When Barry Manilow finally tied the knot with his longtime partner, Garry Kief, the response from his fans was overwhelmingly heartwarming. "The reaction was just so beautiful," Barry shares with a smile. "Strangers were leaving comments like 'Great for you!' It meant the world to me." Barry, who's been lighting up stages and hearts for over seven decades, continues to dazzle audiences at 78. These days, you can catch him at his residency in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort, where he reflects fondly on the people who've shaped his life, including his first love, Susan Deixler, whom he married back in 1964.
The Man Behind the Music: Barry's Early Life
Back in the day, life wasn’t easy for a young Barry Manilow. Being openly gay in high school during 1961 wasn’t something you broadcasted. Ed Shapiro, a former classmate of Barry's, recalls, "I don’t remember Barry socializing much at school. He was a thin, good-looking kid, but he kept to himself." In those days, being different often meant staying quiet. But Barry had music, and that was his sanctuary.
Music as a Lifeline
Music became Barry’s escape from a tough home life. His father left when Barry was just a baby, but his stepfather, Willie Murphy, introduced him to a world of sound through his record collection. "Each album was more glorious than the last," Barry recalls fondly. "Broadway scores like Carousel and The King and I blew me away. Then there were the pop legends—Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, Frank Sinatra, and his haunting Only the Lonely album." Recognizing Barry's passion, his family pooled their resources to buy him a small spinet piano and weekly lessons. It wasn’t much, but it was everything to Barry.
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Home wasn’t always a safe place for Barry. His mother, Edna, struggled with depression and alcoholism, making life unpredictable. Barry admits, "We all have our stories. It wasn’t until I sat down with her to write my memoir Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise in 1988 that I truly understood her struggles. She was just a woman doing the best she could." Forgiveness didn’t come easy, but it came eventually, and it changed their relationship forever.
Young Love and Heartbreak
High school brought new challenges and new loves. Barry fell head over heels for Susan Deixler, the prettiest girl in the class behind his. "She was adorable, petite, with great legs and a voluptuous figure," Barry remembers with a nostalgic smile. "She had jet-black hair, dark brown eyes, and a smile that could light up any room." Miraculously, Susan felt the same way about him. They married young—Barry was 21, Susan 19—but it wasn’t easy. "I was in love with Susan," Barry admits. "But I wasn’t ready for marriage. I was too young, too inexperienced."
