Speaking with Smooth Radio’s Paul Phear ahead of his return to the UK for his Last Last Concert Tour, Barry revealed all about how his six-decade-long singing career came to be. “I know it sounds weird,” Barry said. “But I don’t consider myself a singer... I consider myself a musician. That’s what I wanted to do with my life... [be] an arranger, a songwriter, anything – but singing? On a stage? For an audience? That was crazy!” he added. But early on in his career, after writing an album-worth of songs that he really liked, Barry realised that to promote his creation, he would have to be the one to go out on stage and sing his songs. “I stunk,” he claims amusedly. “I was so awful, but the audiences didn’t think so. They were telling me: 'Keep going. We like this, we like what you’re doing,’ and that’s how [my career] began.” Considering his six decades of success, it seems ridiculous that Barry would still have any doubts about his career today. But the multi-AMA award-winner insists: “To this day I honestly don’t understand why they’re applauding so much, but I’m so happy that they’re still with me.” He's much prouder of his singing, however, and along with delighting fans, it is what keeps him coming back to perform to audiences across the world. In 2024, Barry performed what he planned to be his final shows in the UK at the London Palladium. But next June, he will be back to perform in arenas across the UK. “I was convinced that [2024's Palladium residency] was going to be the end,” Barry told Paul. “But when I got home, I realised that if I’m going to say goodbye, then I should say goodbye to each of these cities that I’ve loved. That will be the last time,” he stressed, but then joked: “But don’t listen to me, everything changes with me!” Throughout his career, Barry never considered retiring from music-making or performing. This December, he will release his 32nd album, What a Time. Its first single, 'Once Before I Go', was released in late September. But, the 82-year-old joked, now at “100 years old” he feels like he has to recognise at some point his career will come to an end. “The night I can’t hit the high F natural at the end of ‘Even Now’, that’ll be the night that I say goodbye,” Barry shared. “But so far I can still hit that high F natural, so we’ll see what happens!”
Listen to BBC Radio 2, Tuesday, 23 September at 7:50am BST for the world premiere of his new single "Once Before I Go" from his forthcoming album, WHAT A TIME. The timeless new single was produced by Grammy award-winner Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Demonte Posey, and written by the legendary Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford.
Barry Manilow's amazing career, as told in BBC interviews with Gary Barlow in his Songwriters series, Steve Wright, Paul O'Grady, Michael Ball and Claudia Winkleman. Plus, his Desert Island Discs interview with Kirsty Young and a look back in the archive where Barry chats to David Hamilton.
Des Moines is on the short list of last concert stops for Music Legend Barry Manilow. I got the chance to talk with him as he was wrapping up his latest Las Vegas residency.
NBC celebrates the holidays as it re-airs “Barry Manilow’s A Very Barry Christmas” on Thursday, December 19th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. With a Vegas-sized backdrop and a mix of MANILOW hits and holiday classics, this festive special is all you’ll want for Christmas. The special was filmed at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on November 1st, 2023.
This weekend Barry Manilow continues his historic Radio City residency in his hometown of New York. See MANILOW through April 13th at Radio City! Get your tickets now: https://on.barrymanilow.com/trk/rcmhapr2025 (via Good Day New York)
This Page Created March 3, 1996 (Last Updated October 10, 2025)
