Barry Manilow Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out as Gay Until 2017

Barry Manilow wasn’t in a rush to come out as gay, calling it a “non-event” during a discussion about his sexuality that aired on HBO’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace Friday. The “Copacabana” singer, who came out publicly at age 73 in 2017, revealed there were multiple reasons he didn’t address his sexuality until later in life during the candid interview, which began when host Chris Wallace asked about the reason Manilow’s first marriage to his high school sweetheart didn’t last.

While Manilow explained he “really did love” his wife, “the gay thing was pretty, pretty strong … I couldn’t deny it.” The “Mandy” singer went on to meet his manager and now-husband Garry Kief in 1978, and the two tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2014. As for why it took three more years for Manilow to share his sexuality and marriage with the public, the musician explained, “Really, Garry and I’ve been together for so long.” He continued, “You know, it just never dawned on me it’s ever going to come out. But when we got married, it was a big deal.”

Asked if he was worried about what his fans would think when they found out he was gay, Manilow revealed he wouldn’t have been comfortable sharing his sexuality and his personal life back in the 1970s. “It wasn’t the same as it is today,” he said. “Now being gay is no big deal. But back in the ’70s, it would have killed a career. And Clive [Davis] kind of told me that in his own way, ‘Don’t do that.’” Manilow added, “Frankly, it was just too personal. I just didn’t want to talk about my personal life anyway. I never did that. I was happy talking about music. But talking about my personal life was just kind of creepy to me. So I never did.”

Back in May 2017, Manilow opened up about his decision to come out in an interview with Reuters, saying that he initially was afraid he would have disappointed his majority female fan base if he had come out in decades prior. “I didn’t know what was going to happen … but I should have known better because my fans, and frankly the public, they care about my happiness and I have always known that,” he said at the time.