I think that your over-the-top levity, with this post, has finally exposed the OP as being a fine joke on us.
I used to believe this, but then I remembered Liberace.
Actually, now that I think about it, I think I saw Manilow on TV in the last few years and he was kind of swishy. I forgot about it.
From his old recordings? Nah, he was just Manilow, y’know?
If you pronounce his surname fast, it sounds like “man-love”
I was a huge fan of Manilow growing up in the 70s. He has always been one of my favorite musicians. I thought there was a possibility he was gay, but he was never publicly out. The article claims Manilow doesn’t care who knows that he’s gay, but he kept the wedding secret for a year and didn’t sign official paperwork, so clearly he’s not really public about it.
If you think you’re confused, I was like what he plays piano?
Then I realized I was thinking of Barry White!
He definitely needs to reduce his use of Botox.
I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. I assume they’re gay unless they indicate otherwise.
These “I had never considered the possibility/I just thought he was one of those flamboyant straight guys” comments are HILARIOUS. So touchingly naive, it proves gaydar is a sometimes thing! It reminds me of my elderly mother’s reaction, hilariously shocked - shocked, I tell you! Seriously, shocked! … The fact the man looks kind of, well, effeminate, has never been seen with or spoken about a girlfriend or wife, has never been seen dating or living with a female, is obvious as hell. It’s the shattered innocence that’s so touching…sorry grandma, that nice Liberace boy is never going to meet Miss Right, settle down, and have lots of little Liberaces.
In my defense, I could have sworn that he was one of those campy 70’s singers that used his flamboyant image to hook up with tons of chicks to this day. I have a confession to make of my own. I actually love his music and listen to it regularly.
Ricky Martin and the New Kids on the Block among countless others may have had transient presence but they are no Barry Manilow. The man can still sell out whole areas at premium prices decades after his peak. He is funny and self-depreciating in interviews as well. You can still count me as a fan even if he prefers the sausage over the croissant in the morning.
That is an excellent policy and I think I am going to adopt it myself because I have been burned too many times. I once had really good gaydar because I had a huge Irish drunk fag boss (his terms) that taught me what to look for but it is a skill that is easily lost if you don’t practice daily. Someone could show up at more door in a feather boa saying that the plumbing really needs fixing with a lisp and I probably couldn’t tell these days. The newer generation, especially the hipsters, screwed up all of my gay versus straight perception strategies.
I am surprised that you’re so shocked about this , I could care less who Barry goes to bed with at night . As long as the two men are happy that all that matter.
Shattered innocence, WTF?
I don’t think people are being judgmental at all. The thread is about how anyone could be legitimately shocked by the news. I am not shocked but, if you asked me a few days ago, I would have said that I thought he was straight because that is what I always assumed. A lot of other people thought the same way. It doesn’t change anyone’s opinion of the man. It is just an interesting example of how something that can be so obvious in retrospect can still be completely overlooked. He is a master of hiding in plain sight (not that he owes an explanation to anyone but long-term entertainment figures are usually exposed well before their later years).
Seriously. That boy is Botoxed-up.
Manilow looks like an old lady now. How do people delude themselves into believing that’s a good look?
I never knew; I never cared.
In retrospect though I didn’t even consider that Freddy Mercury was gay. I mean, I look at some performances and interviews now and wonder how the hell I* couldn’t* have known. But no one knew back then, as far as I can recall.
Um…
Well, to be perfectly honest, he WAS married to a woman once, and he did “date” women. In fact I remember reading Lorna Luft’s autobiography where she mentions dating him and I kept thinking “What is up with that family? Do none of them have any gaydar at all or do they just see marrying gay men as normal?” I guess that means I assumed he was gay at least by that time (late 1990s).
It’s funny, Manilow just crossed my mind the other day. I was watching TV and saw a bandaid commercial with the same “I’m stuck on bandaid” jingle that’s been around for 40 years and I was wondering if Barry was still raking in the bucks every time it aired and laughing all the way to the bank.
My wife is a big Manilow fan and we went to one of his concerts back in 1994. I like his music well enough, but there’s nothing quite like being a man in a room full of screaming middle-aged women to make you re-evaluate your life. :rolleyes:
Anyhoo, watching the concert something struck me as a bit off in that one of the male dancers kept getting put in a prominent position next to Barry despite the dancer being 1) not particularly good, and 2) not particular attractive (in fact he had a bit of a gut on him). After a while, and watching the looks passing between the dancer and Barry, it occurred to me that the only explanation was that Barry was totally sleeping with the guy.
Not that it matters, but there you go.
Dang! Got there ahead of me. LOL!
Oh well, at least the link might still be useful: Manilow and Sussman
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know it. And as a pianist, I really enjoyed playing his music in my teen years.