Barry Manilow
His name is Barry, he is a showman. Well, it's Barry Alan Pincus to be exact and he's back for another UK tour. Here's our guide to the best sites on the sultan of schmaltz.
1. Ladies. Flowers, hairspray, spare underwear at the ready? Vocal chords primed? Barry's back in town. No, not that Barry. America's other king of love. Yes, the sultan of schmaltz, Barry Manilow is touring the UK for one month only.
2. You may snigger, but Barry Manilow is no laughing matter. In his 30-year career, he's sold over 50 million records, recorded almost 50 albums, had 11 US number ones, and thrilled concert audiences all over the world. Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed him "a giant among entertainers ... the showman of our generation".
3. Barry Alan Pincus started out in Brooklyn working as Bette Midler's music director, arranger and pianist. In 1974 he released Mandy, which went straight to the top of the US charts, and he's never looked back.
4. Some of his classic adult contemporary soft rock songs (which you'll be humming all day now) include Can't Smile Without You, Could It Be Magic, Looks Like We Made It, I Write the Songs (which he didn't write) and, of course, Copacabana (at the Copa). All together now, "At the Copa. Copa-ca-Baaaaa-na. Mu-sic and pas-sion were al-ways the fashion at the Copa. THEY FELL IN LOVE ..."
5. And if you can't get enough of the copacabana, there's a musical based on this one song. In the mid 90s, it enjoyed a run in London's West End. Guardian critic Michael Billington found it "guiltily enjoyable tosh". Or find out what happens if you cross the classic song with Star Wars
6. His fan base is among the most devoted and long-suffering in the world. As the great man himself observed, "When you mention my name, people go to battle for me or against me". There's certainly no shortage of fans out there willing to go the distance for Barry, even if it meant you were labelled "a dork" at school
7. Manilow's UK fans are among his most stalwart supporters. Twenty years ago, the press dubbed the hysteria that greeted his arrival in London "Manilow Mania". He was the first US performer to see his LP debut at number one in its first week of release, and his three consecutive albums went platinum in Britain, surpassing a record set by the Beatles
8. When he performed in England in 1998, the sex god caused the good matrons of Bournemouth to riot. And he's got fans in all kinds of unlikely places. David Beckham revealed in a list of "secret things" that his wife owns a Manilow CD. The shame, eh? Don't worry Barry. We won't hold it against you.
9. For many, the holy grail of fandom is to sing on stage with their idol. Can't Smile Without You has become manilegend - it's the one where he chooses a fan to duet with him. Some fans go to extraordinary lengths to be picked. For others, just to meet him is enough
10. All this, and nothing about his nose. Which is not really all that big, surely. And one more thing. An anagram of "The singer Barry Manilow" is "Why Mr real big nose", I rant
2. You may snigger, but Barry Manilow is no laughing matter. In his 30-year career, he's sold over 50 million records, recorded almost 50 albums, had 11 US number ones, and thrilled concert audiences all over the world. Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed him "a giant among entertainers ... the showman of our generation".
3. Barry Alan Pincus started out in Brooklyn working as Bette Midler's music director, arranger and pianist. In 1974 he released Mandy, which went straight to the top of the US charts, and he's never looked back.
4. Some of his classic adult contemporary soft rock songs (which you'll be humming all day now) include Can't Smile Without You, Could It Be Magic, Looks Like We Made It, I Write the Songs (which he didn't write) and, of course, Copacabana (at the Copa). All together now, "At the Copa. Copa-ca-Baaaaa-na. Mu-sic and pas-sion were al-ways the fashion at the Copa. THEY FELL IN LOVE ..."
5. And if you can't get enough of the copacabana, there's a musical based on this one song. In the mid 90s, it enjoyed a run in London's West End. Guardian critic Michael Billington found it "guiltily enjoyable tosh". Or find out what happens if you cross the classic song with Star Wars
6. His fan base is among the most devoted and long-suffering in the world. As the great man himself observed, "When you mention my name, people go to battle for me or against me". There's certainly no shortage of fans out there willing to go the distance for Barry, even if it meant you were labelled "a dork" at school
7. Manilow's UK fans are among his most stalwart supporters. Twenty years ago, the press dubbed the hysteria that greeted his arrival in London "Manilow Mania". He was the first US performer to see his LP debut at number one in its first week of release, and his three consecutive albums went platinum in Britain, surpassing a record set by the Beatles
8. When he performed in England in 1998, the sex god caused the good matrons of Bournemouth to riot. And he's got fans in all kinds of unlikely places. David Beckham revealed in a list of "secret things" that his wife owns a Manilow CD. The shame, eh? Don't worry Barry. We won't hold it against you.
9. For many, the holy grail of fandom is to sing on stage with their idol. Can't Smile Without You has become manilegend - it's the one where he chooses a fan to duet with him. Some fans go to extraordinary lengths to be picked. For others, just to meet him is enough
10. All this, and nothing about his nose. Which is not really all that big, surely. And one more thing. An anagram of "The singer Barry Manilow" is "Why Mr real big nose", I rant
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