During a guest appearance on HBO’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, the 80-year-old Copacabana singer said he didn’t think it was important to announce his sexuality during the earlier decades of his career.
Manilow came out in 2017, almost three years after he married his husband and manager Garry Kief in a private ceremony. The couple have been together for 45 years now, though they’ve kept much of their relationship away from the public eye.
When he came out to People magazine in 2017, Manilow — whose real name is Barry Pincus — worried he’d be “disappointing” some of his fans by revealing his sexuality. Instead, Manilow, who was 73 at the time, said the reaction from his fanbase was “beautiful.”
Despite his current feelings of nonchalance about his own coming out, Manilow said announcing his sexuality as his career was booming would have been a bad idea.
“Now being gay is no big deal,” he explained. “Back in the ’70s it would have killed a career.”
Regardless, the usually very private Manilow said he thinks “everybody knew that Garry and I were a couple all those years.”
“Really, Garry and I’ve been together for so long,” he said. “It just never dawned on me that we’re going to come out. But when we got married, it was a big deal, so we did.”
Manilow credited Kief for saving his life. He said he is thankful he had Kief to support him as his music career was taking off, despite keeping their relationship under wraps.
“As my career exploded, it was just crazy. And, you know, going back to an empty hotel room, you can get into a lot of trouble if you’re alone night after night after night,” Manilow explained. “But I met Garry right around when it was exploding. And I didn’t have to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had somebody to cry with or to celebrate with.”
Manilow said he did not wish an isolated hotel room for any young people.
“It was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was fun,” he smiled.
Kief is not Manilow’s first spouse. In 1964, Manilow married his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler. They were married for one year.
Manilow told CNN’s Wallace he “really did love” Deixler, but added “the gay thing was pretty, pretty strong. I couldn’t deny it.”
The singer said he knew he was gay before marrying Deixler, but their marriage ended because Manilow couldn’t be the committed husband his then-wife needed. He revealed that his sexuality was not the reason his marriage failed.
“We had a very nice marriage, it was great, but I was away every night making music, as a young musician would be,” Manilow described. “It wasn’t good for me, and it wasn’t good for her.”
“I couldn’t be the proper husband,” he continued. “I was out making music every night, sowing my wild oats. I wasn’t ready to settle down.”
Brooklyn-born Manilow skyrocketed to international fame in 1974 after his release of the ever-popular pop-rock ballad Mandy. He became one of the biggest-selling musicians of all time. Prior to his success as a singer-songwriter, Manilow was behind a number of famous commercial jingles for brands like State Farm and Band-Aid — a gig that he has said helped him create catchy hooks for his own hit songs.
The twins’ cute interaction goes viral on the internet..and then the unexpected happened
Since birth, Mia and Lily, identical twins, have shared an unbreakable bond that has kept them together. They enthrall everyone around them with their infectious laughter and cute antics, but especially their parents, who are frequently left in awe of the twins’ remarkable bond.
Playing in their backyard on a sunny afternoon, Mia and Lily discover a secret treasure trove beneath a pile of leaves that has fallen. They open the chest with excitement to find a variety of vibrant balloons within. They decide to blow up the balloons and throw their own small party, giggling with glee.
Mia and Lily playfully engage in a range of amusing behaviors, such as whispering secrets to one another and imitating ridiculous dancing moves. Their chuckles reverberate throughout the community, capturing onlookers’ and neighbors’ attention.
The twins have no idea that their sweet interactions are being recorded on camera by a neighbor who is in the neighborhood taking pictures of a family gathering. The neighbor posts the video on social media, where it soon starts to acquire steam, after being moved by the twins’ sincere friendship.
The endearing exchange between Mia and Lily is captured on camera, and within hours the video goes viral and takes the internet by storm. The twins’ real devotion and connection inspire viewers from all over the world, inspiring them to leave touching comments and share the video with their friends and family.
As the video gains popularity, strangers who are moved by their girls’ endearing relationship flood Mia and Lily’s parents with messages of love and support. The twins are too preoccupied with spending time together and making new experiences to be cognizant of their sudden celebrity.
Ultimately, Mia and Lily’s endearing exchange cheers everyone who watches the movie and serves as a reminder of the strength of love and connection, demonstrating that sometimes the most basic things may have the greatest influence on our emotions.
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