’t yet gone on sale for a concert in two months, there was a response from Manilow’s Facebook page stating the date of the concert, June 30. The Facebook page further stated that the show would be listed on Manilow’s official website and local ticket sites as soon as the tickets go on sale. Manilow, now 72, has called this tour the “One Last Time Tour,” on Twitter and Facebook. The crooner had five albums on the bestseller charts in 1978 and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide. Manilow was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he was named Barry Pincus. He started out writing commercial jingles, and became better known in the 1970s, working with various singers including Bette Midler. |
| April 7, 2016 | The Jerusalem Post | Barry Manilow to bring the Copacabana to Israel |
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| Grammy award winning singer-songwriter and producer Barry Manilow announced on [Wednesday] that he is planning to perform in Israel in June of 2016. [A] photo appearing on his Facebook page [stated] "Manilow. Israel. June. Will you be there?" Manilow, born Barry Alan Pincus in New York, was immediately bombarded in the comments to the post by fans, some questioning if the post was a joke while others begged for information on ticket sales. [Response] to the comments [stated] that this was in fact not a joke and that the show will take place on the 30th of June in Tel Aviv with ticket sales opening shortly. "No joke. We can't wait to go. Very excited!" Manilow has topped the charts with five best-selling records and has been named Radio & Records' No. 1 adult contemporary artist, and won three American Music Awards for favorite pop/rock male artist. Having sold over 80 million albums worldwide, Manilow is considered one of the top selling artists of all time. |
| April 7, 2016 | San Antonio Express-News | 'One Last Time' to see Barry Manilow |
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| As he says goodbye to arenas and the road, Barry Manilow is reveling in the brave new world of music technology that allowed him to step into pop’s glorious past for his Grammy-nominated album, “My Dream Duets.” It's a technological wonder of virtual duets with Manilow immersing himself in hits by Jimmy Durante, Whitney Houston, Mama Cass Elliot, Frankie Lymon, John Denver, Judy Garland, Dusty springfield and other greats. I don’t know how these guys did it, but they took the voices off the records without the orchestra and just gave me the vocals,” said Manilow, who brings his much-praised “One Last Time” tour to the AT&T Center on Wednesday. "I could sing with the vocals in my headset without the original orchestra behind Andy Williams singing 'Moon River.' All I got was Andy Williams by himself without any accompaniment. In those days, they didn't do separate tracks." Manilow fans will hear joy in the eternally exuberant “Goody Goody” and Durante’s “Songs Gotta Come From the Heart,” as well as the sheer beauty and nostalgia of Williams’ “Moon River,” and sexiness of Marilyn Monroe cooing “I Wanna Be Loved By You.” Because of new technology, the keys could be changed as well as arrangements. He trades lead vocals, sings harmony and even throws in call and response. As always, the 72-year-old singer is in fine voice with his trademark smooth, emotional vibrato. "It was just fantastic, and then to to sing with these beautiful voices. And they cleaned up the voices, so it sounds, as you can tell, I’m singing with these people yesterday. It was a great experience," he said. Manilow credits the strength of the songs. “It was so moving to hear great songs,” he said, making a distinction between the “fantastic” and “great-sounding records” of today and the pure songwriting of the past, from Gershwin and Irving Berlin to the Beatles. "I miss hearing great new songs. They don't write - I feel like an old fart, which I am - still they don't write great songs. I mean Adele is doing some wonderful work and you see what happens. The public is starving for great, wonderfully written, moving, feeling songs." In concert, Manilow duets with a synchronized video of Judy Garland. “One Last Time” is a grand finale to arena touring. Audiences are reported to be at fever pitch with enthusiasm, screaming and singing along to the biggest set list of his career. His hits (whether he composed them or not) speak for themselves: "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana (At The Copa)," "Could It Be Magic," "Weekend in New England," "Looks Like We Made It," "I Write The Songs" ... "It's totally different from Vegas," said Manilow about the tour's fans, who "are out of their minds as soon as the show begins." "Vegas was very, very exciting. I didn't think it would be. But it was a [great] seven years in Vegas. But this tour is the most exciting one I've ever been on. I don't know who these people are that are coming to see me ... maybe it's because, you know, they want to catch me before I die or something." He's kidding, of course. But Manilow does acknowledge he's entering a new phase "and kind of saying goodbye" to some of the songs. For example, the simple "Can't Smile Without You" has become more emotional and "something deeper than it ever