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Articles/Reviews |
| November 21, 2011 | Superbreak | Barry Manilow to play The O2 arena in 2012 |
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| Barry Manilow will perform in the UK next year, after it was announced that he would be undertaking a short tour. The 68-year-old will play at The O2 arena in front of those booking city breaks on Tuesday May 15th, before he moves on to Birmingham's LG Arena two nights later. Manchester's MEN Arena will be the venue for a gig on Saturday May 19th, with the crooner heading on to Glasgow's SECC on Monday May 21st. His tour then concludes on Wednesday May 23rd when he appears at The O2 arena in Dublin. Manilow recently released his latest album titled "15 Minutes," making number 20 in the UK chart, while it entered in the top ten in the US Billboard 200. Telling the story of a fictional singer, the album's songs take fans through the star's career, with tracks such as "Work the Room," "Winner Go Down" and "Everything's Gonna Be All Right." |
| November 16, 2011 | Shropshire Live | Superstar Barry Manilow heads to the Midlands |
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| Shropshire music lovers will soon [be] able to experience the much loved American performer, Barry Manilow, at the LG Arena Birmingham as part of his 2012 world tour on Thursday 17 May. The tour will see Manilow come to the Birmingham-based venue to perform some of his best-known hits from "Mandy," "Copacabana (At The Copa)" and "Could It Be Magic." As well as the classics, the tour will see Manilow sing tracks from his recently released album "15 Minutes," for the very first time. As a singer, songwriter, actor, producer and conductor, the multi-award winning Barry Manilow has achieved worldwide sales of more than 80 million records and over 40 Top 40 Hits. His concerts have always been very popular and sold out very quickly. More Details: Barry Manilow Tour 2011. Venue: LG Arena Bimingham. Date: Thursday May 17th 2012. Tickets: Tickets will go on sale at 9am on 17 November and will be priced at £25, £45, £65 and £85 (plus booking and transaction fees) and are available from The Ticket Factory: www.theticketfactory.com or 0844 338 8000.
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| November 16, 2011 | Manchester Evening News | Barry Manilow to return to the Arena with new material |
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| Barry Manilow will performing a suite of new songs during a night of music in Manchester. The 68-year-old will be singing songs from his new album "15 Minutes" next year at the M.E.N Arena. The legendary songwriter has sold more than 80 million albums world-wide and in 1978 had five of them in the best-selling chart simultaneously. This feat has only been matched by Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis. Manilow will play the indoor arena on May 19. For tickets call 0844 847 8000, visit men-arena.com or buy them in person, without a booking fee, from the M.E.N. Arena Box Office. |
| November 14, 2011 | News Shopper | "Barry Manilow to Return to The O2 Arena" by Matthew Jenkin |
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| Legendary entertainer Barry Manilow is set to return to The O2 arena after the success of his shows last May. The multi-award winning singer-songwriter, whose countless hits include Mandy, Could It Be Magic, Can't Smile Without You and, of course, Copacabana, will play the Greenwich venue on May 15. Tickets go on sale on Thursday at 9am. To book, call 0844 856 0202 or visit theo2.co.uk. |
| November 14, 2011 | Goldenplec | "Barry Manilow announces first Irish show since 1996" by Kev Meagher |
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| Legendary entertainer, The one and only Barry Manilow will be bringing his massively successful back catalogue to Dublin for a headline show. When you’ve had twenty nine album gone certified platinum and a greatest hits album made in 1978 yet are still touring it says something about your permanent class. Tracks like "Could It Be Magic," "Copacabana," "Looks Like We Made It" and "Mandy" will be amongst the highlights you would expect to catch live. The gig will be in The O2, Dublin next year on May 23rd 2012 and tickets will go on sale on Thursday 17th November at 9am. We believe ticket pricing will range widely from around €39 to €110 depending on seating. |
| November 5, 2011 | Stereo Board | "Barry Manilow Announces May 2012 UK Tour & Tickets" by Jon Stickler |
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| Barry Manilow, the international superstar who began his career as a pianist for Bette Midler, has announced a handful of UK shows for Summer 2012. With a career that spans across recording, songwriting, television, film and stage work, it's amazing that Barry Manilow still has time to tour. One of the world's superstars, he has today announced he will take his new show on the road in May 2012.
