Profile of the Day: Barry Manilow

Happy birthday to Barry Manilow! Today the singer-songwriter turns 78.

Image: Barry Manilow / Matthew Becker, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943 in Brooklyn New York to Harold Pincus and Edna Manilow. His father left the family when he was two and he eventually adopted his mother’s maiden name as his last name.

He began his career working as a commercial jingle writer, penning memorable jingles for Band-Aid and State Farm Insurance. In the 1970s, Manilow began working with Bette Midler as her pianist and soon became her musical director and co-producer. His partnership with Midler set the stage for Manilow to release his own album and first big hit, “Mandy.” He would release many more hit songs, including “Looks Like We Made It,” “Could It Be Magic,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa).”

Today, Manilow has sold over 85 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

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