It's Christmas Time.

Barry was invited to perform at the Jingle Bell Ball on Sunday December 18th.  The Jingle Bell Ball was taking place at the Edison Ballroom. The invitation said black tie only and you had to RSVP by November 18th which Barry did. There would be a cocktail hour, followed by dinner, entertainment and dancing. The night had come. Barry was wearing his Joseph Abboud tuxedo with a white shirt, tie and loafers. Carly was wearing an ankle length red dress with a black lace overlay by Alberta Ferretti and black heels by BGTERE. Both Barry and Carly were wearing wool overcoats over their evening attire. Barry and Carly were going to the ball with Eddie and Kelsey Arkin and Marc Hulett and Andy Somers. Now Andy Somers was no relation to actress Suzanne Somers. Eddie sprung for the limousine. The limousine picked up Eddie and Kelsey first. Then it came to Barry and Carly's home. Across the Williamsburg bridge to pick up Marc and Andy. They would meet Bruce Sussman and Rob Schuter  there. Once there everyone checked their over coats. Then they went to find their table. all eight of them were sitting together at the same table. Barry, Eddie, Marc and Bruce went to get the drinks. What's on the menu? asked Bruce. Barry said first course is your choice of spinach salad or French onion soup with dinner rolls. The main course is rack of lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. For desert there will be cheesecake with raspberry sauce or chocolate molten lava cake with whipped cream on top. There will be baked salmon for those who don't like lamb. Vegetarians will get a grilled vegetable platter. Back at their table Eddie asked Barry since your performing what songs are you going to sing? I'm singing Silver Bells, I'll be Home For Christmas and River. Kelsey excused her self and said she was going to the ladies room. In the ladies room she heard a familiar voice. Now don't tell me she's here thought Kelsey. Kelsey finished in the ladies room and was going back to her table. She heard the same voice she herd in the ladies room. So she looked to her left and saw her. I thought that's who I heard in the ladies room. When she got back to the table she said while I was in the ladies room I heard a familiar voice. I thought don't tell me she's here. Once I left the ladies room to come back to our table I heard that voice again. When I looked to my left and there was Suzanne. with her hubby Alan. Now I wonder if she brought Scott Nevins with her and Alan said Rob. Those two lately seem to tied at the hip so to speak said.  She wears the same makeup said Barry. It's an overly smoky eye and very peachy lipstick. Was she wearing her favorite style of dress? It's either above the knee or to the ankle off the shoulder dress with a slit up one side of the dress. Yes it was a floor length off the shoulder dress with a slit up one side. The color was navy with some sequins sais Kelsey. To wear a skin tight dress like that you need to wear spanks said Marc. Spanks replaced panty girdles said Carly. I am so glad I don't need to wear a panty girdle or spanks said Carly. As cold as it is out there and she wore an off the shoulder evening gown with a slit up one side said Barry. Now if the ball was taking place in Los Angeles or Palm Springs. I could see wearing the gown she wore. But this is New York and it's December when it's cold outside. But that's Suzanne said Barry. She loves to show off her smoking hot body. I like showing off my body but I also like to stay warm in the winter said Carly. Before I got married one Saturday Macy's had their monthly makeup day. Once a month on Saturday at Macy's in their cosmetics department they show you how to apply your makeup. I stayed after the makeup session was over. I explained to CJ the cosmetician that I was getting married next month. I asked her what kind of makeup would look on my wedding day. CJ asked me what kind of dress was I wearing? So I pulled out my cell phone and showed CJ my wedding dress. It was by one of my favorite designers Alberta Ferretti. CJ said oh so you're going with a bohemian look. I said yes I was. She showed me how to do a natural look for my wedding. Since I had never been married Barry felt I deserved a real Jewish wedding. That's what we did on Sunday July 12,2015. We were married at 61 Chelsea piers at the Sunset Terrace. We did have to deal with Scott Nevins trying to stop us from getting married. When he couldn't stop us he came to Montreal to see if could ruin our honeymoon. No luck there either. After we got back from Montreal he tried one more time and failed again. Dinner ended and it was time for the entertainment. Barry was up first. He opened with Silver Bells, I'll Be Home For Christmas and River.  