Armed with a catologue of smash hits that include "Mandy" and "Copacabana," Barry Manilow has a career spanning four decades and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide earning him critical acclaim and a legion of loyal fans. Barry Manilow released his latest album, "15 Minutes," earlier this year in June. The album tells the story of a fictional character seeking out fame and fortune. Barry Manilow UK And Ireland Tour Dates are as follows: May 2012
May 15th - O2 Arena London
May 17th - LG Arena, Birmingham
May 19th - MEN, Manchester
May 21st - SECC, Glasgow
May 23rd - O2 Arena, Dublin
Barry Manilow Tickets are onsale from 9am on Friday 11th November. |
| October 29, 2011 | The Marquee Blog | Barry Manilow helps tornado ravaged town |
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| Barry Manilow not only writes the songs, he makes sure kids can too. The singer-songwriter visited tornado ravaged Joplin, Missouri, Thursday and donated $300,000 in musical instruments to the town's schools through his non-profit Manilow Music Project. "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life’s tough times," Manilow said in a statement. "It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster." Signs like "Barry is our Man-ilow" and "Joplin has hope 'cause of Barry" ringed the Eagles football field for the presentation. Students, teachers and townspeople gathered to watch three truckloads of instruments arrive which included pianos, brass and string instruments. The donations will benefit not just the high school band, but also the pep club, the middle school, the choir and the orchestra according to Rick Castor, music director for Joplin High School. The town is still feeling the effects of the tornado, which struck in May cutting a 13 mile path of destruction through the southwest Missouri city of 50,000 and killed at least 159 people. The National Weather Service calls it the single most deadly tornado to hit the U.S. in 60 years. More than half the students at Joplin High School were affected – losing loved ones, homes, and possessions. Joplin High School's music library, the second oldest and one of the largest in the state and worth over $800,00, was destroyed. In addition to the $300,000 in instruments, Manilow's Music Project teamed up with local business Fitterling Dentistry to accept donations of gently used instruments and money to help rebuild the sheet music library. The drive netted $8320.00. Manilow points to his own school music programs as being crucial to his growth as a musician. He established the MMP in 2008 (www.ManilowMusicProject.org) to bolster arts programs nationwide that have suffered due to budget cutbacks. Joplin is just one of many towns his non-profit has helped, but to the man who writes the songs, this felt personal, "It feels like family, I feel like I know everyone and I've never even been here," Manilow said. |
| October 28, 2011 | MSNBC.com | Barry Manilow gives $300,000 in instruments to Joplin: Donation to tornado-ragaed city includes concert grand piano, six upright pianos |
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| Students and staff Friday were unpacking three truckloads of new musical instruments that singer Barry Manilow donated to tornado-ravaged schools in Joplin, Mo. Manilow presented the instruments, valued at $300,000, to a gathering of Joplin music students on Thursday. The instruments will help replenish ones lost on May 22 when an EF-5 tornado swept through Joplin, destroying the high school and several other school buildings. "We are just thrilled, he is such a nice person," Rick Castor, director of the Joplin High School band, said Friday. "It was just like Christmas. We opened a few of the things last night and today." The donation includes a concert grand piano that will be placed on the stage of the temporary, and then the new auditorium, Castor said. The schools also got six new upright pianos, along with brass, string and other instruments, to replace ones that were destroyed, he said. The instruments come from the Manilow Music Project, which for six years has helped schools that suffered cuts to music programs. Manilow is also helping with a local drive to get used instruments donated to the Joplin schools and to raise money to replace sheet music lost in the tornado. The tornado killed 162 people. "I know first-hand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times," Manilow said in a statement. "It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster." Manilow, 68, had his biggest success in the 1970s but has remained a popular touring artist for years. Castor said his students had not heard of Manilow and were surprised when he told them he is among the top-selling singer-songwriters of all time. In speaking to the students Thursday, Manilow quipped that "back in the 1970s, I was Justin Bieber," according to The Joplin Globe. |
| October 27, 2011 | KY3 News | "Barry Manilow visits Joplin, donates musical instruments for students: The donation of $300,000 is a high note for the students of Joplin" by Linda Russell |