meant." "It's a great way to take it out. I'm not stopping performing, but I've got to get off the road," he said. "And this is a really great way to take it out. It starts with 'It's a Miracle' and it ends with 'Copacabana,' and in the middle it's all of the hits. I'm one of the lucky guys that can fill up an evening with songs that everybody knows. And I've never done all of them." Barry Manilow. What: "One Last Time," his final arena tour. When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Where: AT&T Center, One AT&T Parkway. Tickets: $19.75-$169.75; Manilow Music Project will provide a pair of concert tickets to fans who donate gently used or new professional musical instruments. No toy instruments. Fans can bring them to AT&T Center box office through the day of the show. Phone: 1-800-745-3000. |
| April 6, 2016 | Union Leader | "Manchester middle school to receive piano from Barry Manilow charity" by Paul Feely |
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| MANCHESTER - City school officials announced Tuesday the music program at The Middle School at Parkside will receive a new piano before school lets out in June, donated by music legend Barry Manilow’s music charity. The Manilow Music Project traditionally donates a new piano to the local school district located along each of the singer’s tour stops. Manchester school administrators were contacted by Manilow Music Project representatives ahead of his concert at the Verizon Wireless Arena last month. School officials then set about trying to decide which of the district’s 22 schools would receive the Yamaha NU1 acoustic/digital hybrid upright piano, valued at $6,500. “We decided that an essay contest would be the best way to give all of our schools an equal chance to claim the piano,” said Superintendent Debra Livingston in a statement. Parkside’s music students sent several essays to the school district office, with several describing personal experiences with music and how it has impacted their lives. Others submitted stories about music in a children’s book format. One entry featured the titles of several Manilow songs, which include the lines, “Maybe Somewhere Down the Road our school will get the money we need to buy new instruments... Even Now I can imagine how great winning this would be." Livingston said the needs of the schools that submitted entries were also considered. “Parkside’s band, orchestra and choir share two older model digital keyboards, and the upright piano is in such disrepair, it can’t even be tuned anymore,” said Livingston. Wilson Elementary School submitted a video of its music teacher and students, earning them first runner-up honors in the piano giveaway contest, Wilson will receive a portion of funds collected from Manchester teachers and staff, who donated $5 per person to the district for tickets donated to city schools by the Manilow Music Project. The effort raised more than $1,000, which will be used to benefit music education in Manchester. “The district will give Wilson’s music teacher the funds she needs to purchase a new portable keyboard,” said Livingston in a statement. Parkside administrators expect to receive the new piano in about six weeks. |
| April 5, 2016 | Star Tribune | "Barry Manilow brings his One Last Time tour to St. Paul - and this time he means it: Barry Manilow talks about Bob Dylan, Judy Garland and his final concert appearance in the Twin Cities" by Jon Bream |
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| Cher, Tina Turner and Mötley Crüe didn’t mince words. They called it their “Farewell Tour” because they were done with performing. Never mind that Cher and the Crüe each visited the Twin Cities three times on their exit trek. Barry Manilow is telling it like it is. He’s calling it his One Last Time Tour. And it’s coming to Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Thursday. It will be his final show in the Twin Cities. The 72-year-old explained that and other things in a recent phone interview. Star Tribune: What do you mean by “One Last Time”? Are you retiring?
Barry Manilow: It’s our final American tour. Then I go to Britain in June and that’s the end of my touring life. It’s not the end of my performance life. I’ll probably do a one-nighter here and there, maybe a residency someplace. But it’s the end of the road. ST: Will you perform a residency in Las Vegas again?
BM: I would consider it. We’re not even thinking about anything like that now. We’re just wanting to get through this tour and finish the new album I’m making. ST: What can we expect on this tour?
BM: This show is a little different. I don’t have an album to promote. It’s the last time I’ll be in the cities so it makes sense to do as many hits and album hits like “Bandstand Boogie” that became popular. The show is filled with very well-known songs. The fans don’t want me to promote my latest anything. I haven’t done a tour quite like this ever. “Read ’Em and Weep,” “Somewhere Down the Road,” “Ships,” I haven’t done these songs in years. The audience is having a great time and that’s all I care about. ST: Are you performing anything from your 2014 “Dream Duets” album on which you sang with Whitney Houston, Louis Armstrong, Dusty Springfield and others who are no longer with us?
