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.
Man Rescued a Trapped Crying Wild Horse. How It Thanked Him is Unbelievable
In a heartwarming turn of events outside of Calgary, a group of Good Samaritans came to the rescue of a distressed horse trapped in a treacherous marshland. The horse, part of a new herd in the area, had wandered off during heavy rainfall, finding itself stuck in the muddy quagmire.
Darla Connelly, overseeing the situation, expressed deep concern for the new herd, unfamiliar with the challenging terrain during this unusually rainy season. Her fears materialized when one of the mares, a two-year-old, ventured too far and got trapped in the marsh.
The rescue effort kicked into high gear when the distress signals from the trapped horse were spotted. A team of volunteers from Help Alberta Wildlife Society, equipped with ATVs and specialized rescue gear, rushed to the scene. The horse, struggling to keep afloat, faced the imminent threat of sinking further into the muddy abyss.
Daryl Glover, one of the volunteers, braved the treacherous mud to approach the distressed mare. With careful maneuvering, he secured a rope around the horse’s hindquarters, offering support to ease her struggle. The coordinated efforts of the team prevented the situation from escalating further.
As the ATV’s engine roared, the rescue rig tightened the rope, allowing the horse to gain a foothold and aiding her ascent. In a remarkable display of resilience, the horse’s hind legs found firmer ground, and with each pull, she inched closer to safety.
Amidst the tension of the rescue operation, an unexpected moment of gratitude unfolded. Once the horse was on solid ground, she exhibited a surprising display of appreciation. Rather than bolting away in fear, the mare approached Daryl, nuzzled him, and even sniffed in acknowledgement.
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