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| JOPLIN, Mo. -- A music legend is helping make sure Joplin students have plenty of musical opportunities, even after the tornado on May 22 that destroyed $3.7 million worth of music program supplies. The Manilow Music Project, and singer Barry Manilow himself, made a stop in Joplin on Thursday morning. It's been five months since the tornado, and the old Joplin High School still sits tattered and torn. All the suppplies for the music program were destroyed when the tornado hit, but students and staff are doing their best to move on. The visit from Manilow and the donation of $300,000 worth of musical instruments are a high note for the students of Joplin. Manilow and the students certainly are not from the same generation. "Maybe you remember, 'At the Copa, Copacabana'? Nobody, huh," Barry Manilow said at the event at Jung Stadium. But the singer and the students have something in common; they share a passion for music. "I know what music can do for young people, because I was one of them," Manilow said. The donation of instruments from The Manilow Project will ensure that Joplin students have opportunity, even after disaster. "I had just gotten home from the graduation ceremony at MSSU and I got home and, five minutes later, the tornado hit," said 11th grader Nathan Parker. Parker's home was leveled but he and his family were safe in a basement bathroom. "Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, and then, other times, it feels like it was several years ago," Parker said. Reuniting with the band and playing his French horn was a comfort after all the chaos. "A lot of the kids, the only way they had any continuity was getting together for band camp, because they do become a family, and, by seeing each other all the time, it gives them an outlet," saif Joplin High School Band Director Rick Castor. The music itself can also be therapeutic. "That's been my goal since I started my music: to make people feel better," said Manilow. Manilow's donation is doing the same. "It's really nice," said Parker. "The kids are just thrilled to death, and they're so excited to see all the stuff," said Castor. Though they've been through a lot, Joplin students are playing right on through. "It's still not the same, because the school is divided up now and we have to transport all our equipment every morning just to rehearse, but the kids aren't complaining. They've just done a phenomenal job," Castor said. Some instruments arrived on Thursday, and the rest will continue to arrive and be distributed to their respective temporary school buildings, making sure the lives of Joplin kids are filled with music. Fitterling Dentistry in Joplin is also partnering with the Manilow Project to collect donated instruments and money to replace sheet music. |
| October 27, 2011 | CBS News | Manilow delivers musical instruments to Joplin |
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| Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow has come through on his pledge to help schools in Joplin replace musical instruments lost in the tornado that devastated the town last spring. The Joplin Globe reports that hundreds of band, choir and orchestra students looked on Thursday as Manilow delivered $300,000 worth of musical instruments for the high school and middle school. Manilow made the presentation inside a stadium on behalf of the Manilow Music Project, which works to highlight the importance of school music programs. The singer says he's happy to see the students who will benefit directly from his donation. The May 22 tornado killed more than 160 people and destroyed thousands of homes as well as businesses and schools in the southwestern Missouri city. |
| October 27, 2011 | KTUL | Barry Manilow Donates To Joplin |
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| A legend in the music industry is helping bring relief to students affected by the Joplin, Missouri tornado. Barry Manilow's non-profit organization, the Manilow Music Project, has donated over $300,000 worth of musical instruments to Joplin High School. Manilow also organized and sponsored a donation drive to get even more instruments into the hands of the students. It culminated Thursday afternoon, October 26th, with Barry Manilow on hand to help distribute the new and used items. |
| October 27, 2011 | KOAM-TV | Barry Manilow brings $300,000 in instruments to Joplin |
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| A famous face brings three semi-truck loads full of donations for the Joplin youth. Barry Manilow arrived at Junge Stadium today, presenting more than $300,000 in instruments to the school music program, including a grand piano. The donation comes as part of the Manilow Music Project, which helps public school music programs across the country Manilow says he wanted to help the Joplin students because he knows how invaluable music can be during tough times. "I kept saying to myself 'how can I help - what can I possibly do?'" says Manilow. "We did know Margie down here and these were people I knew. So we came up with the instruments for the kids." Margie and Mike Fitterling of Fitterling Dentistry in Joplin helped coordinate the visit. They had also set up an instrument drive leading up to today's event. |
| October 27, 2011 | Joplin Globe | "Barry Manilow visits Joplin" by Kelsey Ryan |
