Career
In 1967, he became the musical director of the CBS network television show and thereafter, began writing a number of well-known jingles for commercials for ‘Band-Aid’ and ‘Dr. Pepper’.
In the early 70s, Manilow worked with Bette Midler as he helped her with her sophomore releases ‘The Divine Miss M’ and ‘Bette Midler’.
During this time, in 1973, he released his debut album, ‘Barry Manilow’, which was then remixed and re-released two years later. Meanwhile, he also released his second album, ‘Barry Manilow II’.
He released his third hit album, ‘Tryin’ to Get the Feeling’ in 1975, followed by ‘This One’s For You’, the following year.
In the late 70s, he starred in and produced four television specials for the ABC Network, one of which was known as ‘The Barry Manilow Special’, which had over millions of viewers.
In 1978, he released his fifth studio album, ‘Even Now’, which reached a triple platinum status and featured four hit singles. This was quickly followed by ‘Manilow Magic- the Best of Barry Manilow’, also known as ‘Greatest Hits’.
His song, ‘Ready to Take a Chance Again’ was featured in the film, ‘Foul Play’, which released in 1978 and was nominated for ‘Best Original Score’ during the Oscars.
In 1979, he produced Dionne Warwick’s album, ‘Dionne’ and also catapulted to stardom that year with his song, ‘Ships’, from the album, ‘One Voice’, which released the same year.
In 1980, he performed to a sold-out show at the Wembley Stadium in England. The same year, he released the self-titled album, ‘Barry’, which hit the top ten positions in the United States. The next year, he released the album, ‘If I Should Love Again’.
Continue Reading Below
His eleventh studio album was recorded live during a sold-out performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, in 1982. This album came to be known as ‘Barry Live in Britain’ and became a huge success in the country, reaching a platinum status.
He released ‘2:00 AM Paradise Caf�’, which was recorded in one take, in 1984. The next year, he released the album, ‘Manilow’, which was a self-titled record. It was during this time, he was cast as the lead actor, ‘Tony Star’ in the hit CBS show, ‘Copacabana’.
He published his autobiography, ‘Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise’ in 1987. The same year, he once again signed a record deal with Arista Records and released the album, ‘Swing Street’.
He released his sixth self-titled album in 1989 titled, ‘Barry Manilow’, which featured the singles, ‘Please Don’t Be Scared’, ‘Keep Each Other Warm’ and ‘The One That Got Away’.
The same year, he gave 44 performances at the Gershwin Theatre which popularly came to be known as ‘Barry Manilow at the Gershwin’. He released his first Christmas album, ‘Because It’s Christmas’ in 1990.
From 1991 to 1998, he released a string of ‘event’ albums including ‘Showstoppers’, ‘Singin’ with the Big Bands’, ‘Summer of ‘78’ and ‘Manilow Sings Sinatra’.
During this period, he also co-wrote Broadway musical scores for ‘Thumbelina’, ‘The Pebble and the Penguin’ and also produced the album, ‘With My Lover Beside Me’.
He was seen in the two-hour recital special, ‘Manilow Live!’ on DirectTV, in 2000. The next year, he released ‘Here at the Mayflower’, another concept album.
From 2002 to 2006, he released ‘Ultimate Manilow’, ‘2 Nights Live!’, ‘Scores: Songs from Copacabana & Harmony’ and a covers album, ‘The Greatest Songs of the Fifties’.
Continue Reading Below
PBS aired ‘Barry Manilow: Music and Passion’, a Hilton concert recorded for the network’s fundraiser efforts, which earned him an Emmy Award. In 2006, a sequel album, ‘The Greatest Songs of the Sixties’ was also released.
In 2007, another album, ‘Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies’ was released and the same year, he appeared in a number of shows. Three years later, he released a new album, ‘The Greatest Love Songs of all Time’.
From March 2011, he hosted ‘They Write the Songs’, a 10-part documentary series for BBC Radio 2. He also released his album, ’15 Minutes’.
He was seen performing live on the west law of the U.S. Capitol as a part of ‘A Capitol Forth’. He also performed at the BBC event, ‘Children in Need Rocks 2013’, the same year.
Awards & Achievements
In 1977 he won an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Special - Comedy, Variety or Music’ for ‘The Barry Manilow Special’.
In 1978, he won the American Music Award for the category of ‘Favourite Pop/Rock Male Artist’.
In 1979, he won the prestigious Grammy Award for ‘Copacabana’ for ‘Best Pop Male Vocal Performance’.
Continue Reading Below
He was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, in 2002.
In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program’ for ‘Barry Manilow: Music and Passion’.
He was presented a RIAA Plaque for breaking worldwide record sales of 75 million.
He was presented an honorary Clio Award for his prior work with jingles at the beginning of his career.
Facts About Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow's real name is Barry Alan Pincus, but he changed it to Manilow after his mother's maiden name.
He has won a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award, making him one of the few artists to achieve the prestigious "EGOT" status.
Manilow wrote jingles for popular commercials before finding success as a singer-songwriter, including the famous State Farm jingle "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."
Barry Manilow is a passionate supporter of numerous charitable causes, including the Manilow Music Project, which donates musical instruments to school music programs.
In addition to his music career, Manilow is also an accomplished painter and has held several art exhibitions showcasing his artwork.
