Latest news with #BarryManilow
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘70s Pop Icon, 81, Reveals He's Responsible for Your Favorite Jingles: ‘You Deserve a Break Today'
'70s Pop Icon, 81, Reveals He's Responsible for Your Favorite Jingles: 'You Deserve a Break Today' originally appeared on Parade. Barry Manilow, 81, is full of surprises. The 1970s and 1980s singing legend recently revealed that he's not only the writer of some of the pop world's most iconic songs like Mandy and Copacabana—he's also the author of some of the most memorable commercial jingles of the a video shared from a recent Barry Manilow concert, the talented crooner revealed he's responsible for the catchy 'I'm stuck on a Band-Aid' jingle that so many Gen Xers associate with the brand. Fans quickly got to work, commenting on the video and sharing more Barry Manilow-written jingles. One commented, 'You deserve a break today,' in reference to the classic McDonald's theme song written by Manilow. Another fan wrote, 'State Farm Insurance, Stridex,' whose jingles were also written by the Brooklyn-born of the soundtrack of the 1970s was actually written by Manilow, who began his career writing commercial jingles. His other work includes Pepsi's 'Feelin' Free' jingle and State Farm's 'Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there' theme song. Manilow also sang the jingle for Dr. Pepper, which was written by I Love L.A. songwriter Randy Newman. We love it! 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '70s Pop Icon, 81, Reveals He's Responsible for Your Favorite Jingles: 'You Deserve a Break Today' first appeared on Parade on Jun 5, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Barry Manilow on His Farewell Concerts (‘It Is Goodbye') & Why Today's Lyrics Sound Like a ‘Run-On Sentence'
'My mother always wanted me to be a doctor,' Barry Manilow quipped on stage Tuesday (June 3) night at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena. 'She would be so proud!' Manilow indeed became a doctor during his Detroit tour stop, when six cap-and-gowned faculty members from Chicago's VanderCook College of Music (the only U.S. school that specializes in teaching music educators) presented him with an honorary Doctor of Music Education honoris causa. The honorary degree, according to VanderCook President Kimberly Farris, recognized 'your enduring dedication to music education,' which, she added, 'resonates deeply with our mission.' The degree specifically saluted the Manilow Music Project, which he says has spent $10 million during the past 15 years providing musical instruments to schools and honoring music educators. On Tuesday, Manilow presented a $10,000 grant to a teacher from Detroit's Cass Technical High School. More from Billboard Barry Manilow's 25 Top 40 Hits, Ranked From Worst to Best: Critic's Picks Watch SEVENTEEN Bring the 'Thunder' to 'Kelly Clarkson Show' Performance 'This Is What You Asked For': Watch Linkin Park Star in Ice-Shattering Stanley Cup Final Promo Donning his own cap and gown and accepting the degree, Manilow explained that 'the VanderCook College stands for everything I believe in. Their commitment to music teachers and my passion for getting playable instruments for young people go hand in hand. That's why it really speaks to me.' He gave special thanks to his drummer, Yolandus 'YL' Douglas, for spearheading the honor. 'This is such a meaningful honor,' Manilow continued. 'I've gotten awards before — Emmys, Grammys, People's Choice Awards. Most of them were always honoring me as a singer, songwriter and performer, and they were always great. I'm always so grateful for them. But this is the first time that anybody has acknowledged me as being a musician, so thank you all…I'll never forget this.' Manilow then tossed his mortarboard into the crowd as his band played 'Pomp and Circumstance.' The show was part of the 81-year-old Manilow's continuing The Last Concerts series he's playing in 'these cities that have been so supportive' during his 52-year recording career. Prior to the Detroit stop he told Billboard that the endeavor has put him in a reflective space. 'It's like, 'What? Am I the only one left?'' he says. 'It's Billy Joel, and Elton (John) is not well and Rod (Stewart) and Neil (Diamond). Diana Ross is still in great shape I think. There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there. I'm still healthy. I'm strong and I've still got my voice and my energy. The night I can't hit the F natural on 'Even Now,' that's the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it.' Though he 'never got to know' Joel, Manilow adds that he wishes that Piano Man well in his struggle with the brain disorder Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) that has taken him off the road. 'Oh, it's so horrible, so horrible,' Manilow says. 'It just broke my heart when I heard about Billy Joel. I'm such a fan of his work. I really hope he's able to get back to it.' Manilow's work, meanwhile, isn't just onstage these days. By the end of the summer Manilow hopes to release a new album, his first since Night Songs II in 2020. 