BM: We have three videos we made when we finished making the album. The one I’m doing on this [tour] is the duet with the Judy Garland song [“Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”]. The video’s my duet partner. I was nervous. A long time ago, Judy did that. Thank goodness, it’s going over just great. ST: You know she was born in Minnesota.
BM: Right. I have to say that, then. Thank you for that. ST: You usually bring a fan onstage to sing “Can’t Smile Without You.” What’s the craziest thing that’s happened with a fan in concert?
BM: It happened a couple of weeks ago. Somebody just got carried away and jumped up on the stage and I turned into Justin Bieber. My security people rushed her offstage. It was kind of exciting. But it’s dangerous for the fan. In order to get up on that stage, you’ve got to crawl. I don’t want them to hurt themselves. ST: What do you remember about your previous Twin Cities appearances? Like when you rehearsed at Prince’s Paisley Park for a tour?
BM: I did. That was Prince’s place, right. It was always frozen. We had great times there. We played a small theater there once where I did my “Showstoppers” show. ST: That was in 1991 when they reopened the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis and we had the biggest snowstorm ever. It was Halloween.
BM: That’s what I remember. The biggest snowstorm ever. Wow! I think I’ve been to this area 15 times since I started touring in the ’70s. We’re old friends. ST: Tell us about your next album.
BM: It’s half standards and half originals. It’s called “This Is My Town: Songs of New York.” I’m really enjoying making this. My collaborators and I are writing some nice original things. The touring keeps getting in the way. We’re trying to get it out before Christmas or maybe early next year. ST: People always talk about how you write the songs. Not enough attention is given to your showmanship. Where does that sense of showmanship come from?
BM: Beats the [expletive] out of me. As you know, I never started off wanting to do this. I started off wanting to be a musician, songwriter, producer. That’s where I was heading. Out of the blue, this performing career dropped into my lap and I had to learn to do that. The bad reviews I got, I deserved them. I was comfortable behind the piano, but when I got up and tried to talk to the audience and sing, I was awkward and I didn’t know what I was doing. But the audience never had trouble with it from the very first time I did it in a little club in Philadelphia. It was on-the-job learning. I really enjoy entertaining these people. ST: Where does your energy come from?
BM: Oh, please! You stand on that stage with 10,000 people shouting, you’d have to be dead not to have the energy that happens. It’s fantastic. I’m going to miss that. I don’t want to stop that. It’s not the job. The performing and concerts are thrilling; it never gets old. Just getting [to the concerts], that’s what’s gotten to me. It’s been 45 years of room service. The audiences aren’t strangers anymore; they’re friends. I’m going to miss that feeling. ST: Minnesotans want to hear about your encounter with our home-state hero Bob Dylan at that Passover Seder at Burt Bacharach’s in the late 1980s.
BM: Before I left, he came over and said, “Keep on doing what you’re doing. We’re all inspired by you.” It was a wonderful thing to hear because those were the days when I was getting absolutely creamed by the critics, so for him to say that to me was a very, very important moment for me. ST: Some people weren’t sure if Dylan was serious or joking.
BM: I want to believe he was serious. ST: People comment about what great shape you’re in. What’s your workout regimen?
BM: When I am home, I work out three times a week. I try to eat right. I don’t have trouble with weight. I’m a skinny guy. On the road, we stay in first-class hotels; they always have gyms, so we go down to the gym whenever we can. ST: What do you do before a show to warm up?
BM: Nothing. I don’t consider myself a singer. I don’t pay attention to warming up. So many singers I’ve worked with have to spend an hour inhaling steam or whatever. I don’t do any of that. The first time I hear what my voice sounds like is when I start the first song. ST: How do you want to be remembered?
BM: As somebody who made you feel. I’m not the kind of guy who makes you tap your toes or has junk words and melodies. I like to make the audience feel — feel good, feel sad, feel inspired. I want them to feel something with my music. Barry Manilow. Opening: Dave Koz. When: 7:30 p.m. Thu. Where: Xcel Energy Center, W. 7th St. & Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Tickets: $19.75-$169.75, ticketmaster.com.
