What The Bleep!

What the he double hockey sticks. Here we go again with these showoff fans said Barry. At least they weren't at the Carnegie Hall benefit on Sunday. In fact there weren't very many fan club members who were there. David Taylor said he saw Carly Simon, Susan Barrett and Vicki Smith co-directors of the One Voice BMLFC of NYC/Nassau. David knew all of the fan club directors. Marc said he really didn't see any fans at all. Both David and Marc went out into the main part where the seats were. They each went out at different times before the benefit started. There were still a lot of fan club members bitching about the Delacorte Theatre show on Saturday. They were bitching because they didn't get tickets for the show. Or why didn't Barry do an extra night or two. Barry knew these were not his regular fans. Because they knew better than to bitch when they didn't get exactly what they wanted. Then there was this one fan from outside the US who was desperate to give him this drawing of himself. She swore the photo she used for reference was his very favorite. How did she know what photo of himself was his very favorite one. In fact the one Barry did like of himself was taken at the Events Center at Foxwood Casino at the end of May. It was taken when Barry was there for three nights. It was the one that Carly took of him. Where Barry had his head tilted and his eyes closed. So it looked like Barry was  completely lost in the music in that photo. The drawing never got to Barry. So the fan was very upset about the fact Barry never got her drawing or painting. Now that Barry was home he would be able to sleep in his own bed. Barry went out to buy a new mattress set. The set Barry had was fifteen years old. After Christmas Barry went to a Sleep Number store to try their mattress. Barry found their mattresses uncomfortable no matter what number he set it at. So he  didn't buy one of their mattress sets. Barry made a call to Carly at the Grand Hyatt while she was there for the convention. Hello sunshine said Barry.  Did you enjoy Sunday nights benefit show at Carnegie Hall? asked Barry. Yes I did said Carly. Susan, Vicki and myself had a super time Sunday night said Carly. Prior to the benefit we went to Becco restaurant.  It's really good Italian fare and it is located at 365 W. 46th St. Some night you and I will have to go there said Carly.  You know I needed a new mattress set said Barry. The mattress set I had was fifteen years old. I thought I'd try the Sleep Number mattress said Barry. Oh  really said Carly. Yes and I hated it. I could never get comfortable no matter what number I set it on.  So I went shopping at a couple of mattress stores. I tried Tempur Pedic and Serta icomfort. I didn't like those brands either. So I called Bruce and asked him what mattress brand he an Rob slept on. Bruce said he and Rob slept on a Simmons queen size mattress set. Bruce said they had theirs since two thousand thirteen and they loved theirs. Bruce even told me where they bought theirs. So I went the Sears store and checked out the Simmons brands. Theirs is a innerspring mattress with the coils. I tried the Simmons Comforpedic Harmony Chopin series . It's a queen size mattress set said Barry. It felt so good when I stretched out on it so I bought it. I even bout two new Simmons pillows there. Then I went to Macys and got a queen sized sheet set and blanket. When I got home I called Bruce and told him I got my new mattress set. Bruce asked me if it was innersprings or memory foam. I told him it was the Simmons Comforpedic Harmony Chopin series. Are you serious said Bruce? I said yes I'm serious. Bruce just had to laugh. Seem you find Harmony just about anywhere. So what color did you get for the sheets and blanket? asked Carly. The sheets are blue and the blanket is slate said Barry.  Next week on Thursday the 25th I have my last fitting at Kleinfeld's bridal. So I should be able to take my gown, headpiece and veil home with me. I'll take the subway into Manhattan and catch a cab to go home. That way my gown and stuff won't get messed up on the subway going home. My mom and sister Jill came with me to Kleinfeld's when I tried on dresses. I remember my mom asking me if I could dance in the dress I liked. I told her I could. Now after we get married I'll put my house on the market. Since the house originally belonged to my parents I'm splitting the price I get for the house with them. You know what we should do is buy a getaway place somewhere. Anywhere would be fine except southern California and Florida said Barry. I don't know why I ever moved to southern California.  My mom Edna had a house in Boca Raton Florida. I sold that after she passed away. I've lived most of my entire life in the Bronx said Carly.  The only time I didn't live there was during my eight years of college. I got my bachelors degree in science from Duke University Durham North Carolina. Then I got  my veterinarian degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh North Carolina. After I got my veterinarian degree I got my first job at the Pittsburgh Zoo said Carly. For a while I lived in Pittsburgh. But when the opportunity came up to work at the Bronx Zoo I took it said Carly. That's where I've been ever since.

