Was that REALLY Barry Manilow?

[shortbun]

I just saw the end of Rachel Ray and there was this skinny, insect looking guy standing beside her. She thanked him and said, 'Barry Manilow!!!"
What the heck happened to him???

 

[Darcy03231]

Too much plastic surgery!

 

[focusondisney]

I know. I saw him earlier in the week on one of the morning shows & thought he looked anorexic. Wouldn't have recognized him except for the hair!!

 

[tazdev3225]

I don't watch Rachel Ray but Barry Manilow was always tall and skinny. The last time I saw him on something I thought that he has really aged badly.

 

[krcit]

My kids were watching the NYC tree lighting and Barry was there as was Rod Stewart. My kids kept thinking they were the same person I am a Fanalow but he really needs to put down the knife!!

 

[Piecey]

I saw him on a show recently (I'm pretty sure it was on of Conan's last Tonight Shows) and he said he forgets to eat. He said he's never had an interest in eating and he frequently forgets.

He made a joke of it, saying something like "Now what did I forget today?... Oh! To eat!"

 

[ckay87]

The plastic surgery is one thing, but you're right, he seems to be getting smaller. Even shorter. Crazy skinny and tiny. I've seen him in person several times (seriously) and he was a guy of some stature. Now he looks like....as you said, bug-like.

 

[Disney Doll]

He's never been a big man, always a bit on the skinny side. He's somewhere between 60-65 years old, so he may be getting "smaller" as some people tend to do as they get older. He's also had too much plastic surgery.

But I do love him!!!!

 

[Liberty Belle]

I don't know about his looks, but I'm currently revisiting his songs from my childhood via youtube thanks to your post.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I saw him on a show recently (I'm pretty sure it was on of Conan's last Tonight Shows) and he said he forgets to eat. He said he's never had an interest in eating and he frequently forgets.

He made a joke of it, saying something like "Now what did I forget today?... Oh! To eat!"

Wow. I wish I'd forget every now and then.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Call me crazy, but I always thought he was handsome when he was young. He should have NEVER had all the plastic surgery. He ruined his looks.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Call me crazy, but I always thought he was handsome when he was young. He should have NEVER had all the plastic surgery. He ruined his looks.

He does kind of have that Seventies thin featured handsomeness about him.

 

[FergieTCat]

I've been a Fanilow forever (ever since the very first song ...) but even I can't say Barry looks good. He's had too much plastic surgery, but I think he doesn't look well. Not sure why.

 

[barkley]

He's never been a big man, always a bit on the skinny side. He's somewhere between 60-65 years old, so he may be getting "smaller" as some people tend to do as they get older. He's also had too much plastic surgery.

But I do love him!!!!

since you're a fan you might enjoy hearing this (when i was younger i knew the young lady i'm writing about)-

back in the day (height of his popularity) there was a young teen who got allot of publicity for being a huge fan of his. she had taken spiral notebooks and written over and over (thousands and thousands of times) something like "barry manilow, you write the songs and you are my singer". the media just reported that when she sent it to him it garnered a personal meet with him. what the media did'nt report, was the fact he's a very nice guy and was so touched by what this young lady did he kept track of her such that when she graduated from high school several years later she received, out of the blue, a lovely bouquet and card from him congratuating her.
apparantly he's very appreciative of his fans.

 

[Mermaid02]

I always thought if Icabod Crane were a real person....... he would be Barry Manilow............

 

[minniecarousel]

since you're a fan you might enjoy hearing this (when i was younger i knew the young lady i'm writing about)-

back in the day (height of his popularity) there was a young teen who got allot of publicity for being a huge fan of his. she had taken spiral notebooks and written over and over (thousands and thousands of times) something like "barry manilow, you write the songs and you are my singer". the media just reported that when she sent it to him it garnered a personal meet with him. what the media did'nt report, was the fact he's a very nice guy and was so touched by what this young lady did he kept track of her such that when she graduated from high school several years later she received, out of the blue, a lovely bouquet and card from him congratuating her.
apparantly he's very appreciative of his fans.

awwwww....that's sweet!

 

[Liberty Belle]

Ok, after I listened to Manilow songs on youtube, I searched for other songs from my childhood, found Puff the Magic Dragon, and have since been reading up on Peter, Paul, and Mary.

I didn't know Mary was from Kentucky. And, I also didn't know he created an organization (The Public Domain) and gave the song to it, so it could earn money for charities. I remember when I was a little girl (6?) going to Jelly Stone Park with my mom and brother. They had a little shelter thing with a juke box in it. My mom was outside with my brother and gave me a dime or quarter (can't remember now what it cost - probably a dime) so I could go play a song. I chose The Wedding Song (being a romantic little girl), even though I'd never heard it before. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I couldn't remember the exact name and for years called it "The Marriage Song." My mom had no idea what I was talking about.

I still love that song. Wikipedia has this to say about it: In an article for Guideposts magazine, Stookey wrote that the song came through him originally in the first person, Jesus speaking through him ("I am now to be among you/At the calling of your hearts/Rest assured this troubador/Is acting on My part"). The "troubador" was, of course, Stookey. However, Stookey felt that people might misunderstand, might consider him arrogant or they might be confused, so he, with God's permission, he felt, changed the lyrics.

Never knew that, either!

 

[abdmom]

The guy's 66 going on 67. He looked very good for his age, when I saw him in concert 2 years ago.

 

[ckay87]

Did we really get to page 2 of a Barry Manilow thread without any jokes or bashing? Isn't that almost anti-American???

I'm a fan since age 8. I know he can act goofy, but I've been hearing him so long, I don't know how not to like him. Anyway, you get used to the jokes from people. One day, years ago I had a friend ask me to borrow copies of my CDs so she could burn them. "Burn" with respect to CDs wasn't a real part of my vocab at the time, you know? So I'm thinking "burn" as in "incinerate" . Like she wanted to torch my Manilow CDs! I got really peeved with her, told her I was so sick of being made fun of, bla bla bla. HOURS later I realized what she was really asking me!

 

[elgerber]

I love Barry Manilow, but I saw him on the Today show last week, and insect like is pretty accurate LOL. He looks kinda like he's now made of plastic. Like he went a little overboard on the plastic surgery, with Kenny Rogers. I'd rather just look old...