'This'll probably be my last album,' he notes, adding that, 'I've been working on it for a long time…for so long that the style of music has changed. [laughs] I had to go back and redo (the songs) so they sounded a little more contemporary. I had to take all the strings out, all the background vocals out 'cause they don't do that anymore. They don't use strings and background vocals and all that. Even I heard that it sounded dated, so we had to go back and redo it.' The result, he says, is 'a Barry pop album. I think people who like what I do will like this album; I don't know about everybody else who likes today's music, but it's a solid album.' Manilow adds that he's not trying to compete with the current crop of chart toppers and Grammy winners. 'The songwriting has changed,' he notes. 'Young people don't write the way I was trained to write. There's no verse which goes into the chorus which goes back to the verse which goes to ending, and you change keys. They don't do that. They start the song and then they just…it feels like a run-on sentence to me. I can't find the hook. I can't find the chorus. It just keeps on going, and then it ends. That's not what this album is, and that's not the way I know how to write, and I think my contemporary songwriters and people I work with would say the same.' This year, in fact, marks 50 years since Manilow scored his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, 'Mandy,' while January will mark 50 years since his second No. 1, 'I Write the Songs,' which was penned by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys. Both were recommended to him by Arista Records then-chief Clive Davis, and Manilow laughs as he recalls their professional relationship. 'Every time Clive gave me an idea I would turn it down — every single time I would turn it down.' His objection to that one, in particular, was pointed: 'I can't sing a song where it says, 'I write the songs'; people will think I'm this egomaniac. I won't do it! Same thing with any of the other ones. I turned them all down. But Davis was relentless; 'You've got to try it. You've got to try it!' So I would put my arranger hat on and crawl into these songs and figure out how I can do these songs so I can be proud of it.' 'I Write the Songs,' of course, remains cemented into Manilow's setlists, including his 'lifetime' residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, which resumes on June 12. There's no end date in sight, he insists, but having already done a One Last Time! tour back in 2015 Manilow insists that he's not kidding about each stop being the final performance in each city. 'It's a bittersweet experience for me because I know that I'm not coming back here and (the fans) know I'm not coming back here. And when I finish and I say 'goodbye' it is goodbye,' he says. 'I've never felt that before. Usually I know that (on) the next tour, I'll probably come back here. But this time I know I'm not coming back to these cities. I've been doing this for so many years, and I've done these cities over and over and over, but this is it.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These Are the 5 Most Successful Touring Comedians of 2025 (So Far)
Last month, Billboard Boxscore revealed its midyear touring recap, dominated by Coldplay, K-pop and Las Vegas' Sphere. With the launch of Billboard's comedy hub, we're taking a closer look at the top-grossing comedy acts at the midyear mark. More from Billboard How to Secure Affordable Tickets to Earth, Wind & Fire on StubHub 'Something Very Simple, But Intense': How Gesaffelstein & His Team Made One of the Best Electronic Shows On the Road Barry Manilow on His Farewell Concerts ('It Is Goodbye') & Why Today's Lyrics Sound Like a 'Run-On Sentence' The 2025 midyear recap provides a switch-up at the top of the list. Kevin Hart led the pack for 2022 at year-end and in 2023 at both midyear and at the end of the year. Nate Bargatze took the mantle for midyear and year-end in 2024. Both of them were on the road during the '25 tracking period, and one of them even cracks the top five — but there's a new voice atop the heap. While most of the top comedians at midyear spent their time primarily in theaters, the No. 1 act filled arenas, selling out 30 shows in the U.S. and Canada across the six-month period. By playing to larger crowds, the leading comic could afford to play fewer shows; 30 is the smallest show count among the top five, though it's still a busy calendar. Among the top 100 touring artists at midyear, including musicians across all genres, the average show count was 20. By stark contrast, the top five comedy acts averaged 48. Multiple shows per night and low production overhead usually keeps these jokesters moving quicker than pop stars and bands. Keep scrolling for a detailed breakdown of the top five grossing touring comedians of the midyear period – Oct. