Singer And Songwriter Extraordinaire Returns To The Stage

For generations, Barry Manilow has been singing his way into the hearts of millions of people from every corner of the globe. His songs are anthems for couples in every time zone, and his songwriting acumen is legendary. Fans will be thrilled to know that Manilow is returning to the stage in Las Vegas in 2006. Manilow will be playing regular shows at the Las Vegas Hilton, and his appearance is just another reason to visit the biggest oasis in the world. Below is a look at how Manilow became “Manilow”.

Early Life

Barry Alan Pincus was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 17, 1943. His father was of Russian and Jewish descent, and his mother was Irish. His parents split up when Barry was only two, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents. He was introduced to music when he was seven, when he began to learn the piano and accordion.

Prior to his Bar Mitzvah at age 13, Barry began to sing. It was also at this time that he changed his name to match that of his mother’s maiden name - Manilow. In several ways, 1956 was the year Barry Manilow was “born”.

Budding Career

He continued singing through high school, and upon graduation, he was accepted to the prestigious Julliard School of Music. He paid his tuition by working in the CBS mail room. This proved to be a fortuitous school-time job. Manilow advanced at CBS, and wound up serving as the musical director for the CBS show Callback.

For the next few years, Manilow made his way by writing and performing advertising jingles, including the now-famous song for State Farm Insurance. His work got him noticed, and in 1971 he was hired by Bette Midler as her pianist and music director. He accompanied her on several bath house performances in New York City before Midler herself gained fame and fortune. His work with Midler helped her rise to the top, and as a result, Manilow landed his first record deal in 1973.

Potential Reached

Although Manilow’s first album, Barry Manilow, was not a huge success, his follow-up, Barry Manilow II, contained what became his first smash hit, the single, Mandy, which climbed to number one in both the US and UK. From there, an incredible run of commercial success ensued. Manilow’s next six albums all reached the Top 10 on the US Album charts, and some of the singles he produced during this time have remained popular to this day, including I Write The Songs in 1975 and Looks Like We Made It in 1977.

In all, Manilow has released over 30 albums, and 13 of them have risen to number one on the US Album charts, which is an unbelievable rate of success. Manilow’s style has transformed over the years as well. His early works were almost exclusively love songs and ballads. However, in the early 1980’s, Manilow began to focus more on smooth jazz and worked with such legends of the genre as Mel Torme and Sarah Vaughan.

Overall, though, Manilow is best known for his romantic singing and sometimes crooning ways on stage, and his shows have been sold out in nearly every venue for decades. His fans number in the millions and his act is imitated by many.

Manilow has won two Grammy Awards during his career for his singing performances, and in 2002, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone Magazine called him the best performer of his generation. His charitable works are too numerous to list in one volume.

Generally, there are many reasons to take in a Barry Manilow show. We’ve listed a few, but a trip to Las Vegas would be well worth your time to see one of the true icons of musical performance. Get more update here Celebritynewsupdate.net

The Legendary Career Of Barbra Streisand

The legendary career of Barbra Streisand is well known around the globe. Paved with impressive achievements and memorable moments, Streisand became the first female actress to ever direct and star in a motion picture that was recognized with a Best Director nomination from the DGA (Director’s Guild of America). The film, The Prince of Tides, was also honored with seven Academy Award nominations.

In 1963, Barbara Streisand released her first album, which was fittingly titled ‘The Barbra Streisand Album,’ for which she received two Grammy Awards. At that time, she was the youngest artist to have ever received the Album of the Year award. As Barbra made her motion picture debut in 1968, her attempt paid off with an Academy Award for Best Actress, which would be the first of two Oscars for this outstanding performer.

The self-proclaimed “actress who sings," Barbra Streisand has repeatedly found herself at the top of the record charts and the box office. Her music success is marked with albums that have been certified as both gold and platinum. Her film roles have earned her undeniable success at the Academy Awards but, through it all, Barbra Streisand has remained dedicated to the causes that mean so much to her.

The Streisand Foundation, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, contributes to an array of causes every year. Among them, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, the Institute for America’s Future, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the Center for Public Integrity and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Since it’s inception in 1986, The Streisand Foundation has provided grants totaling nearly 15 million dollars to national organizations dedicated to bettering a number of important issues. In 1993, The Streisand Foundation noted that it would prioritize projects that were geared toward the economically disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles, California.