I grew up in the 1970's and listened to all of Barry Manilow's romantic ballads.
His music harkens back to a simpler time for those of us living in that time and for our culture. I hope you enjoy this recollection of his music and songs!
Barry Manilow - Weekend In New England (Live from the 1982 Showtime Special)
Video from Barry Manilow
"Barry Manilow performs "Weekend In New England" live, taken from the 1982 Showtime Special For me, it was an exciting experience in all ways. This was my first “In the Round” concert tour. We were sold out with the most amazing crowd and I remember running from the exit to the stairs that would lead me up to the stage. I tore down the runway to the stage with loads of people on either side of the aisle. Everyone yelling, cheering, smiling with security guards trying to keep the crowd back as I dashed up on to the stage. Thrilling. Just thrilling. Thanks to all of you for continuing to make such wonderful memories for me. Barry" from video introduction
Barry Manilow
Synopsis
"Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943, Barry Manilow attended the Juilliard School in New York City before writing music for television and advertising. In the 1970s, Manilow's voice could be heard singing "You Deserve A Break Today" on ads for McDonald's. His big break came when he teamed up with Bette Midler for a nightclub act, leading to solo hits like "Mandy" (1974), "I Write the Songs" (1975) and "Can't Smile Without You" (1978).
Manilow's Style
Born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York, on June 17, 1943, Barry Manilow is best known for his romantic and borderline saccharine songs. But before achieving stardom, Manilow was a whipping boy for the critics throughout much of the 1970s, even as he sold millions of albums and gained a huge audience base. Though he didn't always write music, even when recording work by other artists, Manilow cultivated a lush and melodic musical style that was popular during the pre-rock era. His style evolved during the early 1980s, from tame, string-laden, AM-radio pop to a more classic, jazzy sound influenced by both swing and 1930s and '40s Broadway show tunes (many of which he later covered).
Unabashedly embracing a sentimental style that appealed primarily to white middle-class women of the working and homemaking sort, it is unsurprising that this Brooklyn-born and -raised songwriter was frequently denounced by the male-dominated rock and rock critic worlds. Because female-associated forms of entertainment such as soap operas and romance novels have historically been devalued, entertainers catering to that audience have routinely been dismissed by mainstream critics.." from the article: Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow Duets With Departed Legends
Video from Associated Press
"Barry Manilow took advantage of technology to sing with late legends like Whitney Houston, Judy Garland and John Denver for his album called "My Dream Duets." (Dec. 3)" from video introduction
Check out his website: barrymanilow.com