Manilow... Why I waited so long to reveal I’m gay
BARRY Manilow has spoken openly for the first time about being gay – after marrying his long-term partner three years ago.
The veteran US crooner said he had previously worried he would disappoint his millions of adoring female fans had he revealed his sexuality decades ago.
The 1970s heart-throb, whose hits include Can’t Smile Without You and Copacabana, told of his relief at finally coming out.
And he spoke of his joy at his 40-year romance with husband and manager Garry Kief.
“I thought I would be disappointing them (the fans) if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,” the star said.
Manilow, 73, and Kief married quietly in Palm Springs, California, in 2014.
A year later his close friend, the actress Suzanne Somers, revealed the marriage on a TV talk show, although Manilow neither confirmed nor commented on it.
But he was reassured by the “beautiful” response the revelation sparked.
Grateful
“When they found out that Garry and I were together, they (the fans) were so happy. The reaction was beautiful – strangers commenting ‘Great for you!’. I’m just so grateful for it,” the singer said.
Manilow told how he had met Kief in 1978, a few years after he rocketed to fame with romantic ballads like Mandy and Looks Like We Made It.
But he said he had never planned to make their relationship public. “We’ve been together all these years. Everybody knows that we’re a team. Everybody that I know knows,” he said.
“So it never really dawned on me to say anything about it. I mean, I’m a very private guy.”
But he said he has “not read one negative response” since his secret came out two years ago.
In a career spanning nearly half a century, Manilow has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the greatest-selling artists.
His success and longevity prompted Rolling Stone magazine to crown him “a giant among entertainers… the showman of our generation”.
Manilow’s album This Is My Town: Songs Of New York, is out this month and he will give three US concerts.