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.
High schooler takes grandma to prom after she missed out in 1961
High school is a time filled with memorable events such as homecoming dances, proms, and graduations.
For Josephine from Camarillo, California, her high school experience ended before she had the chance to go to prom, all the way back in 1961.
However, her grandson, Michael Ganczewski, decided to turn this missed opportunity into a cherished memory during his own senior prom.
Learning that his grandmother never attended her prom due to financial constraints, Ganczewski saw an opportunity to give her a magical night. Just two weeks before his own senior prom and without a date, he realized he could create the experience of a lifetime for his beloved nana.
When Ganczewski asked Josephine to be his prom date, she initially declined, telling her grandson that she was just grateful for feeling loved on Mother’s Day weekend.
Though, undeterred, Ganczewski convinced her, and on the day of the prom, Josephine sported a beautiful dress and a corsage. Worried about her dancing skills, she soon discovered that the night’s joy was simply about being with her grandson.
In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, Ganczewski expressed his love for his grandmother. “She is the most important woman in my life. If it wasn’t for her, my mom wouldn’t be here, and she wouldn’t have had me. And I love her, and I’d do anything for her,” he said.
Josephine then spoke about how she responded to her grandson’s proposal initially: “I said I’m an old lady. I’m not going to the prom.” She thought Ganczewski, being a handsome young man, would have numerous date options. However, he insisted she was his one and only choice.
Admitted she wasn’t too familiar with this generation’s latest dance trends, Josephine said: “Well, I don’t know any new dances, but I plan to do my best.” Her grandson’s desire to make her feel special touched her deeply, as she remarked: “For the rest of my life, however long that is, I will never forget that he wanted to bring his Nana and show me a good time. That to me is very special.”
As if the gesture itself wasn’t heartwarming enough, Josephine’s prom night ended with an unexpected surprise – Josephine was crowned prom queen, fulfilling a dream she had waited for since 1961.
This marvellous night, filled with love and joy, just showed the importance of the bond between a grandson and his grandmother.
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