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| JOPLIN, Mo. - Barry Manilow presented Joplin schools with a $300,000 instrument donation on behalf of the Manilow Music Project Thursday morning in Junge Stadium. Manilow said he was happy to see the students of Joplin who will be directly impacted by his donation. "It makes me want to do this every morning if I could," Manilow said in an interview after the program. Hundreds of Joplin band, choir and orchestra students attended the program where Manilow, Mayor Mike Woolston, Band Director Rick Castor, Superintendent C.J. Huff and Margie and Mike Fitterling, who helped coordinate the donation, spoke. |
| October 27 2011 | OzarksFirst.com | Barry Manilow in Joplin Today to Donate Band Instruments |
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| Joplin high-schoolers are getting some new tunes today, thanks to a man who knows a thing or two about music. Barry Manilow will be in Joplin today. His charity is delivering more than $300,000 worth of instruments, as well as sponsoring a fundraiser to provide further help to the band. The Manilow Music Project is partnering with Fitterling Dentistry of Joplin to host today's instrument drive. "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times. It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster," Manilow said in a statement released by his publicist. Besides instruments, cash donations are also being accepted to help re-build the Joplin High School music department's library by purchasing new sheet music for the band, orchestra and vocal students. About The Manilow Music Project (MMP)
In 2008 in response to the needs of public schools and their severely depleted music programs, Barry Manilow gathered some friends and formed The Manilow Music Project as part of his non-profit, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. The mission statement of the Project highlights the importance of music programs in U.S. schools and donates instruments and materials to school music programs. |
| October 26, 2011 | Radio Times | "Review: An Audience with Barry Manilow" by Alison Graham |
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| All the stars are out – Dev from Coronation Street, one of the Nolans, an actor who used to be in The Bill – and they’re up and dancing as Manilow runs through those peerless greatest hits. Go on, scoff if you must, but Manilow has produced some belters: "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Can’t Smile Without You" and camp classic "Copacabana." If you can get through the cheesy links (he loves his British fans and he’s got a new album out, of course) and put up with Strictly’s Bruno Tonioli making it all about him, then this is an unbeatable way to end the week. All together now: "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl..." About this programme: The singer-songwriter is accompanied by his own orchestra as he performs many of his best-loved songs, including "Copacabana," "Mandy," "Could It Be Magic" and "I Write the Songs," for a celebrity audience. The New York-born entertainer, who worked in a record company's post room while learning his craft, also takes questions on his award-winning career. Cast and crew: Host - Barry Manilow. Director - Jonathan Bullen. Executive Producer - Lee Connolly. Executive Producer - Fiona Clark. Producer - Sophie Waite. |
| October 24, 2011 | Gear4Music | Barry Manilow donates $300,000 worth of music instruments to school |
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| Crooning legend Barry Manilow is donating a mammoth $300,000 (approximately £187,000) worth of musical instruments to school in Joplin, Missouri that was devastated by tornadoes earlier this year. In addition to the extraordinary gift, which will make a huge difference to music education at Joplin High School, The Manilow Music Project is also sponsoring an initiative to get even more instruments to the school. Manilow, 68, is working closely with Fitterling Dentistry, a local community business, to help drive more instruments to the school. "I know first-hand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times. It is an honour and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster," he said. The Joplin tornado was one of Missouri's and America's deadliest tornados, the seventh deadliest tornado ever in US history. Speaking to music-news.com, Fitterling Dentistry's Margie Fitterling said: "As a lifelong fan of Barry Manilow's music and humanitarian efforts, my husband and I are thrilled to work with the Manilow Music Project to help our community." Manilow is famous for songs such as "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You," "Could It Be Magic" and his signature hit "Copacabana (At the Copa)." |
| October 21, 2011 | The Desert Sun | "Barry Manilow donates instruments in Joplin, Mo." by Bruce Fessier |
