Barry Manilow marries his manager
Surprise! Barry Manilow tied the knot last year, marrying his longtime manager Garry Kief, reports People and Us Weekly.
People reports the event was a surprise even to the couple’s 20 to 30 guests, who attended what they thought was a lunch at Manilow’s sprawling Palm Springs estate.
The National Enquirer, which reported the story first, says Manilow’s longtime friend and Palm Springs neighbour Suzanne Somers was the best man.
Manilow rep Victoria Varela had no comment.
With legions of female fans known as “Fanilows,” Manilow, 71, has long tried to keep his sexual orientation out of the public eye. His private life, he’s maintained over years of touring and Las Vegas residencies, is private.
Manilow has even kept the names of his pets a secret.
“I’ve opened the door to every aspect of my musical life, but that’s the one area I save for myself,” he told USA Today in 2011. “You can’t come into my private life unless I invite you. The press has been respectful of me there — actually, I don’t think they give as---. I mean, I’m boring, boring as you can get.”
Of his hobbies, he would only say this: “I do the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday, in pen, while having coffee and listening to my favourite classical radio station.”
Manilow was previously married to his high school girlfriend, Susan Deixler, in 1961. The marriage was annulled after two years.