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Barry Manilow never wanted to be a singer: ‘I was so awful’
9 October 2025, 14:53
The ‘Could It Be Magic’ artist never expected his life to go in the direction it has.
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Barry Manilow never intended to become a singer, and even thought his voice sounded “awful” when he was young.
Speaking with Smooth Radio’s Paul Phear ahead of his return to the UK for his Last Last Concert Tour, Barry revealed all about how his six-decade-long singing career came to be.
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“I know it sounds weird,” Barry said. “But I don’t consider myself a singer... I consider myself a musician.
“That’s what I wanted to do with my life... [be] an arranger, a songwriter, anything – but singing? On a stage? For an audience? That was crazy!” he added.
Watch Barry and Paul's full interview here:
The reason Barry Manilow doesn’t consider himself a singer: 'I was so awful!'
But early on in his career, after writing an album-worth of songs that he really liked, Barry realised that to promote his creation, he would have to be the one to go out on stage and sing his songs.
“I stunk,” he claims amusedly. “I was so awful, but the audiences didn’t think so. They were telling me: 'Keep going. We like this, we like what you’re doing,’ and that’s how [my career] began.”
Considering his six decades of success, it seems ridiculous that Barry would still have any doubts about his career today.
But the multi-AMA award-winner insists: “To this day I honestly don’t understand why they’re applauding so much, but I’m so happy that they’re still with me.”
He's much prouder of his singing, however, and along with delighting fans, it is what keeps him coming back to perform to audiences across the world.
In 2024, Barry performed what he planned to be his final shows in the UK at the London Palladium.
But next June, he will be back to perform in arenas across the UK.
“I was convinced that [2024's Palladium residency] was going to be the end,” Barry told Paul.
“But when I got home, I realised that if I’m going to say goodbye, then I should say goodbye to each of these cities that I’ve loved.
“That will be the last time,” he stressed, but then joked: “But don’t listen to me, everything changes with me!”
Throughout his career, Barry never considered retiring from music-making or performing.
This December, he will release his 32nd album, What a Time. Its first single, 'Once Before I Go', was released in late September.
But, the 82-year-old joked, now at “100 years old” he feels like he has to recognise at some point his career will come to an end.
“The night I can’t hit the high F natural at the end of ‘Even Now’, that’ll be the night that I say goodbye,” Barry shared.
“But so far I can still hit that high F natural, so we’ll see what happens!”
Barry Manilow - Once Before I Go (Official Visualizer)
