Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow
PhilipRomanoPhoto · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Barry Manilow
Caption	Manilow in 2011
Birth name	Barry Alan Pincus
Birth date	1943-06-17
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupations	Singer; songwriter; producer; arranger; pianist
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Bell; Arista; Concord

Barry Manilow is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer known for a string of hit recordings, theatrical productions, and a prolific catalog spanning pop, adult contemporary, and standards. He gained prominence in the 1970s with chart-topping singles and albums that made him a fixture on Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary radio, and on stages from Las Vegas Strip showrooms to Carnegie Hall. His career intersects with major figures and institutions in popular music, theatre, and broadcasting.

Early life and education

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Flatbush and Edison, he was the son of Edna (Silberman) and David Pincus, whose immigrant family roots linked to Ukraine and Poland. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School and later studied at City College of New York and Borough of Manhattan Community College before pursuing music professionally. Early training included piano studies and participation in local performances alongside contemporaries from New York City cabaret and nightclub circuits that connected to institutions such as The Copacabana and The Palladium.

Career

His professional trajectory began as a jingle writer and arranger for advertising agencies, composing for campaigns connected to brands promoted on ABC and NBC. Transitioning to record production, he worked with artists on labels like Bell Records and collaborated with producers associated with Clive Davis and Arista Records. Breakthrough singles such as "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs" established strong ties to Billboard 200 chart success and led to residencies on the Las Vegas Strip and tours in arenas associated with promoters who worked with acts like Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and The Carpenters. He also composed for stage and screen, contributing arrangements to projects tied to Broadway producers and television specials broadcast by CBS and PBS.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he released albums of pop and standards, collaborating with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and conductors who had worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Henry Mancini. In the 2000s he returned to live performance with residencies and tours that linked him to venues managed by Caesars Palace and festivals featuring artists like Tony Bennett and Dionne Warwick. His discography spans gold and platinum records certified by Recording Industry Association of America and has been reissued by labels connected to Concord Records and international distributors.

Musical style and influences

His songwriting and arranging draw on the traditions of Tin Pan Alley, Great American Songbook, and contemporary pop production associated with figures like Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Carole King, and Paul McCartney. He blends orchestral arranging reminiscent of Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins with pop sensibilities comparable to Phil Spector and Roger Nichols. Vocally, his approach parallels the phrasing of Frank Sinatra, the emotive delivery of Tom Jones, and the balladry popularized by Neil Diamond and Barry Gibb. His piano-based compositions reflect influences from George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and contemporaneous session pianists who recorded at studios like Abbey Road Studios and Capitol Studios.

Personal life

His personal life includes long-term residences in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas. He has maintained associations with charities and foundations such as The American Red Cross, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and organizations linked to performers like Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera. Public discussions of his private life intersected with media outlets including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and People (magazine), and with cultural conversations influenced by figures like Randy Newman and activists from the LGBT rights movement.

Awards and honors

He has received awards and nominations from institutions including the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been honored with accolades from Broadcast Music, Inc. and ASCAP. He has been inducted into halls and received lifetime achievement recognitions alongside contemporaries such as Diana Ross, Donna Summer, and Stevie Wonder. Civic honors include proclamations from municipal governments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and tributes on programs aired by PBS and BBC.

Legacy and cultural impact

His catalog of songs has been recorded and covered by artists across genres including Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, and Celine Dion, and featured in films and television series distributed by studios like Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. His influence is evident in the programming of adult contemporary radio formats, the repertoire of contemporary cabaret performers, and the repertoire of tribute concerts at venues such as Radio City Music Hall and Royal Albert Hall. Scholarly and critical examinations of his work appear in publications associated with Oxford University Press and university presses that study postwar American popular music alongside authors who have written about Motown Records, Atlantic Records, and the evolution of the record industry.

Category:American singer-songwriters Category:20th-century American singers Category:21st-century American singers