Up There

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By Mark SavageBBC Music Correspondent

Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow says he did not discuss his sexuality for years because it could have ended his career.

The Star , who came out publicly in 2017, told CNN's Chris Wallace that " The Public was not ready for anybody to come out" as gay in the 1970S .

" Now being gay is no Big Deal , " he added. " Back in The 70S it would have killed a career. "

The Brooklyn-born singer has been in a relationship with his manager Garry Kief for 39 years.

They married privately in 2014.

Asked by Wallace if he had felt pressured to hide who he was, Manilow said he " never thought about it".

He described his decision to come out in People magazine Six Years ago as " a non-event".

" I think everybody knew that Garry and I were a couple all those years, " He Said .

At The Time , He Said his fans' response to The Announcement had made it a " beautiful experience".

" I didn't know what was going to happen, " he told Reuters, " but I should have known better because my fans, and frankly The Public , they care about my happiness and I have always known that. "

Manilow, whose real name is Barry Pincus, is one of the biggest-selling musicians of all time, thanks to slick, orchestrated hits like Mandy, Looks Like We Made It and Copacabana.

A born showman, he is still hard at work in his eighth decade, opening a new Broadway musical and starring in a recently-announced Christmas TV special.

He is currently in the 14th year of a Las Vegas residency and has concert dates scheduled Until December 2024.

His star began to rise in The Middle of the 1970S - and Manilow credited Kief with saving his life during those whirlwind years.

" 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, you know, you're alone night after night after night, " he 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. "

He added: " It was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And Then it was fun. "

'Nervous breakdown'

Prior to his relationship with Kief, Manilow had married his childhood sweetheart, Susan Deixler , in 1964.

The couple stayed together for One Year , and The Marriage was annulled in 1966.

Reflecting on The Relationship , He Said he " really did love" his wife, but admitted " the gay thing was pretty, pretty strong".

However, He Said The Marriage ended because of a lack of commitment, rather than his sexuality.

" We had a Very Nice marriage, it was great, but I was away every night Making Music , as a young musician would be. . and it wasn't good for me and it wasn't good for her.

" I couldn't be the proper husband. I was just away Making Music with A Band . I wrote an off-Broadway musical called The Drunkard . And I was having a ball. I just couldn't be a husband. "

Elsewhere in the career-spanning interview, Manilow said his background in writing jingles had helped him in his musical career.

" You've got to get a hook in 15 seconds that people will remember for a commercial, and the same goes for a pop song, " He Said .

He also revealed that he came up with the concept for Copacabana while recovering from his " first nervous breakdown" at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro in 1970.

When Wallace pressed him for details, Manilow said he was " just kidding" about The Breakdown , but admitted that fame had affected his Mental Health .

" Before Mandy and all the big records, I was a happy guy being the background.

" I was having a great time until I had to get Up There and perform. I wouldn't say nervous breakdown, but it was definitely a problem for me. "

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Source of news: bbc.com