Wedding Attire

Carly's Alfred Angelo Ariel wedding dress. With dark purple calla lilies bouquet .

 Matron of honor and brides maids dresses, shoes and bouquets.

Barry, best man and grooms men's Joseph Abood grey tuxedos.

Great Performances PBS

Earlier in the day Marc took Barry and David out for Barry's breakfast. Barry turned seventy-two at nine am this morning. He got phone calls from his family cousin Dennis, cousin Olivia, second cousin Greg and second cousin Jordan. Phone calls from Garry Kief, Kirsten Kief, Vicki Thomas, Melissa Manchester, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Brian Culbertson. Tonight was the PBS Great Performances taping at the Metropolitan Opera House. The Metropolitan Opera House was on the Lincoln Center grounds. Barry had a little surprise cooked up for tonight's taping. He was doing one song from an up an coming album he was getting ready to record.The album was titled 2:00AM Paradise Café II. This album would deal with the fictional Paradise Café jazz club in New York City. The album would center around the patrons who loved to come to the club and people who worked there. Barry went back to his townhouse after breakfast. He decided to make a quick check on Facebook. Oh no more bitching from fans who didn't get a ticket to the PBS taping. Barry just wished those fan who bitched would quit bitching. Heck life's to short to bitch Barry thought.. He also figured these were Brian Murphy fans. Ever since February Barry had gotten a large chunk of Brian's fans coming to his shows. Yesterday Barry rehearsed with his band, the orchestra and chorus. When Barry looked at the clock in his home office it was twelve thirty. So Barry shut down his computer. He let the dogs out into the back yard. He then went into his kitchen to make himself some lunch. He got out the nine grain bread, a jar of Jiff all natural peanut butter and Smuckers grape jelly. Yes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sounded so good. He got some multi veggie chips to eat with his sandwich. Just then he heard the door bell ring. He went to the front door to answer it. He opened the door and there stood Carly. Come in said Barry I was just going to eat. Have you eaten lunch yet Barry asked? No said Carly I'm on my way into Manhattan for the fan club convention. I have my suite case and my tote bag with me. I stopped by to give you your birthday card and present. I'll open them after I make you a sandwich. It's peanut butter and grape jelly I hope that's ok with you. Yes said Carly. Barry made Carly her sandwich and put it on a plate. He then said lets eat on the back deck. Barry before we eat I'll open your card and present. Barry opened the card. He loved the message inside. Then he unwrapped the present. I wonder what's in here said Barry as shook the box. He opened the box and pulled out the watch. Oh wow and new watch said Barry. The one I have now is going dead. So thanks sunshine said Barry. You're really going to like this watch said Carly. I will said Barry because you know I needed a new one. Yes you already said that said Carly. The reason I said you're really going to love this one is because it's an Apple watch. An Apple watch. Oh Carly you shouldn't have said Barry. I had to buy this for you my favorite techie. Barry gave Carly a kiss on her lips. I guess you heard the news  about you retiring said Carly. Retiring? said Barry. I never said I was retiring. In fact next week I'm going into the studio to record 2:00AM Paradise Café II with Steve Gadd, Marc Levine, John Pondel, Ron Pedley, Michael Lington and the Manhattan Transfer. Then it's the fourth of July in Chicago with the Grant Park Symphony and chorus. Here At The Mayflower rehearsals start in August. We're getting married September 6th and going on our honeymoon right after. Then it's opening night of Here At The Mayflower on Broadway beginning of October. End of October I'm back on the road. A few US cities I missed and a Canada road trip.  We are going to go byVia Rail. Then it's the Count Your Blessing II benefit shows at the Beacon Theatre the week before Christmas. I maybe seventy-two today but I'm not wiped out yet. I also don't have the bad hips like Brian Murphy has. But then again I don't road tour as much as he has in the last forty years. I started touring in nineteen eighty-four and I only go on the road when I have a new album to promote. I'm just telling you what I saw on Facebook this morning said Carly.  You really wouldn't believe how depressed those fan on Facebook were. Then I see Brian Murphy is heading PBS' A Capital 4th program. I guess he's feeling much better after his major hip surgery said Carly. That's good said Barry. mow maybe I'll loose some of his fans. I think that some of my fans were doing some major complaining about how crazy his fans are. After Lunch Carly said goodbye to Barry and said she's see him at the birthday party after the Great Performances taping. The Great Performances taping went on without a hitch. The audience went nuts when he mentioned 2:00AM Paradise Café II was coming out next February fourteenth.  At the end of the show Barry went backstage to take off his makeup and show attire. He put on a blue grey and white stripped shirt, blue jeans, a navy jacket and black casual loafers. Barry, David and Marc were going by van to the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the birthday party. The band and backup singers were coming as well. Barry and everyone headed to the ballroom where the party was being held. The minute Barry walked in the fans all started singing Happy Birthday To You to him. While they were singing the staff rolled out the Birthday cake. Alicia told everyone it was a raspberry tort cake. Also for those who didn't like raspberry's  there was plain white cake. Barry got a ton of gifts. He showed everyone his new Apple watch that he got from his fiancée. His One Voice BMLFC had been sponsoring a Guiding Eyes For The Blind yellow Labrador retriever named Barry. Who came to the party with his owner to met his namesake. Barry owner was a member of the club who was blind. She had a dog that just died a month ago so Barry was her new pal. Barry went over to member Sally Bryant and gave her a hug and kiss. Barry allowed Sally to feel his face which is what blind people do. Barry thanked everyone for their lovely gifts. Said he'd see them tomorrow night at the Italian buffet before their theatre outing. Some fans were going to see Copacabana. While others were going to see 15 Minutes. Two quick things before I leave. Tickets go on sale Monday for the Count Your Blessings II benefit shows at the Beacon Theatre. The shows are Monday December fourteenth through Friday December eighteenth.  Fan club members will also have first crack at tickets for the 2:00AM Paradise Café II CD debut. We'll let you know as soon as we have the venue to the CD debut.  The CD debut will be on February fourteenth Valentines Day. Also I am not RETIRING! I don't know where or how that got started. You can't get rid of me because I won't leave. But now I will leave to get some shut eye. See you tomorrow night a dinner. Love you Barry said as blew them a kiss.

