Barry Manilow explains why he kept sexuality secret for decades

14 Nov 2023

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Barry Manilow recently spoke out about why he kept his sexuality hidden for a long time.

The singer famous for his song "Copacabana" who is now 80 years old, declared himself gay in 2017. He disclosed that he tied the knot with his manager, Garry Kief, in 2014 after secretly dating for over 35 years.

During a recent interview with Chris Wallace on Who's Talking, Barry Pincus, better known by his stage name Manilow, expressed how grateful he was to his partner Kief for supporting him during his ascent to stardom in the 1970s. Manilow went on to say that Kief's presence in his life was truly life-saving.

"It was insane with the success of my career. And honestly, returning to a vacant hotel room every night posed a lot of risks when you're all by yourself," shared the vocalist.

I encountered Garry during the time when things were getting bigger. Consequently, I no longer needed to return to those vacant hotel rooms. I had a companion with whom I could share my sorrow or joy.

Manilow expressed his desire for young individuals to not have to return to their hotel rooms alone to avoid being in troublesome situations. He admitted that he didn't experience such situations himself, but he felt rather lonely until he met Garry. From then on, his company was enjoyable.

During his time studying at the New York College of Music, Manilow tied the knot with Susan Deixler for a short period. He claimed to have strong feelings for her but wasn't prepared to commit to a lifetime together in matrimony.

In 2016, Garry Kief was pictured alongside Barry Manilow.

In my opinion, my coming out was not a big deal. Actually, Garry and I have been in a relationship for such a long time that I never even considered the possibility of coming out. This is what I shared with Wallace.

During the 1970s, things were different compared to today. Being homosexual was not as accepted as it is now. Nowadays, it is common and widely accepted, however, in the 70s being gay could've potentially destroyed someone's career as the public was not open to the idea of someone coming out. These were the sentiments expressed by Manilow.

He continued by saying that discussing his personal life made him uncomfortable as it was a private matter. He preferred to only speak about music and never brought up his personal life. It felt weird and invasive to him. He believes that when he and Garry publicly acknowledged their relationship, it wasn't a surprise to anyone as they had been together for a long time.

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Back in 2017, the famous musician shared with People magazine that they are a private person. This has always been the case. The artist believed that if their fans knew they were homosexual, they would be let down. As a result, they chose not to reveal this part of themselves.

He expressed surprise at the response when supporters found out he was romantically involved with Kief.

"They were filled with joy. The response was lovely- people who didn't even know them went on to say, 'Congratulations!' I can't express how thankful I am for this experience."

Manilow has been performing in Las Vegas for the past 14 years and has planned concert performances until December 2024.