A few other artists came up to perform. Then Barry came back out to do a few more songs. Barry, Debra, Shelly and Dana did Jingle Bells. Then he and Debra did Baby It's Cold Outside. Barry then mentioned he had written a new holiday song called Christmas In New York which he sang. Finally the evening ended and everyone went home. After Christmas Carly was on the internet when she saw that there was an earth quake in California. She sent Barry a quick text message to let him know about the earth quake. Barry then made a quick call to Garry to see if he and Denise were ok. Which they were. His family was up at his house in the Napa Valley. That was Rob and Susan. Adam and his family. Chris and his family. Kirsten and her family. Garry told Barry the earth quake was further south and slightly west in Nevada somewhere near Lake Tahoe. Carly saw that there was an earth quake out your way on the internet. So she let me know about it. We got another dog said Barry. another dog said Garry. How many is that now? he asked. Barry that's five. Max my Labrador Retriever. Abbey and Bialy sisters who are Weimaraners. Allie a Hungarian Vizsla a rescue from Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition. Charlie a Labrador Retriever mix from Magic Mission Beagle and Hound shelter from Buffalo New York. Now the big news is we bought the farm said Barry. You bought the what said Garry. The farm. Yes the farm said Barry. it's a four bed, three and a half bath farmhouse just outside of Lake Lucerne New York. The house sits on fifteen acres. It has a large building that was once and animal shelter. It will be that again said Barry. It will be Charlie's Home For Life Dog Sanctuary. A place where dogs can have a forever home. Then maybe get adopted by a family who wants to rescue a shelter dog. We'll have to have you and Denise come out for a visit he said.

Holidays



Hi Gang
It's Barry here wishing all my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah. To all the rest of my friends a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully you all got what you really wanted for Hanukkah or Christmas.  I got a big surprise this year. My album Here At The Mayflower II (Many more stories inside.) is at number one for the fifth week in a row on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. My Broadway songwriting partners and I just found out Here At The Mayflower is up for some Laurence Olivier Awards next year.  All six of us will be coming across the pond for the award ceremony. The ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday April 2, 2017. ITV will broadcast it live on television. While the BBC will broadcast on the radio.  I just put up on BTV my performance at the Jingle Bell Ball from Friday night. I sang Silver Bells, I'll Be Home For Christmas and River. Later on in the evening me Debra Byrd, Shelly Greco and Dana Robbins did Jingle Bells. Then Debra Byrd and I did Baby It's Cold Outside. Now on Friday December 30th and Saturday December 31st BTV will be broadcasting my Madison Square Garden concerts live for fans who can't be there. Prior to Friday nights concert BTV will broadcast my Friday afternoon sound check. On Tuesday January 3rd I'll be back on the road again at the Moda Rose Quarter in Portland Oregon. Then it's Seattle, Oakland, Phoenix, Vancouver, Edmonton. Regina, Winnipeg  Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal. After those dates I'll be off until June when I start my sheds tour.  Don't forget Wednesday July 5th thru Sunday July 9th is the BMIFC Denver Convention at the Downtown Sheraton in Denver Colorado. I will be doing four nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Friday July 7th thru Monday July 10th. Saturday July 8th is the barbeque at Red Rocks. That's instead of the usual formal sit down dinner we always have. At the Red Rocks shows I'll be doing a tribute to my dear friend John Denver. I'm singing three of his songs. Music Is you, Leaving On A Jet Plane and Calypso. Both John and I were friends with ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Now at different times John and I got to go on the RV Calypso. That was Jacques Cousteau's ship. What a thrill that was for both of us to go on the Calypso. John went three times, Australia,  Atlantic Ocean and the Nile. I  went twice Alaska and the Galapagos Islands. Now every year  since my first trip on the Calypso Garry gives me a subscription to National Geographic Magazine. Christmas 2012 Carly got me a subscription to National Geographic Traveler magazine. Now every year I get their vacation travel book. It has vacations all across the world by air, sea and train. As all of you know I volunteer at Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition. I volunteer on Thursday afternoons when I'm not on the road. It's nice to see animals from BARC get themselves a forever home. BARC also takes in dogs