Up Coming Project

 

Barry's up and coming projects. First off there was the forth of July concert. That was Saturday July 4th at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and chorus. Second there was the Count Your Blessings II benefit shows. The Count Your Blessing II Benefit shows would be at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The shows would go from Monday December 14 , 15,`6, 17 and 18. Some of the charities that would benefit were Guiding Eyes For The Blind, Harmony Program, Manilow Music Project, Nine Million Meals, Rachael's Rescue, Share Our Strength "No Kid Hungry." There would be other charities added later on. Nine Million Meals was something Rachael Ray did on season nine of her show. Rachael wanted to raised nine million dollars for season nine which she did. However Barry wanted to add to that number. Rachael's Rescue was her animal charity. One hundred percent of the proceeds of her dog food went to that charity. Barry made sure Maggie and Max got Rachael's Nutrish dog food. Harmony Program was a music program in New York City for kids. Share Our Strength "No Kid Hungry" was making sure no kid went without a meal. Gilding Eyes For The Blind was a charity Barry had been supporting since he moved back to New York in 2005. Third was a brand new called Barry Manilow 2:00AM Paradise Café II. This album would have all new songs written by Barry Manilow, Adrienne Anderson, Enoch Anderson, Jack Feldman, Marty Panzer and Bruce Sussman. Barry gathered some musicians he's worked with before. He tried to get Bud Harner to come out a play drums on this album but no such luck. Well at least he did get the other three who were a part of the jazz quartet Uncle Festive. Marc Levine bass, John Pondel guitar and Ron Pedley keyboards. Plus he got friends Michael Lington saxophone and Steve Gadd drums. He also asked the Manhattan Transfer (Alan Paul, Janis Seigel, Cheryl Bentyne and Trist Carless to sing with him on the album. Barry and everyone would start recording the album the Monday right after July fourth. Barry was going try doing what he did with 2:00AM Paradise Café when that was recorded. Do the album from first song to last in one take.  2:00AM Paradise Café II was an album his fans were dying for him to do. Barry was thinking about doing a CD debut at either the Blue Note jazz club or the Village Vanguard for early next year. Barry was shooting for  February 14, 2016 Valentines Day for the albums debut.