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| April 2, 2016 | Examiner.com | Barry Manilow: Awesome in Arkansas for 'One Last Time' tour stop |
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| Pop icon Barry Manilow, 72, wowed Little Rock with his hit packed 'One Last Time' show, Friday night, opening with "It's A Miracle" and closing with "Copacabana" and "I Write the Songs," backed by the University of Arkansas Little Rock Concert Choir. Manilow said he hasn't been here since 1975. He made the crowd feel good when he sang "from Boston to Little Rock," during "It's A Miracle." "Daybreak," "Somewhere In The Night," and "Can't Smile Without You," complete with smiley faced lyrics scrolling on the screen, set the pace for the non-stop hit fest. An interesting part of the show featured a 1975 film clip of Manilow's appearance on "The Midnight Special," when he sang "Mandy," while playing the piano. The 2016 version of Manilow playing was put on a split screen with the 1975 clip making for a great passage of time segment. Manilow talked about attending the most dangerous high school in the world in Brooklyn. He said he loved the orchestra class the school offered and really took a liking to it. He said it changed his life. He joked, "could you picture me a gang member?" "Brooklyn Blues" was included in his set list. He spoke of the importance of music in the schools and how important it is for students to have instruments. In fact, he said the local community was active in collecting instruments for Little Rock area students. Manilow talked about his earlier duets album, treating fans to a sing along with a screen imposed image of Judy Garland. "American Bandstand" fans were in luck as Manilow belted out "Bandstand Boogie." Dave Koz, a 53-year-old smooth jazz saxophonist, played a half hour set to open the show. Koz said it has been 20 years since he has been to Little Rock and he is celebrating 25 years in the business. He treated the crowd to selections from The Beatles, Earth Wind and Fire and Kool and The Gang. He also played "Let It Go," from Frozen. Koz said his nieces said he had to start performing it. Fans ushered out singing favorites from the night. Some were also covered with "Copacabana" confetti that was shot out during the end of the show. |
| April 2, 2016 | Arkansas Online | "Manilow croons, grooves to fans' glee" by Linda Haymes |
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| Barry Manilow on Friday night, took to the stage of Verizon Arena in North Little Rock with his One Last Time tour, which he says marks the end of his full schedule of touring. The singer, songwriter, and arranger, now 72 but once hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as "The Showman of Our Generation," didn't disappoint the crowd of 4,855. He performed for about an hour and 20 minutes for the enthusiastic crowd, many of whom have dubbed themselves to be "fanilows," like Kay from Cabot, who was pulled onstage to dance with Manilow and who has traveled to catch four of his stops on this tour. Manilow's energy level, dashing from one side of the stage to the other, belied his age. Sharply dressed, first in a black tuxedo, later changing into a white tuxedo jacket, he seemed appreciative of the enthusiastic crowd of mainly middle-aged and older fans cheering him on. Before becoming a star in his own right, Manilow, who co-wrote more than a dozen of the hits he performed, worked for others, including Bette Midler in the early 1970s, as her musical director, arranger and pianist. In addition to his pop music, he's also written, arranged or recorded other music, including an original jazz album and Broadway tunes. After smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz opened the show at 7:30 p.m. with a 30-minute set that included The Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life," Manilow took the stage about 8:20 p.m. and focused primarily on his pop hits, beginning with "It's a Miracle." During his show, he covered most, if not all, of his hits, singing 14 in full followed by a medley of another 14 tunes. He concluded his show with a reprise of "It's a Miracle." Some of the songs were fun and playful, like "Can't Smile Without You," while others were grand and sweeping, like "Even Now" and "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," with Manilow belting them out with gusto while playing the grand piano. His performance of "Weekend in New England" got him a standing ovation. The crowd also cheered as about 28 members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Concert Choir joined Manilow to sing "I Write the Songs," "Copacabana (At the Copa)," and his encore of "It's a Miracle." |
| April 1, 2016 | Your Erie | Barry Manilow headed to Erie |
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| Erie, Pa. - Barry Manilow is hitting the road one last time and will be making a stop in Erie. Barry Manilow will be performing at the Erie Insurance Arena on April 25. Tickets went on sale Friday April 1. Fans lined up at the box office excited to purchase seats to the show. Manilow says this tour is his way of thanking everyone for their years of support. This music legend will be touring all across North America. |
| April 1, 2016 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | "Barry Manilow is a class act in straightforward Scottrade Center concert" by Kevin C. Johnson |
