Real Name: Barry Alan Pincus
Date of Birth / Formation: June 17, 1943
Age / Status: 83 years old; active recording and performing career
Origin: Brooklyn, New York, United States.
Primary roles: Singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, pianist and live entertainer.
Key collaborators: Bette Midler, Bruce Sussman, Clive Davis, Ron Dante and, during his 1980s jazz projects, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé and Gerry Mulligan.
Active period: Professional work from the 1960s; recording artist since 1973.
Commercial highlights: Twenty-five consecutive US Top 40 hits between 1975 and 1983, plus one UK Number 1 album and seven UK Top 10 albums.
Barry Manilow is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and producer whose grandly orchestrated ballads became a defining sound of 1970s and early-1980s adult pop. After writing advertising jingles and working as Bette Midler’s musical director, he broke through in 1975 with “Mandy”. Further hits included “I Write the Songs”, “Looks Like We Made It”, “Can’t Smile Without You” and the Grammy-winning “Copacabana (At the Copa)”. His popularity in Britain grew during the early 1980s: Barry Live in Britain topped the UK Albums Chart in 1982, while “I Wanna Do It with You” became his sole UK Top 10 single. Manilow then broadened his sound through the jazz-influenced 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe, the television film Copacabana and the stylistically adventurous Swing Street. His career also encompasses Broadway, television specials, film music and long-running concert productions.
Manilow studied music in New York while working at CBS, where he progressed from the mailroom to editing and musical direction. He composed for Off-Broadway productions, built a successful sideline writing commercial jingles and became Bette Midler’s musical director, arranger and pianist. His solo breakthrough followed after Clive Davis brought him to Arista and championed the single “Mandy”. [1] [2]
The decade opened with the album Barry and “I Made It Through the Rain”. A run of British chart successes culminated in the UK Number 1 album Barry Live in Britain in 1982. Manilow then moved beyond mainstream pop with the jazz-centred 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe in 1984, followed by the television musical Copacabana and 1987’s Swing Street. [2] [3]
Album, 1982, UK [3]
Chart summary: Barry Manilow has no UK Number 1 singles, but Barry Live in Britain gave him one UK Number 1 album in May 1982. He has achieved one UK Top 10 single, “I Wanna Do It with You”, and seven UK Top 10 albums. [3]
After joining CBS in the mailroom, Manilow moved into editing and became music director for a television talent programme. His arranging work and nationally broadcast advertising jingles established him as a versatile professional musician. [1]
His first album, Barry Manilow, introduced the singer’s blend of pop, theatrical writing and ambitious arranging. [2]
“Mandy” reached Number 1 in the United States and began a run of twenty-five consecutive Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits through 1983. [1]
Barry Live in Britain spent one week at Number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. That year “I Wanna Do It with You” reached Number 8, his highest UK singles peak. [3]
He starred in and helped create the television film Copacabana in 1985, then continued exploring jazz, swing and contemporary production on Swing Street in 1987. [2]
A concise 1980s snapshot paired with a source-linked status update checked on 17 July 2026.
The profile’s own 1980s timeline captures Barry Manilow’s era-defining momentum. These late-decade milestones anchor the period in the original profile.
No death date listed. Wikidata does not list a death date for Barry Manilow. MusicBrainz lists What a Time (5 June 2026) as the newest catalogued album linked to Barry Manilow. The catalogue note is used as a documented update, rather than a claim about touring or an unverified 2026 project.
“I like emotional productions. I like to take a listener on a trip.”Barry Manilow — describing his approach to arranging and record production in a Fresh Air interview. — NPR / Fresh Air
“When I’m writing, I have nothing to do with it. I’m just taking dictation.”Barry Manilow — discussing inspiration, songwriting and the meaning of “I Write the Songs”. — NPR / Fresh Air
The notes below place each recording in its release or UK chart context and provide an original summary of its musical or lyrical theme.
Lyrics note: Full copyrighted lyrics are not reproduced. The descriptions below are original summaries of each song’s themes and imagery.
Lyric theme: A sweeping plea of regret in which the narrator recognises the emotional support offered by someone he let go.
Lyric theme: A gradually intensifying love song built around yearning, wonder and a melody inspired by Chopin.
Lyric theme: A vivid disco-era tragedy about Lola, Tony and Rico, told against the glittering but dangerous backdrop of a famous nightclub.
Lyric theme: Music itself speaks as a timeless creative force that connects listeners, composers and generations.
Lyric theme: A resilient ballad about surviving hardship, retaining self-belief and emerging stronger after adversity.
Lyric theme: A playful romantic mystery that turns the legendary region into a metaphor for a disappearing lover.
Lyric theme: Upbeat, direct romantic pop centred on companionship and the desire to share life’s experiences with one person.
Lyric theme: A dramatic Jim Steinman ballad about a relationship ending when emotion overwhelms the words left unsaid.