Oh No! Groaned Barry

Oh No! Groaned Barry. As he checked out his fan clubs message board. There was two posts by Holly Davis with photos. This time it was from the shows at the Wang Center. The shows were Monday June first and Tuesday June second. Doesn't she have a life besides me? asked Barry.After reading the posts on the Barry Net message board Barry headed to Facebook. On the home page of Facebook he saw fans messages mentioning how many more days till they saw him. His regular fans never did that sort of stuff. But then since Brian Murphy canceled his entire One Last Time US tour. Barry was now getting a gobs of Brian Murphy's fans coming to his shows which he didn't mind. However these new fans were way more crazy then his regular fan base. Brian Murphy was a pop recording artist while he was a Broadway songwriter and jazz recording artist.  Someone Barry knew told him the reason Brian Murphy canceled his entire tour was because of his hips. The person told Barry Brian Murphy had gone in for hip replacement surgery not the usual repair surgery to his hips that he's had before. Then why didn't Brian just tell his fans the truth about going in for the major hip replacement surgery said Barry. They would have understood if he told them about it thought.  Also there were fans bitching about the Saturday June 20th fan club members only concert at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Why couldn't they go to this concert. Besides being a fan club member there was only one thousand eight hundred seats. One thousand seven hundred and seventy seats for fans. Plus thirty seats for BMFC staff and Barry's friends. Which it seems those fans who were bitching were fan club members who just didn't get lucky enough to get tickets. Barry knew everyone who signed up for the convention. He also took care of putting the other seven hundred and seventy fans names on the list for the June twentieth concert.  He knew which local fan clubs were participating in Fridays Local Fan Club Day. Lets see there was Stars In The Night BMLFC Boston MA, One Voice BMLFC from New York City/ Nassau NY, Riders To The Stars BMLFC Arlington VA,  The Kid Inside BMLFC Atlanta GA, Paradise Café BMLFC Jacksonville FL, Night Songs BMLFC Pittsburgh PA, Barry's Beagles BMLFC Detroit MI, We Need To Dream BMLFC Chicago Il,  Showstoppers BMLFC Milwaukee WI, Manilow Fans Forever and a Day BMLFC Denver CO, Brooklyn Blues BMLFC Dallas TX,  NYC Rhythm BMLFC Santa Fe NM, Shadow Man BMLFC Seattle WA, 15 Minutes BMLFC Los Angeles, He's A Star BMLFC San Diego CA, Could It Be Magic BMLFC London England, Sweet Life BMLFC Glasgow Scotland and Beautiful Music BMLFC Sydney Australia. Barry decided to ditch the word international in his fan clubs name. So instead of it being the Barry Manilow International Fan Club. It went back to being the Barry Manilow Fan Club like it was between 1978 and 1979. Barry also asked local  fan clubs to add an L in between the B and M. Like One Voice Barry Manilow Local Fan Club,  Stars In The Night Barry Manilow Local Fan Club and etc. Then there was the fan who said a few things about him that weren't exactly true. Yes Edna and Willie moved into the same building in Flatbush that he did. No his mother was not a lush. Yes she and Willie drank some not a lot.  He never worked at Mattel Toys. After leaving CBS Barry went on the road with Jeannie Lucas. When he and Jeannie broke up their act Barry worked all sorts of odd jobs. Vocal coaching for singers. Playing piano for people at their auditions.  Playing in piano bars around New York City. Musical director for CBS TV show called Callback. He got that job thanks to his girlfriend at the time Linda Allen. Conducting for Ed Sullivan productions. Playing piano at the Manhattan Improv and Continental Baths that's where he met Bette Midler. Also Barry didn't get his beagle Bagel till nineteen seventy-two at a Brooklyn pet store. The pet store got showcased on a Easter special on a local CBS TV program. Linda Allen who produced the half hour program took him to the pet store. That's how Barry got the runt of the littler that he named Bagel. Biscuit was Bagel's granddaughter. After the beagles Barry got his first Labrador Retriever named Casey. Casey came from the Lang Foundation animal shelter in Los Angeles. The other Labrador retriever were Pepper, Salt, Maggie and Max. Soon there would be two more dogs in his house. Two beagles named Charlie and Schroeder. Charlie and Schroeder belonged to his fiancée Carly.