from high kill shelters to see if they can find them good forever homes. The thing I don't like is when certain dogs don't find their forever home. Tiny, small and medium dogs have no problem getting a home. Big pure bread dogs, dogs that can be used for guard dogs and service dogs find places to go. Recently while on Facebook I saw a mixed breed dog. His name was Pecan Pie and he was from Magic Mission Beagle and Hound  Rescue up in Buffalo New York. Pecan Pie was a puppy part Labrador Retriever and part something else. Magic Mission Beagle and Hound Rescue was looking for a forever home for this little guy. I just knew he needed a forever home with be with me and Carly. I got their number and called them to tell them I wanted to adopt Pecan Pie,. Kevin Andrews my next door neighbor said he'd go up to Magic Mission Beagle and Hound Rescue to get Pecan Pie. Kevin went up on Thursday and came back on a Friday. He kept the puppy over night. Then the next day Saturday he brought Pecan Pie over to our house. Kevin told Carly the puppy's story and that I had adopted him. Carly gave him a new name. He's called Charlie now. Now we have five dogs. Labrador Retriever four year old male Max, Weimaraner puppies girls sisters Abbey and Bialy, Hungarian Vizsla on year old girl Allie and Labrador Retriever mix male Charlie. I feel sorry for those dogs who have trouble finding their forever home. After I started my One Voice Foundation to give a voice to cats and dogs who can't use their voice. I thought about building a dog sanctuary in upstate New York. This would be a place where dogs would get to spend their entire life being a dog. Now every dog we take in will go up on our sanctuary's website where people can find their forever friend and adopt them. if not they will be able to live out their life on earth just being a dog. Carly found some property just outside of Lake Lucerne New York. It's a four bed, three and half bath farmhouse on fifteen acres of land that is all fenced in. It has a big building where we can house the dogs. Since the newest family member Charlie is a rescue . Carly decided his picture would be perfect on the sanctuary sign. Next year we hope to open Charlie's Home For Life Dog Sanctuary. It will be a place where dogs can live out their forever life. All the dogs that come to the sanctuary are available for adoption. However if they don't get adopted they'll have a forever home at the sanctuary for as long as they live. We're going to employ people from near by Lake Lucerne who love dogs to help us run our dog sanctuary. For our forever residents they will get a proper burial in our dog cemetery when they pass away. Marc thinks I'm nuts. Garry said that's just Barry. Once we have Charlie's Home For Life dog Sanctuary up and running I'll put a link to the sit on my Facebook page. See those of you coming to the Madison Square Garden shows and the end of the week. Then see those of you with tickets to the rest of the surprise arena shows next year.
Hugs and love,
Barry and Carly
Sloppy dog licks from
Max, Abbey, Bialy, Allie and Charlie.

Oh My

Oh my was right. Carly had just come in the house. When she heard the door bell ring. She went to the front door and looked out the peep hole. It was her neighbor Kevin standing on the porch with a
puppy in his arms.  Carly opened the front door and told Kevin to come on in. Kevin said to Carly you're going to kill me. I'm going to kill you said Carly. Yes that's what Barry said you'd do when I showed up with this little puppy. Carly took a look at the puppy in Kevin's arms. Aw how cute said Carly. It's a boy dog and his name is Pecan Pie. Pecan Pie said Carly Yes said Kevin that's his name. He's part Labrador Retriever and something else. Pecan Pie comes from Magic Mission Beagle and Hound Rescue up in Buffalo NY. Barry saw this little guy on Facebook before he went out of town. Somehow Barry just knew this puppy needed a good home and he had the good home for him. If Barry could he'd bring home every stray dog he sees said Carly he would.  I do need to let the dogs out she said. So she called Max, Baily, Abbey and Lily. All four dogs came upstairs from the garden floor. Why don't we go outside said Carly. Maybe Pecan Pie he needs to go too. Carly, Kevin and the dogs went outside. Kevin took the leash off Pecan Pie. All five dogs took off running. Max, Baily, Abbey and Lily seem to be getting along with Pecan Pie. He definitely needs a different name said Kevin. Carly watched the puppy as he chased the other dogs. He looks like a Charlie  to me said Carly.  