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| Barry Manilow has been singing about writing the songs that make the whole world sing for decades. He performed most of them “One Last Time!” at Scottrade Center Thursday night. You can believe it was for one last time if you want to, but you know how these things can go. And putting that exclamation point behind the tour title doesn’t give the proceedings any added finality. There was little that transpired over the 90-minute concert that made fans think it was really the last time they’d be seeing the 72-year-old Manilow - apart from thanking fans for coming to see him all these years. The evening was essentially another Manilow show, not much unlike others before it, for better or worse. Less glitzy and showy than some might have wanted, the crooner was a class act and consummate showman in a tuxedo and tails. He opened with the first of many favorites, “It’s a Miracle,” after which he said, “Allow me to introduce myself; I’m Barry Manilow.” Boasting a strong voice and relaxed movements as he sauntered between piano, keyboards and a center stage microphone, he followed with songs such as “Daybreak,” “Somewhere in the Night,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” “Looks Like We Made It,” and “Could It Be Magic,” his first go at the piano. He pulled a fan from the front row to dance during the latter song. Sticking to formula, Manilow delivered the tunes as they were recorded, which is most likely exactly the way fans wanted it. Support act Dave Koz, a jazz-funk saxophonist, joined him for “Brooklyn Blues.” After intense response to the ballad “Even Now,” Manilow swore he was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s. “Ask your mother.” He talked up his Manilow Music Project, which provides instruments to students, and said he donated a piano locally. (Free tickets to his show were given to those who had donated.) Promoting his Grammy-nominated 2014 album “My Dream Duets,” which pairs him posthumously with folks like Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, Mama Cass and Whitney Houston (he jokingly called it “Dead Duets”), he sang a duet with vintage footage of Garland on “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart.” He said he lost the Grammy to Tony Bennett earlier this year, as usual, since Bennett wins everything including the Miss America Pageant. A 1975 clip of Clive Davis introducing Manilow’s TV performance of “Mandy” on “The Midnight Special” was a nice moment where he sang with his younger self. An extended medley included “The Old Songs,” “Bandstand Boogie,” “Jump Shout Boogie,” “This One’s for You” and much more. “I Write the Songs” featured a performance by the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, which sounded fabulous with Manilow. The chorus stuck around for the always-fun “Copacabana (at the Copa),” complete with a mirror ball overhead. While still in that party spirit, he offered a reprise of “It’s a Miracle,” capped by a blast of colorful streams of confetti. Opening act Koz, celebrating 25 years since the release of his first album, played a fast-moving set that was as harmless as it was hokey. He boasted a playful, in-your-face playing style and low-key choreography. “I know you’re saying to yourself, ‘Who is this guy, and where’s Barry?’” Koz joked, though it was questionable why he played down his veteran status for mild humor. He largely stuck to cover songs including “Let It Go,” the blockbuster song from “Frozen,” which he said his nieces persuaded him to record. In a nod to classic bands with horn sections, he performed Earth, Wind and Fire’s version of the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.” And he kept the classics going with a medley of songs he grew up with, including Earth Wind and Fire’s “Getaway,” Rick James’ “Give It To Me Baby” and KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It),” which included some vocals from Koz. |
| April 1, 2016 | Argus Leader | "Manilow Q&A: Musical surprises and heartfelt goodbyes" by Scott Hudson |
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| One would think that an elitist snob like myself would dread interviewing somebody as mainstream as Barry Manilow. What could a child of the Stones and punk rock even ask the man famous for pop hits such as “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs” and “Copacabana”? On the other hand, I did grow up hearing these singles on the radio. While I may have ended the '70s following the likes of the Clash and Jam, the decade began with a collection of Partridge Family and Osmonds singles. Somewhere in between, it’s likely that I had a Manilow 45 or two. As has often happened over the last couple of years, the phone conversation with Manilow couldn’t have been more entertaining. In fact, he surprised me on a number occasions, especially when he talked of his love of Tom Waits and his friendship with Dave Grohl (“great guy”). (Then again, isn’t the omnipresent Grohl friends with everybody in the music industry?) He even enjoys Marilyn Manson, whom he met at a German awards show. “We had a great conversation and really connected,” he said to the Telegraph. “I turned into a fan. I (even) wrote him a gushy fan letter.” You also have to respect musicians who do whatever they can to help provide children with access to musical instruments. Along with donating a Yamaha piano to the Sioux Falls school district as part of his Manilow Music Project, Barry has also provided a free pair of tickets for his April 6 concert at the Premier Center to anybody who donates a “new or gently used” instrument. Argus Leader: There were reports earlier this year that you were ill. How are you feeling?