Portland Maine We're Back

Hey Portland we're Back Barry yelled after Brooklyn Blues. You know we've been crossing the US from west to east. It's like we're following the warm weather. I  really want to thank all the local fan clubs who have brightened up our dressing rooms. You guys do an amazing job.  Now thanks to you guys we've gotten some pretty cool stuff. Like tee shirts with pictures and names of the cities we visited. Handmade stuff like scarves, a One Voice logo quilted wall hanging and such. Dog bones for Maggie and Max which they're going to devour.  Delicious homemade cookies and fudge. I have to especially thank the clubs who remembered I love popcorn. Because of you guys I've been snacking  my way across the country with the tins of popcorn you've given me. My manager Marc has given me the nickname Mr. Popcorn. Since I eat so much of it. I'm just crazy about popcorn so you can call me a popcorn fanatic.  Barry went on to do more of his songs. Then he decided to throw Portland a curve ball.  Barry announced that they were compiling video footage from this entire tour for a full length concert movie. The movie will be shown on the big screens throughout the world. The concert movie will include backstage, on the bus, sound checks and actual concert footage. Plus there will be some footage of the local fan clubs decorating the dressing rooms. That's why photo and video guy Chris Marx was hanging around the dressing rooms when the local fan clubs came to decorate.  So this is kind of like a day in the life type of thing. When the movie come out on DVD it will come with a coffee table book loaded with photos. The only trouble I've had so far with this road trip is scheduling concert dates. I scheduled a date in New Orleans only to find out the promoter had double booked the venue. He booked Tom Jones and me for the same venue on the same day. Then it happened again with a venue in Concord New Hampshire. This time it was Wayne Newton. Barry then continued on with the show. He ended his show with Copacabana and One Voice. The audience got so loud chanting Barry name that Barry came back out and surprise them with Life Has It's Ups And Downs and Shadow Man from Here At The Mayflower. Barry was sort of bummed out about the Central Park Concert having to be canceled. Why didn't the park commissioner tell him about the big country festival happening there on July fourth. But then somehow someone from the Chicago Park District found out that Barry wasn't busy July fourth. So they called Barry's manager Marc to talk to him about July fourth. The Chicago Park District head wanted to know if Barry was interested in doing a concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on Saturday July fourth with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. Marc said he'd talk to Barry and then get back to them. Marc made the call to Barry. Hello said Barry. Hello said Marc. So now what's up said Barry. Nothing bad actually it's something good. The head of the Chicago Park District called to ask if you were interested in performing on the fourth of July. Oh really said Barry. Yes really said Marc. The Chicago Park District was wondering if you were available to perform on July fourth with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra.  Plus there is a
the chorus that can back you up during Let Freedom Ring and One Voice said Marc. Call them back and tell them I'll do the July fourth with the symphony and chorus said Barry. Make sure you get me an address where I  can send  the set list and sheet music to. Then I'll send them the set list and sheet music after June twentieth.  So on to the next city Barry and company went which was Manchester Vermont. Where they were going to play the Paramount Theatre on Sunday June seventh. Then it was on to Albany on Tuesday  June ninth the Palace Theatre. Philadelphia on Thursday June eleventh and Friday June twelfth Kinnzel Center for the Performing Arts. After that it was the Carnegie Hall benefit for the Manilow Music {Project Sunday June fourteenth Barry was having special guests that night. His dear friends singer Melissa Manchester, trombonist Brian Culbertson and saxophonist Michael Lington were joining him on stage. Then it was one night at the Metropolitan Opera house for the Great Performance taping. Then the Saturday night  fan club members only concert at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Actually Barry wanted to do four nights at Radio City Music Hall. There again Tony Bennett and Lady GaGa  had Radio City Music Hall for the whole week Sunday June 14 thru Saturday June 20. Also there was the Barry Manilow Fan Club's Convention in New York City. Which started  on Wednesday June seventeenth and went  thru Sunday June twenty-first. The convention was taking place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel next door to Grand Central Station. Oh and Barry was taking part in the convention like he always did when there was one. The birthday party on Wednesday June seventeenth after the concert at the Metropolitan Opera House concert. The Thursday afternoon seminar on songwriting with Barry and his songwriting partners. Plus the brunch and Q&A on Sunday.  And yes Barry was going to the brunch to eat with everyone. Barry had also
autographed a bunch of stuff for the Barry Bingo to benefit the Manilow Music Project. The last bingo game would be for a pair of tickets to see Here At The Mayflower on opening night.

All About Barry Who?

