Barry Manilow was a singer who was known as a heartthrob for many decades due to the fact that his hypnotic voice won the hearts of female admirers all over the globe. A good number of them were taken aback when the artist unexpectedly disclosed his 39-year relationship with a guy who is the father of his kid and whom he married when he was 71 years old.
His pop-rock song “Mandy” shot to the top of the charts, which led to Barry Manilow’s meteoric rise to stardom. Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus to a mother who went by the name Edna Manilow. Since that time, he has been continually in the public eye, winning the affection of his tens of millions of admirers who are mostly female.
Many people were taken aback when he suddenly admitted to having been in a relationship with a guy for the last 39 years. This was particularly surprising given that he had previously been married to his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler. Their past involvement received a lot of attention from the media since their followers were fascinated by the singer’s personal life.
Manilow’s first love, apart from her career in music, was Deixler. She was considered to be the “most beautiful girl in the class.” Once, he spoke about her in a tender manner, saying: “She had beautiful legs and a voluptuous body despite her little stature. She was absolutely gorgeous. They had dark brown eyes, jet-black hair, and a grin that could light up a whole room.”
The couple got divorced after being married for just two years. It’s bad their union didn’t continue longer. Manilow acknowledged that the wedding was hastily planned, and despite the fact that he loved Deixler deeply, he was just not prepared to make a commitment for life like marriage at the time.
The pop-rock artist claims that since he was so focused on producing music at the time, his relationship with Deixler did not last for very long before it began to disintegrate. He said:
“I was out partying every night, producing music, and generally sowing my wild oats; I was too young.” I wasn’t ready to make a commitment at the time.”
In spite of the fact that it resulted in the dissolution of Manilow’s marriage, the fact that he had poured his heart and soul into music finally began to pay off. It all started with the smash hit ballad “Mandy,” and then he went on to release timeless singles like “Copacabana (At the Copa),” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Looks Like We Made It.” His career took off like a rocket.
Only four years after the success of his song “Mandy,” he was able to meet Garry Kief, a TV executive who would go on to become the love of his life. Despite the fact that Manilow claims he was not having difficulties with his sexuality at the time he ended his relationship with Deixler, he would eventually accept the reality that the person with whom he was in love was a male.
Despite the fact that Manilow discovered “the one,” he was forced to conceal his sexual orientation and same-sex relationship at the time in order to avoid controversy and negative coverage in the tabloids. He did not open up and instead provided an explanation, stating that “it was really difficult to do that back then, to have a dialogue like we’re having, because it would have [resulted in] a very nasty piece.”
It’s possible that some people believe Kief struck the jackpot when he met Manilow in 1978, but the singer claims that he was the one who really cashed in on the opportunity. He recognized that he had at long last found “the one,” a sentiment that continues to this day. “I was aware that this was the last stage. I count myself among the fortunate ones. Before then, I had a lot of time to myself, “His words were gushing.
Despite the fact that Manilow and Kief have been content to stay at one other’s side for the most part of the last four decades, the couple did not always have it so easy. They were forced to conceal both their relationship and Manilow’s sexuality due to the fact that fans were getting hostile and would express their disapproval in various ways.
When they were just getting to know one other, Kief went to one of Manilow’s performances and rode in the vehicle with him after the show. Kief ended up admitting right then and there that he couldn’t take it when the fans rocked the truck. In the end, Manilow was happy that he decided to remain.
Since the terrifying incident, Manilow has made the difficult decision to maintain his silence on his sexuality out of concern for alienating his devoted fan base. It was always Manilow’s intention to provide them with work of which they could be proud, as well as to make them proud of who he was as a person.
Even though it was rather common for no one to comment on the fact that Kief and Manilow would have supper in public together, there was once an interviewer who inquired about Kief’s sexual orientation. He lied only because he felt compelled to do so. The singer, on the other hand, conceded that he would have replied boldly and honestly if someone had asked him the same question again.
Since Manilow and Kief have been married and living together in wedded bliss since 2014, they have no need to continue to keep their relationship a secret. Despite this, the singer claimed at the time that, even after their wedding, he was still reluctant to disclose their relationship with the press and to come out publicly about their sexual orientation.
In April of 2014, Manilow and Kief wed in a private ceremony at their home in Palm Springs, California, with just their immediate families and a few close friends in attendance. After a year had passed, the news of their wedding and Manilow’s sexuality was eventually made public.
The celebrity has been quoted as saying that it is both “a gift and a burden.” He had always been sensitive to his admirers, believing that they would be let down if they discovered the truth about his sexuality. He had always kept the secret from them.
When Kief and Manilow first crossed paths, the TV executive was a married man with a daughter who was only one year old. Manilow is a devoted stepfather, and he has nothing but praise for his biological father, as seen by a statement he made once:
“That is the miraculous thing about our friendship. It is a friendship based on respect, and despite our closeness, we have never disagreed about anything.
At some time, Manilow’s ex-wife, Deixler, found out about the wedding, and she expressed her joy and pleasure for him. She referred to the couple’s former marriage as “old history” and she sent her best wishes to Manilow and Kief.
Even though his family and close friends were aware of his sexual orientation before it became public knowledge, Manilow claims that nothing has changed in his life. The most striking distinction between them, though, is that he is not restricted in any way in discussing his sexual orientation with the rest of the world. He explained:
“As far as I’m concerned, there has never been a problem with it. I could not be more proud of the fact that I am a homosexual guy, as well as the fact that I have had a wonderful partner for the last four decades.
Singers like Harry Styles have taken advantage of the fact that discussing sexuality is no longer considered to be a taboo subject and have begun to do it openly. Those who, like Manilow and Styles, have nothing to conceal are in a position to offer the world the finest version of themselves, whether they are performing on stage or serving as public figures.