Barry Manilow comes out as gay . . . at the age of 73
FOR years he kept it a secret, fearing his fans would be disappointed if the truth was revealed.
But yesterday, at the age of 73 and at the end of one of the longest and most successful careers in show business, Barry Manilow finally announced to the world that he is gay.
The star also confirmed that in 2014 he had married his longtime manager, Garry Kief, in a ceremony at their home in Palm Springs, California. Although a small group of fans and friends were aware of the marriage Manilow’s sexuality was not widely known, until now.
“I’m so private. I always have been. I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,” Manilow – the voice behind hits such as Copacabana and Looks Like We Made It – told People magazine.
He says keeping his sexual orientation a secret caused him stress and anxiety and for many years he remained fearful of the public reaction. “When I met Garry, that was even more of a reason to keep my life private,” said Manilow, who has long been known for guarding his privacy.
But he now concedes that his fears may have been unwarranted.
“When [the fans] found out that 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.”
Manilow has been with Kief, who is also president of Barry Manilow Productions, since the couple met in 1978. He said of their meeting: “I knew that this was it. I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.”
Manilow, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, says that Kief is “the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life – and a great guy, too”.
While a student at the New York College of Music in New York in the early Sixties Manilow walked out on his 19-year-old high-school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, after a year of marriage, telling her that he was going on “this wondrous musical adventure”.