Barry Manilow still looked fabulous for an almost seventy-two year old geezer. Fifteen more days till he turns seventy-two. Barry is six foot tall. He has light brown shaggy hair that is shoulder length in back. No grey hairs or bald spots yet. His eyes are baby blue He weights one hundred  and sixty pounds. Barry actually doesn't mind being called an old geezer. What really bugged Barry was press loved to make comments about his face. Some of the press thought his face was way to plastic. Boy were they so wrong about that. Barry had a non cancerous melanoma on his face removed back in the nineties. But that's all the plastic surgery Barry had done. He had the melanoma removed because of laying out in the sun years ago to get a tan. Barry gave up laying outside in the sun. Whenever Barry went running and bicycling for exercise he always made sure to put sun screen on. Barry loved to bicycle ride and run for exercise. On the days Barry ran he did five miles. Then on the days he rode his bicycle he rode for two hours. The neat thing was that three blocks from his house was a gym. It was a new gym  that had the usual gym equipment and a pool. It also housed  indoor bicycling and running tracks. In between November and March when it was to cold outside Barry could continue to do his bicycling and running exercising to stay fit. Barry also loved to swim. After high school Barry moved to Greenwich Village neighborhood in Manhattan with his wife Susan (Dexiler) Manilow. Then after their divorce he moved to the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Later Barry moved back to Manhattan to the Kips Bay neighborhood. He moved to Lincoln Square neighborhood when he bought his condominium across from Central Park. Then for some reason Barry could never remember why he decided to move to Los Angeles. Barry's first house was a rental in Beverly Hills. Ah yes the dancing waters. Then he bought the house in the Bel Air neighborhood which was above UCLA. He sold that house in nineteen ninety-five. Then for some reason he decided to buy a house down in Palm Springs. His first house in Palm Springs called the Kaufman house which he sold a few years later for a bigger house. The bigger house was in the mesa area. The mesa house got sold in two thousand five to Brian Murphy and Gregory Knoffler. There was the beach house in Malibu which he  got rid of it in two thousand ten. Barry realized he spent more time in New York because of  Broadway Theatre than he did in Los Angeles or Palm Springs. Besides everyone out there thought  he was gay which he wasn't. So Barry moved back to New York City in two thousand and five to be closer to Broadway. Barry came back to New York City in the fall of two thousand and four to go out house hunting. Barry was even featured on an episode of HGTV's Selling New York program.  Where they showcased three different real estate companies their agents and their clients.The whole entire episode dealt with Barry looking for a house in Brooklyn and finding one. That's where Barry wanted to live back in Brooklyn. Barry  actually found the perfect townhouse in Brooklyn Heights. The townhouse had five floors total. The garden floor was almost like a one bedroom apartment. It had a living room which Barry used as a family/game room, a kitchen for making snacks,  a bedroom used as storage space with a bathroom and closets. The parlor floor had the  main kitchen, dining room, living room, a half bath and a coat closet. The second floor was the master suite and master bathroom. The third floor had two guest bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry room. The fourth floor had Barry's office, recording studio, kitchenette and half bath. Barry had a central vacuum cleaning system put in his house. That was so he wouldn't have to lug a vacuum cleaner up the stairs. Barry also had a decent sized back yard for his Labrador Retrievers Maggie and Max. After the 6th of September there would be three more moving in. His new wife Carly and her two Beagles Charlie and Schroeder. Barry loved his neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. He could walk to the dog park, health club, synagogue, grocery store, bus stop and subway station. Barry also loved to bowl. Last year for the first time ever Barry bowled a three hundred game. That's when Barry had all strikes the whole game. A couple of his friends thought he cheated and they checked his bowling ball. But alas they found nothing. Barry also just recently switched management companies. He had been with Boulevard Management out of Los Angeles when he lived on the west coast.  They were the ones who  use to manage his money. Now Metro Management Company from New York City took care of his money. Kirsten Kief decided Stiletto Entertainment should have an office in New York.  So Stiletto East was born. Stiletto East as the east coast office is on the 35th floor of the One Bryant Park building. Stiletto Entertainment still had their main office in Inglewood where the president and CEO Kirsten Kief worked. Vice president Kenneth Gear ran Stiletto's New York office. Barry's manager Marc Hulett and his personal assistant David Taylor made the switch to the  New York office.  Barry was trying to get Vikki Thomas and the Manilow Music Project staff to move their operations to the New York office. As for girlfriends Barry had plenty of them no doubt about it. There was Maxine Horn from junior high, Susan Dexiler high school sweetheart (who he married and divorced), Lorna Luft, Adrienne Anderson, Loraine Mazola, Linda Allen, Abigail Stern, Julie Berkovic , Jillian Marks, Skylar Hertzbach and Carly Simon his fiancée. When Barry was a little kid he had a parakeet named Skipper. His grandma Esther taught it how to speak Yiddish. He didn't get any more pets until he met Linda Allen. Linda took him to a smelly pet store in Brooklyn where there was a littler of Beagle puppies. Barry ended up taking the runt of the litter home. She was a girl puppy that Barry named Bagel. Barry allowed Bagel to have two litters of puppies. One of the puppies Barry gave to Marie Osmond for her eighteenth birthday. A few years later Marie gave Barry one of her Beagle's pups for his birthday. So now Barry had one of Bagel's granddaughters he named Biscuit. Bagel soon passed away. Then years later Biscuit passed away. Barry's veterinarian told him about an animal shelter called the Lang Foundation. Barry went there and found Casey a black Labrador Retriever that he adopted. Then came Pepper another black Labrador retriever and  Salt a yellow Labrador Retriever. After Salt passed away Barry got another black Labrador Retriever named Maggie. Maggie was a great companion for Pepper who had lost her eye sight. When Pepper passed away Barry's friend Lorna Luft found out about this black Labrador Retriever puppy. The puppy was going through training to became a guide dog by the Guide Dogs of the Desert. However the little guy had a health issue that didn't allow him to become a guide dog. He would still make a good house pet. So Lorna told Barry the little guys story. Barry said he'd have to check the little guy out. But before Barry could do that Lorna surprised Barry with the puppy for his Christmas present that year. That's how Max became Maggie's new playmate.

