For nearly four decades, Barry Manilow had protected one part of his life with extraordinary care.
Onstage, he was one of the most recognizable entertainers of his generation — the voice behind “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” and countless romantic ballads that had made him a superstar. Offstage, however, Manilow was intensely private.
Then, in 2017, at the age of 73, he finally opened the door.
Manilow publicly discussed his sexuality and revealed the story of his nearly 40-year relationship with Garry Kief, the television executive who had become his partner, manager, and eventually his husband. The two had first met in 1978, and Manilow said he immediately felt that Kief was the person he had been waiting for.
But why had he kept such an important relationship private for so long?
The answer was surprisingly painful.
Manilow admitted that he had worried about disappointing his fans if they knew he was gay. At the height of his career, his audience was largely female, and he feared that revealing the truth about his personal life could change the way they viewed him.
So he said nothing.
For decades, he continued performing while keeping one of the most important relationships in his life away from the public spotlight.
Even after Manilow and Kief quietly married in California in 2014, Manilow did not immediately discuss it publicly. News of the marriage surfaced in 2015, but he remained largely silent until the 2017 interviews.
And then something happened that seemed to surprise him.
The fans didn’t turn away.
Instead, the reaction was overwhelmingly warm. Manilow said he was deeply moved by strangers responding positively and expressing happiness that he had found someone to share his life with.
That reaction seemed to release something he had been carrying for years.
Kief was not simply a secret partner. He had become a central figure in Manilow’s life and career, eventually serving as his manager and business partner. Manilow described him as one of the smartest people he had ever known.
There was also an almost ironic detail to their early relationship. Kief initially struggled with the overwhelming attention surrounding Manilow’s fame. After one concert, fans surrounded their car so intensely that Kief reportedly told Manilow he couldn’t handle it. Manilow later recalled being grateful that he stayed.
For years, Manilow had worried that telling the truth might cost him the people who had supported his music.
Instead, the moment he finally stopped hiding brought him something unexpected: acceptance.
The superstar who had spent decades protecting his private life suddenly discovered that his fans had been capable of loving the real person all along.
And after nearly 40 years with Garry Kief, Barry Manilow finally had nothing left to hide.