Barry Manilow (BM): I’m fine. I had a little issue with an exploding root canal. I don’t know why such a big deal was made of it. AL: As I was doing my research, I was shocked to discover that you once said Tom Waits was your favorite vocalist. What do you like about him?
BM: I just think he’s so interesting. Just the other day, I was listening to KCRW and one of his songs came on. He was sort of growling, and the music backing him sounded like people banging on jugs. I loved it. AL: In your many years as an artist, there have been a plethora of changes that have affected every aspect of the music business. Touring, recording, merchandising, radio, and even how music is sold has changed. Many people focus on the negatives, but I’d like to know what is the best change since you started?
BM: I would have to say the advances in recording technology because I can now record wherever and whenever I want. It used to be that if you had a new song, you’d have to contact your producer. You’d have to book a studio, and the musicians. You’d have to hire an orchestra. Now I can make a recording at home, and I can add whatever I want to it. If I want to change the chorus, the key, or move a part around. AL: Your most recent album, “My Dream Duets,” has you singing with late great legends such as Jimmy Durante, Frankie Lymon, Louis Armstrong, and even Marilyn Monroe. What inspired you to make this record?
BM: I was asked to do one, but there are already so many out there. I decided if it was going to be done, I was going to do something different. I made a list of people that I’ve always wanted to sing with. We found this company who had this great technology that completely separates the vocals from a recording. I composed new arrangements and redid them as duets. I had such a great time. AL: What was it was like to record your parts while hearing the original voices in your headphones?
BM: I went through a lot of tissues. This technology was so great that it sounded like they were standing next to me. Some of these were scratchy old records from the days when everything was recorded live. Being able to sing with these legends when they were young and fresh was so incredible. AL: Are you putting together a new record?
BM: I am. I’m in the middle of making it right now. I’m calling it “This Is My Town.” It’s the name of a song, and it’s songs about New York. It’s half originals, and half standards. AL: When will this be released?
BM: This tour is just getting in the way. We thought we’d get it out this year, but we’ll probably put it out next year. AL: As part of your Manilow Music Project, you’re donating a piano and also offering tickets to those who donate instruments. How did you come about creating this charity?
BM: I got a call from a friend who told me about what was happening with the Palm Desert Middle School Band program. I started looking around at other schools. I discovered that due to budget cuts and things like that, schools all over are just running out of instruments. So I formed the Manilow Music Project. For the last 10-odd years we’ve been getting instruments for schools that are running out of them. When I get to a city on tour, like when I get to your city, I donate a piano as a beginning of an instrument drive. I donate a piano to each city, and then I ask the audiences if they’ll bring down instruments that they’re not using. They’re just collecting dust in an attic or something. AL: Isn’t it a pity how music education has become so de-emphasized these days?
BM: People think it’s play time, but it’s so much more than play time. I speak to the principals all the time, and they tell me their grades go up. They become better students. They learn how to interact with other students. It changes these kids' lives. Even if they’re not going to turn into professional musicians or singers, teaching kids how to play an instrument in school really does change them. AL: So is this really your final tour?
BM: Yeah. It’s the last time I’m on the road. It’s not the last time I’ll perform. Who knows where you’ll find me. It could be the Hollywood Bowl or New York City. I don’t know what. But I’ve got to get off the road. It’s 45 years of room service. That’s enough. Thank you, that’s enough. You know, it’s kind of moving to me that I’m saying goodbye to each city. They’ve been so great to me all these 45 years. Every show is very moving. They’re great audiences, and they know I’m kind of saying goodbye. I’m not coming back to these cities. AL: What are you going to do with all of this extra time in your life?
BM: I never have extra time. There’s always a million projects going on, but I’ve just got to get off the road. Who: Barry Manilow. When: April 6. Where: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls. Tickets: Start at $19.75 because 1975 is the year that Manilow's hit song "Mandy" topped the charts. Available at the box office, www.ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000 and all Ticketmaster outlets. |
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