NYC Rhythm Convention Information.

Barry decided it was time for his fan club to have a convention in New York City. Fan Club director Alicia Galay thought that would be way to expensive. Especially with the hotels being to expensive  throughout New York City. Barry told Alicia I've been taking care of booking the hotel for the fan club  for a while now. Because of my celebrity I can get a really good deal on hotel room rates.  Gladys Pinch convention coordinator told me she's already got one thousand fans who want to come. We capped the number of fans who could attend at one thousand I looked into the Grand Hyatt New York at 109 East 42nd St. The Grand Hyatt is next door to Grand Central Station. Rooms rates are one hundred and seventy- nine dollars a night. I got the room rate lowered to one hundred and fifteen dollars a night. No matter whether it's single, double triple or quadruple occupancy.  That's a savings of sixty-four dollars per night. The fan club has one thousand fans already. They gave ne the list so I could get the correct number of rooms needed for the convention. Then I also took care of the formal sit down dinner which will take place on Wednesday June 17th. Wednesday June 17th is the taping of PBS' Great Performances at the Metropolitan Opera House which all convention goers will attend. After Wednesday nights show the BMFC is having a birthday party for me in one of the ballrooms at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. I hear their having both chocolate cake and yellow cake with vanilla ice cream. Someone said the one of the cakes was shaped like a grand piano. Thursday afternoon I'm doing a seminar with Adrienne Anderson, Enoch Anderson, Jack Feldman, Marty Panzer and Bruce Sussman. The seminar will be on songwriting for Broadway, big band, jazz and pop music. Thursday dinner is Italian Buffet . Then the convention goers and I are going to the Palace Theatre for a performance of 15 Minutes. Friday night they get to see the Manilow Music Project Benefit that was at Carnegie Hall June 14th. Then Saturday June 20th I'm doing a fan club members only concert.  It will be an outdoor concert at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre. The Delacorte Theatre seats one thousand eight hundred people. I'm opening the concert up seven hundred and seventy more fan club members who didn't get to come to the fan club convention. The other thirty  seats are for fan club staff who will helping with the convention. Also a few of my friends are coming too. Since this concert is going to be a fan concert. I'm doing songs the fan club members want to hear.  There will be a special spot on my Facebook page where all  one thousand seven hundred and seventy concert goers can leave the song they want to here that night. On Saturday afternoon me the band and backup singers will rehearse the selections the fan club members picked. Then on Sunday June 21st is the "Brunch with Barry." I'm coming to the brunch to eat with all the convention goers. Then after brunch I'm doing a two hour Q&A.