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| Barry Manilow’s non-profit organization, the Manilow Music Project, is donating more than $300,000 in musical instruments to the tornado-torn community of Joplin, Mo., it was announced today. The Palm Springs resident also is spearheading an instrument drive to get more band instruments into the hands of Joplin High School students. The Manilow Music Project’s business partner in Joplin, Fitterling Dentistry, will host the drive with Manilow on hand for a celebration of the delivery and distribution of the instruments on Thursday, Oct. 27. "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life’s tough times," Manilow said in a statement. "It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster." Monetary donations are also encouraged to help the the high school re-build the music department’s library after the tornado destroyed all of its sheet music. Checks can be made out to the JHS Music Department and mailed to Fitterling Dentistry at 4402 E. 32nd Street, Joplin, Mo. 64804. |
| October 21, 2011 | Contact Music | Barry Manilow - Barry Manilow Donates To Joplin Music Programme |
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| Barry Manilow is to donate $300,000 (Gbp 185,000) worth of instruments to a high school in Missouri after learning the music department's equipment was largely destroyed by tornadoes earlier this year. Tornadoes devastated Joplin in May, killing dozens of people and levelling many homes, and touched by the tragedy, the singer's non-profit organisation, the Manilow Music Project, has now donated funds and launched a community instrument drive to help the students and administrators at Joplin High School rebuild it's music department. He says, "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times. It is an honour and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster." The Copacabana hitmaker will visit the school on Thursday (27 Oct 11) to hand over the donation. |
| October 21, 2011 | The Joplin Globe | "Barry Manilow to deliver donated instruments" by Scott Meeker |
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| Singer-songwriter Barry Manilow will visit Joplin next week to donate more than $300,000 in musical instruments toward those lost during the May 22 tornado. Manilow will make the presentation at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Junge Field on behalf of the Manilow Music Project. The organization’s mission is to highlight the importance of school music programs, and to donate instruments and other materials to them. "We’re just thrilled to death," said Rick Castor, Joplin High School band director. "And we’re thrilled even more that he’s coming to do it himself." Castor said that instruments will help replace instruments still needed by the high school music department - such as concert baritones, gongs and pianos - as well as at East Middle School. Castor said that the high school and middle school music students will be rehearsing Thursday morning for a joint performance that will close out the football season. The rehearsal will be followed by Manilow’s presentation. The presentation at Junge will be open only to invited guests. "The bands, choirs and orchestras will all be out there, so we’re praying for nice weather," he said. The donation and visit by Manilow was made possible through a joint effort by the Manilow Music Project and Joplin’s Fitterling Dentistry, he said. Dr. Michael Fitterling and his wife, Margie, lost their dental practice at 2614 S. McCoy Ave. in the tornado. While the couple worked to get their office up and running again, Margie Fitterling said, they also wanted to do something to help the community. As longtime fans of Manilow, she said, they contacted the Manilow Music Project to see if it could lend a hand to the school district. "We had found out that the high school’s music library was destroyed," she said. "Our kids were active in the music program. We figured that (Manilow’s program) would just write a check, put it in an envelope, stamp it and send it on its way." The size of the donation that will be made and the fact that he is coming himself to Joplin to make it, she said, is "amazing and overwhelming." Representatives for the Manilow Music Project could not be reached on Friday. But in a press release, the singer said that he welcomed the chance to help Joplin’s music students. "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life’s tough times. It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster." |
| October 21, 2011 | Press Release
SOURCE: MANILOW MUSIC PROJECT | Barry Manilow to Bring Music Back to Joplin Students on October 27th: MANILOW MUSIC PROJECT Donates $300,000 Worth Of Brand New Instruments And Sponsors An Instrument Drive and Delivery Event For Tornado Ravaged Joplin, MO High School |
