The Great 70s

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow (born June 17, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer and conductor, best known for such recordings as "I Write the Songs", "Mandy", "Weekend in New England" and "Copacabana".

Manilow's achievements include sales of more than 76 million records worldwide. In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-selling charts simultaneously, a feat equalled only by Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Johnny Mathis. He has recorded a string of Billboard hit singles and multi-platinum albums that have resulted in his being named Radio & Records number one Adult Contemporary artist and winning three straight American Music Awards for Favourite Pop/Rock Male Artist. Several well-known entertainers have given Manilow their "stamp of approval," including Sinatra, who was quoted in the 1970s regarding Manilow, "He's next." In 1988, Bob Dylan stopped Manilow at a party, hugged him and said, "Don't stop what you're doing, man. We're all inspired by you." Arsenio Hall cited Manilow as a favourite guest on The Arsenio Hall Show and admonished his audience to respect him for his work.

As well as producing and arranging albums for other artists, such as Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick and Rosemary Clooney, Manilow has written songs for musicals, films, and commercials. Manilow however, has come under recent criticism for the fact that he has released more covers of songs than he has actually written and recorded originally.

Since February 2005, he has been the headliner at the Las Vegas Hilton, and has performed hundreds of shows since

Wikipedia contributors. Barry Manilow. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. April 5, 2009, 07:45 UTC. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_Manilow&oldid=281857763. Accessed April 5, 2009.