Barry Manilow recently disclosed that he stayed closeted for 40 years due to fear of career repercussions in the 1970s.
He was married to a woman, Susan Diexler, but eventually annulled the marriage.
Manilow emphasized that discussing his personal life was uncomfortable, and he only officially came out as gay in 2017. (Trending: Jury Reaches Verdict In Paul Pelosi Hammer Case)
Barry Manilow Explains Why He Waited 40 Years to Come Out… https://t.co/YFyb1gvTpv pic.twitter.com/P8R8rBcZs0
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“Frankly, it was just too personal. I just didn’t want to talk about my personal life anyway… I was happy talking about music. But talking about my personal life was just kind of creepy to me. So I never did,” remarked Manilow.
He then acknowledged that the culture has changed.
“Now being gay is no big deal,” said the singer to Chris Wallace.
“Back in the ‘70s it would have killed a career,” lamented Manilow.
He credited his husband, Garry Kief, with providing stability during his career’s peak.
“Garry actually kind of saved my life because as my career exploded, it was crazy. Going back to an empty hotel room you can get into a lot of trouble if you are all alone night after night,” recalled Manilow.
Adding, “I met Garry right around when it was exploding and I didn’t have to go back to those empty hotel rooms and I had someone to cry with and celebrate with.”
“I think everybody knew that Garry and I were a couple all those years,” he admitted, despite not being publicly gay.
“We had a very nice marriage, it was great, but I was away every night making music, as a young musician would be… and it wasn’t good for me and it wasn’t good for her,” Manilow said about his marriage to Diexler.
“I couldn’t be the proper husband. I was just away making music with a band. I wrote an off-Broadway musical called the Drunkard. And I was having a ball. I just couldn’t be a husband,” admitted Manilow.
Despite the challenges, he expressed gratitude for the support he received after coming out.
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