In the past he’s claimed to be asexual. I’ve never heard any rumors of him being romantically involved with anyone.
ETA: Not that that means anything. I don’t really follow the entertainment gossip news.
Is he? Huh, I can’t say I give a <insert inappropriate word here>. It’s about as surprising and non-news as ‘finding out’ Cliff Richard is too.
It’s different for girls.
Ah, memories! I caught this when it first aired, and I would pay real money to actually see this again. Thanks for the link to the transcript! Dana Carvey, the comic’s comic.
Yeah. I’m only familiar with his hits, but he can write the hell out of a pop song. And “Weekend in New England,” although ridiculously sentimental, is nevertheless effective on me.
I believe that he also wrote the “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there” jingle, which is likewise still being used. And apparently has the power to transport insurance agents through time and space, so that’s some good songwriting!
In all seriousness, the fact that at least two jingles that he wrote are still in use decades later says something about the man’s ability to craft a catchy tune.
One of his albums had a medley of his ad jingles.
I guess singing Copa Cubana while dancing around with those frills on his clothes and bell bottoms would be an indicator, but nah, that was just the 70’s. Santana, Earth, Wind & Fire and countless others did that.
Lorna Lufts? Well, the gaydar was totally broken for the women in that family, wasn’t it?? I think Judy and Liza lived surrounded by so many gay men in show biz (who were huge, huge, flattering fans, who treated the women like gold) that they couldn’t tell a gay from a straight. Because gay men certainly can and do have relationships with women. (Freddy Mercury had a very very close female friend all his life, didn’t he? Cher and David Geffen were an item, and just look at John Travolta and his older lady friend who passed away, back in Welcome Back Carter days) Being seen with, even marrying a famous show biz woman, was (is?) a big feather in the cap of a gay man. Their marriages and relationships were, at least on the surface, happy ones, and marriages end even if the man or woman is straight straight straight. I think later in life they feel braver, especially now, tired of being beards and gossipped about, and drop the pretense. Hence, Barry Manilow, Jim Nabors and Richard Chamberlain are free at last. I say good for them, but really, not a huge surprise when they come out.
Surely not Rob Halford! Look at all that manliness! *
*Seriously. Like Freddy Mercury, I thought it was an act. Like, no actual gay people would name their band Queen in the 70s! It had to be a put-on. Just playing “shock the straights” - rock was all about scaring the parents. And Halford - no straight boys in the 70s would listen to gay metal. He had to be dressing like that for the effect.
Yes.
MAN canDY
Well, as I understand it, Freddie Mercury was very bi, which may have been the case for David Geffen too.
Freddy was engaged to a woman named Mary, who remained his best friend until the day he died. But Mary says when Freddy first admitted he was bisexual, she replied, “No… I don’t think so. I think you’re gay.”
Bumped.
Here’s Barry on why he stayed closeted for so long, and how nicely his fans have responded to his marriage three years ago: http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/entertainment/barry-manilow-gay/index.html
The whole concept of gaydar is like a confirmation bias 101 lesson.
One of my sisters is sure to be shocked. I remember her telling me how Barry was married to his childhood sweetheart. I don’t know what she based that on, but she’s pretty naive, so I’m sure she read it somewhere and took it as TRUTH.
As for me, since I would never have had a relationship with him even if he’d been straight, it doesn’t change my opinion of him. I have a bunch of his albums and I enjoyed his work. Glad he can now just be himself.
Right, there’s absolutely no way to guess from someone’s appearance, speech, or mannerisms whether or not they’re gay. If you get it right, it’s only because it was a 50/50 coin flip and you got lucky.
I’ve always enjoyed his music, as well. Yeah, it is nice that he can be honest about his sexuality, now.