MANILOW: YES, I’M GAY
Singing superstar on his 40-year secret
BARRY Manilow has spoken publicly for the first time about being gay – and his partner of nearly 40 years.
The intensely private superstar and his manager Garry Kief have been a couple for decades.
But Barry had never discussed it, even when news broke in 2015 that he and Garry had got married.
He finally broke his silence in an interview with People Magazine in the US.
Explaining why he kept quiet for so long, Barry, 73, said: “I’m so private. I always have been.”
He was also concerned about how his fans would react. He said: “I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything.”
Barry needn’t have worried. He said: “When they found out Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful – strangers commenting, ‘Great for you!’ I’m just so grateful for it.”
Barry was briefly married to high school sweetheart Susan Deixler more than 50 years ago, but he left her after a year to focus on music.
He insisted he wasn’t struggling with his sexuality at that time. He said: “I was too young. I wasn’t ready to settle down.”
Barry met Garry in 1978. He said: “I knew that this was it. I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.
“He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life, and a great guy too.”
But he once feared Garry wouldn’t cope with the pressures of his fame. He recalled: “I got into the car with him and the fans were rocking the car. He was like, ‘I can’t handle this. It’s not for me.’
“I’m glad he stayed.”