OH NO!

OH NO! Janice, Kate and Vicki took Carly out for a belated birthday lunch. They each gave Carly a birthday present. From Vicki she got a Bronx Girl Born and Raised hoodie. Janice gave her a tee shirt from the Brooklyn Blues tour. Kate got her a keychain that spelled out Barry's first name. They had made the trek into Manhattan to go to the Carnegie Dell to try the sandwich named after Barry. It was corn beef, Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing on pumpernickel. It was like a Ruben sandwich. As they were eating Vicki got a text message saying that something bad had happened to jazz artist
Barry Manilow. Vicki told the other girls what Shelly Henderson one of her other Facebook friends had texted her. Carly quickly called home to see what Barry was doing. Hello said Barry. Hello it's Carly. What up? asked Barry. What are you doing? she asked him. Eating lunch he said. It's a grilled sharp cheddar and tomato on pumpernickel with a bowl of vegetarian vegetable soup and a glass of skim milk. Carly preceded to tell Barry what Vicki had told her, Janice and Kate. Holy shit he said.  Barry quickly went on his Mac Book Pro to check it out. He headed over to Facebook to see if his fans were talking about it. What he saw was the article talking about him being in a bad car accident. I'm sitting here at the dining room table eating my lunch. Not in a hospital clinging to life because of a bad car accident said Barry. Barry told Carly he saw the article about him being in a very bad car accident. Once I get off the phone with you I'll call Marc about this. Barry told Carly goodbye and that he loved her. Carly said the same back to Barry. Carly told the girls that Barry was in the dining room eating his lunch. So he's ok said Carly. Now that's a relief said Vicki. It sure is said Janice. After Barry got off the phone with Carly he called Marc to tell him about it. Marc told Barry he had already seen the article. As soon as I saw it I called Jack McCoy to tell him about it. He said he was going to find out who told the National Enquirer. Once he figured out how the National Enquirer got that information he was going to call me so we can move on to the next step. Ok said Barry. He hung up with Marc and then Garry called. He mentioned to Barry that he that was in the National Enquirer. It's about me being a really bad car accident said Barry. I just got off the phone with Marc. He had already seen the Enquirer article and called Jack McCoy so he could look into it. Marc said that when Jack finds out who started it he's going to move onto the next step. Oh by the way said Garry I ran into Gregory Knopfler yesterday. He told me about Brian's last US concerts on the Pantages Theatre in LA. He also said something about the Hanging With Brian after the last show at the Pantages.  He goes over to the UK for some shows in June. Yes I already know about that said Barry. He also told me he was doing one night in Tel Aviv Israel on June thirtieth. He asked me why don't I go there. I told him I really don't have fans in Israel. The only countries as a jazz artist where I have fans is Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and the US. Australia, Canada. New Zealand, UK and US are the only countries where my albums have sold well. I went to Spain a few years ago for a vacation. Went into a record store in Barcelona to look up my name under M in the jazz section. My name wasn't there. There was every other jazz artist who's last name starts with a M but me. The other thing is I lost all my backup singers said Barry. Melanie Taylor, Sharon Hendricks and Kye Brackett went back to tour with Brian Murphy. I had to auditioned three new backup singers who will be on stage with me at the Palladium this summer. They'll also go on tour with me next year. That is when I'm touring Canada in March and doing the US sheds in the summer. Two thousand eighteen  I'll be heading to Australia and New Zealand. My new backup singers are Kion Harris, Dana Stevens and Shelly Greco. I still have Russ McKinnon, David Rosenblatt, Mike Lent, Ron Pedley  and Joey Melotti. Those are the guys I snitched from Brain when he was off for his hip replacement surgery. The guys decided to stay with me instead of going back to tour with Brian. Joey said if he went  back with Brian he wouldn't get to be musical director. He'd just be one of boys in the band. I still have Andy Rodgers keyboard/vocals. Kevin Sharp bass, AJ McIntire trombone, Rodger Walters trumpet and Nigel Marx saxophone.  There original band members since nineteen ninety two. Kion Harris sure is one super funky guy. Man he's even way more funkier than Kye Brackett is. He suggested we switch up Copacabana. So one night we do the disco version, the next night we do the Spanish guitar version, then another night we do a Latin jazz version. It's great I can get away with switching things up. Brian Murphy can't. He usually has to do the same old same old every night. It's always It's A Miracle opening which I wrote with Marty Panzer. Closing I Write The Songs by Bruce Johnston and Copacabana me, Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman. I'm opening my shows at the Palladium with Putting It Together from my album of the same name. It come out on October seventeenth. It's called Barry Manilow The New York Pops Orchestra Putting It Together The Songs Of Stephen Sondheim. So how's Carly? asked Garry. She's fine said Barry. Carly's beagle Charlie passed away at the end of February. One of her birthday presents was a puppy. So what was the breed of the dog? Garry asked. He's a puppy that's a cream colored English long haired dachshund said Barry. Carly named the  pup  Shellington. That's sure is an interesting name for the dog said Garry. Now tonight Carly and I are going to the Barclay Center to see Brian Murphy's One Last Time concert. Dave Koz is opening for Brian said Barry. Dave Koz wondered why I don't use an opening act at my age. He figured I must be younger than Brian Murphy. That's why I don't have an opening act.  I said Dave I'm three years older than Brian. I was born June seventeen nineteen forty three and Brian was born June seventeen nineteen forty six. I just don't have all the health issues Brian has. I didn't start my performing career until nineteen eighty four. Brian started his career in nineteen seventy three eleven years before.me. Brian had to deal with atrial fibrillation, might have arthritis in his hips where he had hip replacement surgery done. Also he deals with yearly bouts of bronchitis. I don't have any issues with any parts of my body. Nor do I deal with bronchitis said Barry. On Monday October sixteenth Is when I'm debuting my album at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden for two thousand five hundred fans and friends. I've chosen not to invite Suzanne said Barry. Because if I do she'll bring Scott Nevins with her. I no desirers to see him. Yes I know he's still madly in love with me. But I'm not gay. Nor am I interested in having any sort of relationship with him. I married the girl I fell in love with five years ago this coming November. Sometimes the right person doesn't come into your life until you're older. Carly will be coming to the UK July eighth thru July seventeenth. Her girlfriends weren't to thrilled with that. In the middle of June between the fifteenth and the nineteenth is the BMIFC's first ever UK convention in London. They were hoping Carly would be their roommate for the convention. Carly told them no. Because she was coming out in July to spend our first wedding anniversary with me. I'm leaving for London on Monday July thirteenth. So prior to that we'll defrost the top of our wedding cake and  eat it. Next month Carly and I are going to the Met Gala on May second. Carly's also going to the Tony Awards with me on June twelfth. Carly got her dress for the Met Gala. It's a two piece Alberta Ferretti dress. The skirt is white with a floral embossed design on it. The top is a taupe short sleeved  top with a thin strapped underlay.