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| After the most devastating Tornado in the United States in more than fifty years hit Joplin, Missouri this May, bringing hope and joy back to the community became vital. Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow's non-profit organization, the Manilow Music Project is donating over $300,000 in musical instruments in addition to sponsoring an instrument drive to get even more instruments into the hands of the Joplin High School students. The Manilow Music Project is partnering with local community business Fitterling Dentistry, who will host the drive location in Joplin which will culminate with Barry Manilow onsite for an incredible celebratory delivery and distribution event in Joplin, MO on Thursday, October 27th. "I know firsthand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times. It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster," says Manilow. New and gently used instruments can be dropped off at the Manilow Music Project donation truck at Fitterling Dentistry, located at 4402 East 32nd Street, Joplin, MO 64804, Monday – Thursday from 8AM – 5PM and on Friday from 8AM – 11AM through October 26th. Due to the High School's additional loss of all sheet music in the tornado, monetary donations are also encouraged and will be accepted to help re-build the music department's library by purchasing new sheet music for the band, orchestra and vocal students. Checks can be made out to the JHS Music Department and dropped off or mailed to Fitterling Dentistry. "As a lifelong fan of Barry Manilow's music and humanitarian efforts, my husband and I are thrilled to work with the Manilow Music Project to help our community," stated Margie Fitterling of Fitterling Dentistry. Rick Castor, Music Director for Joplin High School concludes, "We feel very blessed to have an artist of Barry Manilow's stature committed to helping our students." Formed in response to the needs of the local public schools and their severely depleted music programs, the Manilow Music Project highlights the importance of music programs in our schools and has donated millions in instruments and materials to school music programs across the country. |
| October 18, 2011 | TheaterMania | "Barry Manilow Adds Valentine's Day Show to Radio City Run" by Dan Bacalzo |
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| Grammy Award winner Barry Manilow, who as previously reported will be playing Radio City Music Hall February 10-12, has added a final show on Valentine's Day, February 14. Manilow's Broadway credits include his Tony Award-winning Barry Manilow on Broadway and Barry Manilow at the Gershwin. He also contributed songs to Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue and The Madwoman of Central Park West. In the West End, his music was featured in Barry Manilow's Copacabana - The Musical, which went on to tour the U.S., Australia and Asia. Tickets for the added performance will go on sale to the general public on Monday, October 31 at 9am. For more information, visit www.radiocity.com. |
| October 18, 2011 | Broadway World | Barry Manilow to Play Radio City Music Hall in February |
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| MSG Entertainment and The Bowery Presents announced today that singer-songwriter Barry Manilow has added a final show on Valentine's Day at Radio City Music Hall, due to overwhelming demand. Barry Manilow's now four-night in New York City includes February 10, 11, 12, and 14, 2012. Tickets for the February 14th show will go on-sale on Monday, October 31 at 9AM. American Express cardmembers can get advance tickets beginning Monday, October 24 at 10AM through Sunday, October 30 at 10PM. After having recorded six critically acclaimed albums of songs written by the greatest songwriters of all time - from Gershwin to Bacharach, as well as two Platinum Christmas albums, Barry Manilow returns at last to his true passion: songwriting. Inspired by the Andy Warhol quote, "In the future, everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes," this exciting guitar-driven pop album explores the perils and pinnacles of fame's double-edged sword. 15 MINUTES is a compilation of 16 original tracks written by Manilow and lyricist Enoch Anderson. Making a guest appearance on 15 MINUTES is young Nataly Dawn, lead singer of the white-hot group, Pomplamoose. Her rendition of "Letter From A Fan" is both innocent and eerie. Tickets to all concert events at Radio City Music Hall are available beginning on the first day of sale through Ticketmaster Charge By Phone and all Ticketmaster Outlets, and beginning on the second day of the general public on sale at the Music Hall, MSG and Beacon Box Office. All tickets purchased for Radio City Music Hall events contain a Facility Charge and Ticketmaster purchases are subject to their service charge. The telephone number for the Radio City Music Hall Disabled Services department is (212) 465-6115. The Ticketmaster information and Ticketmaster phone charge is 1-866-858-0008. Tickets are also available online at www.radiocity.com. |
| October 17, 2011 | ABC News | Barry Manilow Saves the Music in Joplin, Mo. |
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| Don’t be surprised if you hear a little "Copacabana" played by the Joplin High School marching band during halftime at the tornado-stricken school’s football games this season. The school’s band members have the man who made that song famous, Barry Manilow, to thank for getting them back on the field, with shiny new instruments in hand. The iconic American singer is using his Manilow Music Project to refurbish the instruments, sheet music and more the band lost when the town of Joplin was ravaged by a tornado last May 22. The tornado, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, wiped out nearly one-third of the small Missouri town, and killed 162 of its residents. The storm hit Joplin High School particularly hard, tearing down buildings and wiping away nearly the school’s