The puppy came over to Carly. You need a deferent name Pecan Pie. How about the name Charlie said Carly. The puppy perked up when he heard the name Charlie. Ok then Charlie it is she said. Kevin told Carly the puppy was almost a year old. He's had all his shots and he's been fixed. When we started dating Barry told me about this pipe dream he had said Carly. Barry mentioned how he'd love to have some property in upstate New York. So he can have a dog sanctuary. This sanctuary would be a place where dogs  that don't get their forever home would get to live. Instead of being euthanized in a gas chamber said Carly. Barry hates shelters that put dogs in gas chambers when they can find them their forever home. That is why Barry started The One Voice Foundation to give dogs a voice. Barry met Joe Dwyer who runs Daniel's Dream. Daniel was a stray dog running the streets. He was picked up and taken to this animal shelter, When they couldn't get him adopted they put him in a gas chamber with 16 other dogs. When the shelter people came back to take to dead dogs out. There was Daniel wagging his tail. They just couldn't put him in the gas chamber for a second time. So they tried to find him a home. The Dwyer family heard about Daniel and decided to adopt him. In the state of Pennsylvania there is Daniel's Law. That's a law that Joe Dwyer and Daniel got passed. The law bans gas chambers in the state of Pennsylvania. Joe and Daniel are trying to get that same law passed here in New York State. Daniel is called the Miracle Beagle because of surviving the gas chamber.  Kevin told Carly he need to get his three dogs outside. So he left and went home to let his dogs out.  On Saturday December 17th Carly ran into Kevin and Amy at Trader Joe's. When's Barry coming home? asked Amy. He has one more show tomorrow night in Denver at the Pepsi Center. So he should be home sometime on Monday said Carly.  Now while we were dating Barry told me about his pipe dream to have a dog sanctuary.  It would be a place where dogs of all ages who can't get their forever homes. Would be able to live out their life instead of being euthanized. I decided that Barry's pipe dream should become a reality. We've been talking for while about buying some property in upstate New York somewhere. Barry said he wanted a farmhouse retreat with plenty of land for that dog sanctuary he's been talking about. I went on Realtor.com in June. That was while Barry was over in London. I found a farmhouse with fifteen acres  just east of Lake Lucerne Warren county New York. The farmhouse has four bedrooms, three and a half baths with a two car attached garage. It also had a barn on the property. I went up a few weekends this past summer. Plus I was up there for a week in September. My parents came that week to help me with the furniture. I had some local house painters who painted each room the colors I wanted. I've been collecting furniture and other stuff then storing it all in a rented storage unit. This past weekend I went up there to get the farmhouse ready for Christmas. I had the neighbor down the road help me pick out a Christmas tree. While I was there I made gingerbread men cookies. I popped popcorn and strung it with cranberries for the tree. The tree has lights and old fashioned decorations. I got food for the refrigerator. Woods been chopped so we can build a fire. Barry will be home tomorrow sometime said Carly. I told him I thought we should spend Christmas up at the farmhouse. Barry doesn't have to be back until December 28th. That's so he can get ready for the two Madison Square Garden concerts On Monday morning Carly got up and let the dogs out. She was off for the next two weeks. When the dogs were done she brought them inside. She cleaned out their bowels and gave fresh water plus food. Carly then went into the kitchen to make breakfast. After breakfast she went upstairs to pack her suitcase. She had gotten dog food and treats the last weekend when she was at the farmhouse to decorate for Christmas. Soon she heard the front door open. Hello everyone I'm home.  Carly came downstairs to greet him. She gave Barry a kiss on the lips. Oh we've got some four legged friends eyeing us said Barry. He picked up the puppy and said you must be Pecan Pie. No he got a his name changed to Charlie said Carly.  Hi Charlie
said Barry as he scratched his fur. I have something for you Carly said. So Carly went downstairs to her computer room. She came back up with a wrapped package. This is for you she said. You can go a head and open it. Barry unwrapped the package. It was a sign that read Charlie's Home For Life Dog Sanctuary. While we were dating you told me about your pipe dream of having a dog sanctuary.  Since we found that farmhouse before you went to London. I thought it would be the perfect place for your dog sanctuary said Carly. In fact I thought we should go spend Christmas up there this year. Oh guess who lives up the road from us your co-producer Eddie Arkin. Eddie lives up the road from us really said Barry. Yes and he invited us over for Christmas Eve.