Facebook post 4/1/16

Hi Gang!

It's me Barry again. Boy do I have lots to tell you. First off I'm back in the studio working on my next project. It's called Barry Manilow The New York Pops Orchestra Putting It Together The Songs of Stephen Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim is my most favorite Broadway songwriter ever. So I went and investigated his catalogue of Broadway songs and I picked my favorites. I got in touch with the New York Pops Orchestra to ask if they would like to be a part of my Stephen Sondheim album. They said yes and were trilled to be a part of this album. Then I called up my friend Barbra Streisand and asked her if it was ok to use her version of Putting It Together from Sunday In The Park With George. The song was on her first Broadway album. She said ok as long as it was ok with Stephen Sondheim. So I called Stephen and he said it was ok to use Barbra's version of that song. Right now I'm in studio with my band and the New York Pops Orchestra recording the album. Also Barbra Streisand is doing a duet with me on Somewhere from West Side Story. I'm hoping to have the album out this coming September. That's so I'll be able to do a few of the songs off the album during my Radio City Music Hall shows in December. While I had the New York Pops Orchestra in the studio with me. I asked them they would consider being on stage with me for my Radio City Music Hall shows. They thrilled to be asked to perform with me at Radio City Music Hall. So they said yes to my offer. Now BMIFC tickets will go on sale for RCMH  in August. Alicia and I are working on a party weekend for  New Years Eve. It would take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel between December thirtieth and January first. There will be a sit down dinner on Friday December thirtieth before the show. A New Years Eve party after the New Years Eve show on December thirty first.  Q&A Champaign brunch on Sunday January first. That's where last years BMIFC New York City Rhythm Convention took place. Once I get the room rates I'll put up the information on the NYE weekend. Now down the pipeline for two thousand seventeen is the summer sheds tour. During the tour I'm doing three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver Colorado. You can go over to my Facebook page and check out the convention page. I put a yes or no question on that page asking you guys about having a fan club convention next year in Denver. The BMIFC convention would take place in Denver Colorado while I'm doing the three Red Rocks Amphitheatre shows. If you all want a convention in Denver next year. Then we would stay at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.  Now I haven't forgotten about my fans to the north yes you Canada. Get ready cause I'm coming to your neck of the weeds in March of next year. I'm doing Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver. Oh BTW I decided to tour Canada by bus. Yes we're going by tour bus once again. We have four full sized motor coaches and one smaller  one. The four big ones are for the band, backup singers and some of the other road worriers that will be going with me. David Taylor and I will be in the small one. We're taking turns driving the highways and byways of Canada. If you're lucky you just might see me driving the mini coach. Now if you do honk and I'll honk back. Last year I got to drive one of the big tour busses. OMG what a blast that was to drive. Now back to the US sheds tour I'm doing mostly one night only. The exception is Red Rocks Amphitheatre and I'm doing three nights. We hit Denver on July forth. I'm doing Thursday July sixth, Friday July seventh and Saturday July eighth. So Wednesday July fifth thru Sunday July ninth would be the dates for the Denver convention. Like I told you previously I am not retiring from the road. Now Brian Murphy is the one who wants to give up the road. I read the article in the Little Rock newspaper on Brian. Where Brain's talked about  him doing another Vegas residency. He mentioned that twice in the article. Is he having a senior moment or what? Brian played the LV Hilton for five years and Paris for two. Two thousand five Brian only did the number of scheduled show he was supposed to do. That entire year fans who couldn't afford Vegas complained on his fan club message board, social network site and Facebook. Starting in two thousand six Brian went and did some shows outside Vegas. He continued to do shows outside Vegas thru two thousand eleven. Since then he's been going non stop here in the US and over in the UK doing shows. I'm thinking if he goes back to Las Vegas he's going to be back to doing what he did six of the seven years he was there. Which is doing the scheduled number of shows he signed to do. Plus doing shows outside Vegas to accommodate the fans who can't afford to go there. Now does he really want to do that again? Las Vegas was never my cup of tea. Even though a lot of you kept begging me to play there. Now I do love Atlantic City. I'm crazy about their boardwalk. I was in Atlantic City for a one week get away. I rented a house with a beach view. There happened to be a piano in the house. So I rolled the piano up to the family room window which looked out at the ocean.  As I watched the wave crash against the shore I wrote If I Should Love Again for Brian. That song went on the album with the same name which was released in nineteen eighty two.  My timer just went off so I need to go downstairs and get my chocolate clip cookie bars out of the oven. So I'm signing off for now. As always I'm sending you all my love and loads of sloppy wet kisses. Your favorite Brooklyn Bum, Barry.