entire library of music and instruments. Local Joplin residents Dr. Michael Fitterling and his wife, Margie, reached out to Manilow’s non-profit for help with the band’s fundraising drive, and the project responded with more than the school’s music department imagined - $300,000 worth of brand new instruments. The singer also stepped up to partner with Dr. Fitterling’s dentistry practice to host an instrument drive in Joplin, taking place now, where people can drop off new and gently used instruments, as well as cash donations to replenish the school’s music library. The drive, to take place the week of October 24, will end in a thrill for Joplin’s newly formed band of "Fanilows," a special appearance by Manilow himself, in Joplin, to personally deliver the instruments to the students. |
| October 16, 2011 | Seen It | ITV confirms An Audience With Barry Manilow airdate |
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| ITV has confirmed that it’s on-off special An Audience With Barry Manilow will air on Friday, 28 October 2011 on ITV1 and ITV1 HD. With 80 million records sold worldwide, including "Mandy" and "Copacabana," the singer is one of most successful singer songwriters of our time and earlier this year released his latest album, "15 Minutes." As well as performing some of his best known hits, the special sees Manilow answering questions from the audience about his life and career. Manilow says: I’m so excited to have been asked to do "An Audience With..." The list of hosts that have appeared on "An Audience With..." reads like a who’s who of great talent. It’s an honour to have been asked to host the show." |
| October 9, 2011 | Melodic Rock Concerts | Live Review: In Las Vegas, Barry Manilow Exudes Music and Passion |
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| A historic looking theatre. Thousands of red glow sticks are in the air. In the distance, a fan screams out with pure anticipation. A shadowy figure emerges and suddenly his name explodes in white letters behind him. He’s a bona fide music legend who owns the very stage he walks on this night. His eyes are sparkling, his arms extending as he reaches the chorus. He’s Barry Manilow, and Las Vegas is his town. A certain few people are just born to entertain. Barry Manilow is one of those few. As he walks out onto the stage of the Paris Las Vegas Theatre (the most romantic destination in Las Vegas as both their ads and Manilow himself will tell you), every bit about him demands attention. From his gradiose poses to the trembling in his voice still evident when he sings the bridge of "Mandy," Manilow is the consummate showman. This show on the 9th of October was likely somewhere between 4 and 5,000 for the record-shattering musician who started off as just another kid in Brooklyn. In fact he’s probably approaching the 1,000 mark since 2005 when he began his stay in Las Vegas. But there’s no sense of repetition in this concert. He starts solo with a background of stars before a full band floats out from nowhere as he begins with what he does best – a medley of hits. It’s chorus after chorus in rapid succession, building and building until he finally takes a seat at the piano bench to take it down a notch. Now the lights have calmed down and the band retreated to the shadows, and it’s about this time when the power of his voice sets in. So powerful is the 68-year-old’s voice that it’s doubtful he even needs a microphone. The type of singing that Manilow does takes an enormous amount of breath; it’s stunning to hear him hit huge notes – and then hold them. And hold them. And...hold them. His unchanged ability is brought to the forefront when a young version of himself glides down on a large video screen. It’s one of his earliest live performances of "Mandy." As the two Manilows echo each other, it’s hard to decide which one brings the most chills. There are many turns in his refreshingly unpredictable set. One minute there are the staples "Bandstand Boogie" and "New York City Rhythm," and then from way out of left field comes "Brooklyn Blues." If you thought you’d never get to hear the standout track from 1987′s over-the-top jazz-synth album, you were wrong. Manilow took to his piano to hammer out the synth parts and gave a vocal performance that was almost too convincing. He also brought new songs from the just-released 15 Minutes album. The title track was pleasant, but it was the newly crafted ballad "Bring on Tomorrow" that brought down the house. Hearing the song live is a reassuring experience. The king of the ballads can still write 'em. When taking a trip to Las Vegas, there are some sights you just can’t leave without seeing. There’s the Flamingo, the Palazzo, the Bellagio, the Monte Carlo, and of course, the Barry Manilow. Skipping a few of the casinos is acceptable, but skipping the Manilow is not. He embodies the spirit of entertainment, indulges himself and his fans in every note of singing and leaves audience wanting just a bit more. Out of many entertainers that have captivated the masses through time, out of many attractions in a city that offers it all, one of them emerges as absolutely unforgettable. Barry Manilow, this town is yours. |
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