Barry Manilow

About Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow turned jingles into a songwriting empire, then somehow became one of the most successful adult contemporary artists of all time while critics spent decades rolling their eyes. He was born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn in 1943, grew up in a working-class Jewish household, and studied at Juilliard before the real world of commercial music pulled him away.

His early career was pure New York hustle. He arranged music, played piano in bars, worked as a staff writer and producer at CBS. The jingle work paid bills and taught him how to write hooks that burrow into your brain and never leave. He wrote "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There" and "I Am Stuck on Band-Aid," which is either impressive or horrifying depending on your perspective. He was Bette Midler's musical director and arranger in the early seventies, which gave him credibility in certain circles and taught him about showmanship.

Then came "Mandy" in 1974, a song he didn't write but made entirely his own. It hit number one and established the template: dramatic, romantic, melodically sharp songs about longing and heartbreak delivered with complete sincerity. "Could It Be Magic," built around a Chopin prelude, showed he could blend classical structure with pop accessibility. "Copacabana" arrived in 1978 as this strange, narrative-driven disco-adjacent track about a showgirl and a gunfight, and it was campy and theatrical and somehow perfect.

The late seventies and early eighties were his commercial peak. "I Write the Songs" became his signature despite the irony that he didn't write it. "Weekend in New England," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You"—the hits kept coming, all variations on the same romantic themes, all impeccably produced. Albums like "Tryin' to Get the Feeling" and "Even Now" sold millions. He became the punchline for cool kids and the savior for everyone else who just wanted a good melody and unironic emotion.

The industry moved on, as it does, but Manilow kept working. Vegas became his natural habitat. He released concept albums, standards collections, Broadway-inspired projects. In 2006, "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" hit number one on the Billboard 200, proving his audience never really left. He came out as gay in 2017 at age 73, confirming what most people assumed but in his own time.

He's still performing now, mostly in Vegas residencies that draw crowds who've been listening for decades. Over 85 million records sold, countless awards, and a reputation as a consummate professional who understands exactly what his audience wants. The cool kids still don't get it, but Manilow never seemed to care much about that.

Manilow shows are devotional experiences. The crowd skews older, mostly women, many of whom have been waiting thirty years to hear these songs live. He's a consummate performer—technically sharp, emotionally committed. The production is ornate. Nobody's casual about it.

Known for Mandy, Copacabana (At the Copa), Looks Like We Made It, Endlessly, I Write the Songs

See Barry Manilow Live