Barry Manilow may have been storming the charts in the 70’s and early 80’s, but now in his early 80s the singer-songwriter is still touring the states. As it’s pride month, and soon to be the superstar’s birthday, we are revisiting the moving episode of ‘Who’s Talking to Chris Wallis’ in which the Mandy singer shares why it took him 39 years to ‘come out’.
Barry Manilow is still causing quite a stir, and not only at the Copacabana. Fans have already been discussing how this singer remains so youthful looking in his ninth decade of life. Though the singer may have had a cheeky grin when he told fans he’d never had any ‘work’ done, he tells Hollywood Reporter that his dedicated personal trainer and giving up cigarettes are what keep him fit, healthy and singing those hits on tour. Here we discuss another topic that have intrigued ‘fanilows’ around the World, why the singer kept his 39-year relationship and sexuality a secret for so long.
Manilow kept his sexuality a secret for decades
For the month of June, the World is celebrating pride, what better time to reflect on how society may have changed for the LGBTQ+ community by looking back on Barry Manilow’s journey with ‘coming-out’.
In November 2023, Barry Manilow featured on ‘Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?’ on Max, where he discussed his life and career with the celebrity journalist.
The celebrity has been with his partner, Garry Kief, for 45 years now. Though Manilow and Kief met in 1978, the singer waited until 2017 to publicly ‘come out’, at the age of 73. Speaking to People magazine, Manilow sadly stated: “I thought I would be disappointing them [his fanbase] if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything”.
Manilow quickly rose to fame in the 70’s with his hits ‘Looks like we made it’ and the classic ‘Copacabana (At the Copa)’, it was shortly after this he met Kief. The celebrity describes his husband, and manager, as “…the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life – and a great guy, too.” They stayed together for 39 years while keeping quiet about his sexuality. The celebrity couple even had a clandestine wedding in April 2014 at their Palm Springs estate.
Disappointing his fans was not the only reason Manilow kept quiet for so long, he tells Wallace.
“Well, in the ’70’s, you know, you didn’t [come out].” He reflects on the decade stating, “It wasn’t the same as it is today. Now being gay is no big deal. But back in the ’70s, it would have killed a career.”
‘They were not ready’
Manilow continues to reflect, “The public was not ready for anybody to come out. And, frankly, it was just too personal. I just didn’t want to talk about my personal life anyway. I never did that. I was happy talking about music. But talking about my personal life was just too creepy to me. So I never did.”
It seems all this secrecy didn’t cause the singer too much heartache over the years, when Wallace asks Manilow if he felt like he had to hide who he was, he responds “never thought about it.” Continuing, “Honestly, Chris, it was a non-event. And when we came out it was – I think everybody knew that Garry and I were a couple all those years.”
Well it seems the mostly female fan base do still love the Mandy singer, “When they 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.”
For UK support, visit LGBT.Foundation/helpline or call 0345 330 30 30, or email helpline@lgbt.foundation. There is also a 24-hour crisis text service available at 85258 from Give Us A Shout, or you can call 0300 330 5468 for MindLine Trans+
For support via phone, one-to-one chat or email you can contact The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: (888) 843-4564. There is also The GLBT National Youth Talkline (youth serving youth through age 25): (800) 246-7743.
You can also contact Trans Lifeline on (877) 565-8860, a trans-led organization connecting trans people to the community. They also offer details of support and local resources.
Please visit PFLAG for more support and helplines here. (Support Hotlines – PFLAG)
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