Barry Manilow has discussed his decision to come out as gay, as well as details of his marriage to his long-term partner several years ago.
The pop crooner, now 73, gave a rare interview to People magazine where he talked about his marriage to his manager Garry Kief, whom he has known since 1978, and how headlines relating to their 2014 wedding forced him to address his sexuality with a statement in 2015.
Although Manilow had a short marriage to a woman in the 1970s, he says of meeting Kief: “I knew that this was it," adding, "I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.”
He also said that he was worried about how his fans would react to the news that he was gay. "I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything," he said. "When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful - strangers commenting, ‘Great for you!’ I’m just so grateful for it."
The full interview will run in People's latest edition, published tomorrow, April 7th.
