Barry Manilow opens up on marriage to Garry Kief
Barry Manilow has stayed fairly quiet about his marriage to husband Garry Kief, but the 73-year-old singer is finally opening up.
The “Mandy” singer told ET he generally keeps his life very private, but he was “grateful” for the support from his fans after pal Suzanne Somers spilled the beans on his wedding on “Watch What Happens Live” in 2015.
“I have not read one negative response,” Manilow said. “These strangers out there, and I’ve always known it, they care about me.”
“I don’t know, maybe they care about everybody, but for me, it is so moving, it is so deep that these strangers were so happy that I was happy,” he continued. “That I wasn’t alone, that I had somebody that was with me that I loved and that we’d been together for 37 years. We’re in great shape, and I was very grateful for that response.”
Kief is also Manilow’s longtime manager, and the two were in a relationship for nearly 40 years.
“This is my life, we’ve been together for all these years,” said Manilow, who was previously married to Susan Deixler from 1964 to 1965. “Everybody knows that we’re a team. Everybody that I know knows. So it never really dawned on me to say anything about it. I mean, I’m a very private guy.”
The singer added that he was surprised when the news of his marriage became so public.
“It was strange that we were even talking about it,” he added. “But I don’t mind at all. I’m proud of it, I am. I’m proud of it.”
He also said he found the positive feedback from his fans “an amazing, beautiful, beautiful thing.”
Manilow also had some advice for other couples there on keeping a long-lasting relationship: use “separate bathrooms,” he joked.
The singer is still going strong with a new album, “This is My Town: Songs of New York,” which is set for release on April 21. The album includes 10 new studio recordings, all inspired by the city. He plans to tour the country for a limited series of concerts to promote the album.
And Fanilows don’t need to worry about retirement anytime soon: “I’ll be making music until I croak,” he said.