Tag Archives: Barry Manilow

Exclusive Video Interview: Melissa Manchester Reflects on 50 Years of Music

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Melissa Manchester is a Grammy-award-winning musician whose understanding and appreciation for her craft is second to none. She’s also a delightful human being, and I’m happy to call her a friend. Celebrating 50 years in the music industry, Melissa is an artist who continues to be an inspiring creative force. Just released, Melissa Manchester Live ’77 is a live album that’s seeing the light of day for the first time in 45 years. I had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa about this vibrant, energetic recording from the vault; and we also discussed a myriad of other topics, including Lady Gaga, Barry Manilow, Tony Bennett, how the pandemic affected her as an artist, and so much more. You can watch the full video interview below, and I hope you enjoy it.

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Review: Being Barry Manilow

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Mark Bezos, left, and Jeff Bezos seen on day two of Summit LA17 in Downtown Los Angeles’s Historic Broadway Theater District on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Last night, CNN aired a one-hour, in-depth interview with Barry Manilow, the 78-year-old pop sensation who has garnered countless hits and millions of fans over the span of nearly 60 years. So, did this profile about “The Showman of Our Generation,” the man who Frank Sinatra said, “He’s next!” when referencing, live up to the iconic star’s blinding luminescence? Read on for my thoughts.

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Remembering Bobby Rydell

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In 2016, I had the opportunity to attend Bobby Rydell’s book signing in Philadelphia, interview him a few months later, and then see him perform live in Atlantic City with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, meeting all three after the show. I’m very sorry to hear that Bobby passed away, he was a kind, talented, and positive force in the world of music. He may be gone, but his music will live on. Below you’ll find my interview with Bobby and my review of his live show.

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My Website: 10th Anniversary

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Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com

I started this website in 2012, reaching just a few thousand people. As I head into 2022, which will be my site’s 10th year, I’m reaching more people than ever before. 2020 was my all-time best year for traffic, and this year I broke that record by 54%, reaching hundreds of thousands of people in 145 countries. Thanks to all of you who continue to read what I write. I really appreciate it. To celebrate, let’s take a look back at some of my favorite and most popular posts from over the past 10 years.

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Review — Steve Perry: The Season

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I love Christmas, and I love Steve Perry. Therefore, when I heard that the golden-voiced singer was releasing a Christmas album, I was ecstatic. Let’s dive into The Season, Steve Perry’s first full-length foray into timeless Christmas classics.

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Barry Manilow: Unchained Melody

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It’s Monday! to get the week started off right, here’s Barry Manilow’s beautiful interpretation of the timeless classic “Unchained Melody.” May it be a great day and an even better week. Enjoy!

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Completely Damaged Radio: February 24, 2020

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Today, I took part in another episode of Completely Damaged Radio at Montgomery County Community College. I had such a wonderful time on the show back in December that I jumped at the chance to do it again.

This time around we talked about pro wrestling, Barry Manilow, James Patterson, Bruce Springsteen, and all things DDP Yoga, including the upcoming DDP Yoga Retreat. Check out the show (above), and enjoy!

Review: Night Songs II by Barry Manilow

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On Valentine’s Day Barry Manilow released one of the most romantic albums you’ll ever hear: Night Songs II. It’s the cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day that we all needed. Back in 2014 Barry Manilow released one of his greatest albums: Night Songs. Met with universal praise, Night Songs was nominated for a Grammy award and fans wanted more. Fast forward six years, and Barry Manilow is back with Night Songs II. This time around you can expect 13 songs, one of which is a bonus track that’s exclusive to the CD-version of the album, all lovingly arranged and masterfully sung by the incomparable Barry Manilow. I love that Barry is comfortable enough in his own skin that he continues to record, produce, and release whatever makes him happy. Most artists aren’t that brave. They simply keep repeating the same old music over and over again, or they merely try to imitate their past. Not Barry. He continues to evolve, explore, and create some of the most compelling music of his substantial and diverse career. Having so much music to enjoy makes being a fan of his immensely satisfying. There’s always something new to anticipate and experience. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at each of the tracks on Night Songs II.

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Review: Cats Comes to Philly

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From June 18 through June 30, Cats, the award-winning and record-breaking Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, is in Philadelphia. I had the opportunity to see the show and it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I love cats (my wife and I have two that we adopted), and I love musicals. I also adore Barry Manilow’s interpretation of the signature song from this show: “Memory.” However, I found this show to be one of the weirdest musicals I’ve ever seen.

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Meeting Meat Loaf

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Last Saturday I met Meat Loaf. No, not the dinner entree. The iconic singer who won a Grammy for “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and sold more than 80 million albums throughout his diverse and prolific career. The first step was getting a professional photo with Meat (that’s the name he likes to go by), which you can see above. I came up with my outfit the day of the event and I think it turned out great. Thankfully, my hair was behaving too. As for the photo itself, it’s perfect and everything I hoped it would be. But let’s get into what it was like to meet Meat.

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