Facebook Up Date Post

Hi Gang
It's me Barry once again. I had to rearrange my Canada schedule for a TV special I'm taping called Barry Manilow and Friends. Which I'm taping at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The friends that I've invited to be on my special are Melissa Manchester, Kenny G. and Carly Simon. The special will air on Wednesday May 10th at 10pm on PBS. The new Canadian dates are as follows Rodgers Arena Sunday January 22nd Vancouver. Rodgers Place Tuesday January 24th Edmonton, Brant Centre Friday January 27th, MTS Centre Monday January 30th Winnipeg, Air Canada Thursday February 2nd, Videotron Monday February Quebec City and Centre Bell Wednesday February 8th Montreal. Yes we were able to add a concert in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday February 2nd. All the venues were willing to cooperate with me on the changes. Tickets for the Air Canada Centre are on sale now for the same price as the rest of the Canadian shows are. The tickets are $75 for platinum, $30 for front floor, $25 for back floor, $20 for lower bleachers, $15 for middle bleachers and $10 for nose bleed back bleachers. Last nights Pepsi Centre concert in Denver was a blast. I got a huge surprise when saxophonist Kenny G. came out to play with me. Kenny C. is also on Concord Records. Kenny G. and I were also label mates on Arista Records. I've been starting these shows with Do You Know Who's Living Next Door? from Here At The Mayflower. As all of you know that song starts out with a saxophone solo. Now I figured the saxophone solo was coming from Dana Robbins. But it wasn't it was coming from both Kenny G. and Dana Robbins. Later on Kenny G. and Dana Robbins played saxophone on my jazz version of Billy Joel's New York State Of Mind. Then we also did a jazz version of mine and Marty Panzer's song It's A Miracle Dana was the one who figured out how to give that song a jazz feel. Now I'm off till Friday December 29th and Saturday December 31st when I'm playing two nights at Madison Square Garden. The Saturday night show won't start until nine thirty. The first act will start at nine thirty and go to ten thirty. Intermission will be ten thirty to ten fifty. The second act will start at eleven and go to twelve midnight when we ring in 2017. The New Years Eve show will have some surprises and special guests. Also I have a new furry son named Charlie. Charlie is a mutt. He's half Labrador Retriever and half something else. Charlie came from Magic Mission  Beagle and Hound Rescue in Buffalo New York. That now makes five dogs. Max a Labrador Retriever, Abbey and Bialy Weimmaraners, Lily a Hungarian Vizsla and Charlie the Labrador Retriever mix.  Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.; Oh and speaking of New Years Eve. The entire New Years Eve concert at Madison Square Garden is being broadcasted live on BBC American, BBC Canada , BBC 2 UK and ABC 3 Australia. As well as it's being taped for a DVD that will come out next year. I added a suggestion section to my Facebook page. If you have some ideas tell me about them. If you happen to be in New York City or you live in and around New York City. On Saturday December 17th 7pm the Bronx Zoo is having their caroling around the animals. This is something they do every year. Carly says the kids love singing to the animals. So come join us as we to go Christmas caroling around the zoo this year. Then after the caroling there will be hot cocoa and homemade cookies for everyone. If you come out for the annual Bronx Zoo Holiday Fest you will see me there. I was asked to lead the caroling thru the zoo. You'll even get to met one of the newest zoo babies. His name is Barry and he's a giraffe. His mom's name is Lola and his dad's name is Groucho. There's two other male giraffe's named Chico and Harppo. And yes they were named after three of the Marx Brothers. I'm also telling Carly we need to go past the Kola Bears habitat. One of the Kola's is named Garry. He is sponsored by my ex manager Garry Kief. I sponsoring Barry the giraffe. I also sponsor Manny the Polar Bear.  So until I see some of you at Madison Square Garden on Friday December 30th and Saturday December 31st. Or sometime next year during the outdoor sheds tour. Have a great holiday.
Hugs,
Barry