| For years now, Barry Manilow's easy listening has | | | | overly sentimental, romantic ballads. Not missing a |
| provided fodder for comedians looking for a fast | | | | beat, Manilow released a third record, Trying to |
| and easy punch line. His music is mellow, pleasing | | | | Get the Feeling, in 1975, scoring another hit with |
| adult contemporary, a genre infamous for lacking | | | | the single "I Write the Songs." |
| personality. But it's also immensely popular across | | | | Numerous hits would follow, and the mid- to |
| the country, and has earned Manilow the | | | | late-'70s would become a high point in Manilow's |
| reputation of being one of America's most | | | | career. His 1977 double-disc live album, Live, went |
| successful adult contemporary artists in history. | | | | to the top of the charts. Even Now, another |
| What's often overlooked - largely because no one | | | | release, was one of several that turned |
| bothers to listen to his music before judging him - | | | | triple-platinum. He also released "Copacabana," a |
| is the fact that Manilow's career proved him to be | | | | song that he's still known for to this day. |
| a versatile artist who was willing to explore | | | | By the turn of the decade, Manilow began to fall |
| beyond standard easy-listening pop. | | | | out of favor with the general public. They seemed |
| Manilow was born Barry Pincus in Brooklyn in | | | | to be growing tired of the slightly bombastic, |
| 1943. He adopted his mother's surname after his | | | | syrupy ballads he was known for. He began to slip |
| father left the family when he was only two. | | | | in the charts, but that didn't end his career. He |
| From an early age, he displayed a talent for | | | | had his touring act to fall back on. Besides that, his |
| music, and eventually went to the Juilliard School | | | | loss of an adult contemporary audience freed him |
| of Music. He scraped together a living by working | | | | to pursue new directions. He began experimenting |
| on ad jingles after graduating, finally catching a | | | | with jazzier songs in 1984's 2:00 A.M. Paradise |
| break by becoming Bette Midler's pianist in the | | | | Café. The genres of swing and jazz-pop |
| early '70s. His work with Midler earned him | | | | became staples in this work during the '80s. In the |
| exposure and eventually a record deal. His 1973 | | | | '90s, Manilow turned his attention toward a stage |
| debut, Barry Manilow I, was all but ignored. His | | | | musical based on his song "Copacabana," which |
| follow-up, 1974's Barry Manilow II, earned him | | | | was in turn based on an infamous club of the |
| notoriety for his first smash single, "Mandy." From | | | | same name. The musical was highly successful, |
| that day forward, Manilow would begin to establish | | | | touring across America and the U.K. and bringing |
| a reputation as a writer of moving, if sometimes | | | | Manilow's music to a new generation of fans. |