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025 – by the numbers. Midyear charts are based on figures reported to Billboard $13.4MTickets: 214KNumber of Shows: 47All-Genre Rank: N/A The ventriloquist act kicked off the midyear period in Columbia, S.C. on Oct. 17, and played throughout the U.S. before ending in Manchester, N.H on March 21. He broke the top five via consistency – he played no fewer than five shows per month across the half-year $14.6MTickets: 204KNumber of Shows: 53All-Genre Rank: N/A Koy kept it moving, playing 53 shows in 49 cities. His biggest stop was in Hawaii, playing three shows at Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Center from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. That run brought in $1.2 million and sold 16,300 $20MTickets: 275KNumber of Shows: 50All-Genre Rank: N/A Iglesias, also known as 'Fluffy,' toured all throughout the United States, with three stops into Canada. Seven of his shows sold more than 10,000 tickets, while just one broke the $1 million mark – a March 15 date at Chicago's United $28.3MTickets: 216KNumber of Shows: 61All-Genre Rank: No. 32 On the Acting My Age tour, Hart didn't just play more shows than the other acts in the top five – he played more than any soloist on the all-genre 50-position midyear Top Tours chart. With multiple shows at most of the theaters on his schedule, his most extended stay was a five-show run at Philadelphia's The Met (Dec. 4-8).Gross: $35.5MTickets: 361KNumber of Shows: 30All-Genre Rank: No. 25 After kicking off last year, Maniscalco's It Ain't Right Tour continues to fill arenas in North America. His five shows at Madison Square Garden were last September and counted toward the 2024 rankings, but double-headers in Boston, Chicago, and Toronto earned more than $3 million each. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Barry Manilow heartbroken by Billy Joel's health crisis
Barry Manilow's heart "broke" when he heard about Billy Joel's health crisis. The veteran musician was forced to cancel all of his tour dates for the rest of the year after he was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), which is caused by a build-up of fluid in the brain, and now Manilow has admitted he feels terrible about seeing the Piano Man go through such a tough time. He told Billboard: "Oh, it's so horrible, so horrible. It just broke my heart when I heard about Billy Joel. I'm such a fan of his work. I really hope he's able to get back to it." Manilow went on to admit there aren't many of his contemporaries still performing. He said: "It's like: 'What? Am I the only one left?' It's Billy Joel, and Elton [John] is not well and Rod [Stewart] and Neil [Diamond]. Diana Ross is still in great shape, I think. "There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there. "I'm still healthy. I'm strong and I've still got my voice and my energy. The night I can't hit the F natural on Even Now, that's the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it." Joel recently axed all of his tour dates - including 17 dates in North America and England - but reports suggest he has no plans to retire despite the diagnosis. Announcing the news on social media, a statement from Joel's team read: "Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritising his health. "He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage." Billy added his own message to fans, saying: "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding."
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Songwriting has changed, says Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow thinks "songwriting has changed". The 81-year-old star released his eponymous debut album back in 1973, but he admits that songwriting has changed dramatically during the course of his career. Speaking to Billboard, he explained: "The songwriting has changed. "Young people don't write the way I was trained to write. There's no verse which goes into the chorus which goes back to the verse which goes to ending, and you change keys. They don't do that. "They start the song and then they just … it feels like a run-on sentence to me. I can't find the hook. I can't find the chorus. It just keeps on going, and then it ends." Manilow observed that a lot of his contemporaries have already retired from the music business. However, he has no intention of stepping back for the time being. The 'Could It Be Magic' hitmaker said: "It's like, 'What? Am I the only one left?' "It's Billy Joel, and Elton (John) is not well and Rod (Stewart) and Neil (Diamond). Diana Ross is still in great shape, I think. There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there. "I'm still healthy. I'm strong and I've still got my voice and my energy. The night I can't hit the F natural on 'Even Now,' that's the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it." Manilow has recently been working on a new album, which he hopes to release later this year. However, he admits that the creative process has been far from straightforward. The music icon explained: "This'll probably be my last album. "I've been working on it for a long time … for so long that the style of music has changed. "I had to go back and redo (the songs) so they sounded a little more contemporary. I had to take all the strings out, all the background vocals out 'cause they don't do that anymore. They don't use strings and background vocals and all that. "Even I heard that it sounded dated, so we had to go back and redo it."
