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.
After 14 years, the woman delivered quadruplets who are identical to each other: Here’s how the girls appear now
Rare occurrences are just that, rare. In a world where the likelihood of twins hovers around a mere 2%, and the chances of quadruplets are as slim as finding a needle in a haystack, the story of Julia defied all odds. Fourteen years ago, during her routine ultrasound, Julia received news that would change her life forever – she was carrying not one, not two, but four embryos in her womb simultaneously.
The complexity of the situation was apparent from the start. The four children were developing in the same placenta, presenting a host of potential health risks. Julia was confronted with the daunting prospect of uncertainty surrounding the health of her babies at birth. Despite recommendations to terminate the pregnancy for the sake of her own health and the presumed well-being of the children, Julia stood firm in her decision to see it through.
After a tense wait, Julia underwent a caesarean section, and to everyone’s relief, all four girls were born healthy. Though two of them initially had lower birth weights, their resilience prevailed as they quickly caught up to their counterparts. Yet, what truly captivated those around them was not merely the fact that Julia gave birth to quadruplets, but the astonishing resemblance shared by all four girls.
Their striking similarity became a hallmark of their identity, with even the closest of observers struggling to discern differences among them. From their features to their mannerisms, the girls seemed almost interchangeable. They even took to wearing identical glasses, further blurring the lines of individuality.
Despite the constant scrutiny and curiosity from others, the girls embraced their shared appearance. In fact, it became a source of pride and distinction for them. Their uncanny likeness catapulted them into the spotlight, attracting attention from various quarters, including offers for collaborations with renowned clothing brands.
Leave a Reply