In a new candid interview, the veteran musician admits that he 'never even thought' about questioning his sexuality until he struck up a romance with his TV executive husband.
- May 21, 2022
AceShowbiz - Barry Manilow has opened up about sexuality journey. In a new interview, the veteran musician admitted he "never even thought" about questioning his sexuality until he met his future husband Garry Kief.
The 78-year-old musician struck up a romance with TV executive Garry in 1978 following the collapse of his marriage to Susan Deixler, which officially ended in 1966. Garry went on to become his manager and the pair married in secret in 2014 before going public with their love in 2017.
Now, Barry admits he didn't realize he might be gay until he met Garry, telling America's Closer magazine, "[I] never even thought about whether I was gay [before I met Garry]."
Barry then credited Garry for helping him get his business affairs back on track after finding himself in financial turmoil, adding of his partner, "He's the smartest person I've ever met in my life, and a great guy too." He added, "I was one of the lucky ones."
After coming out publicly in 2017, Barry told PEOPLE magazine he kept his personal life private for so many years because he was worried about disappointing his fans. The "Mandy" hitmaker explained, "I'm so private. I always have been. I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything."
On the positive reaction to the news, Barry added, "When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy." He said, "The reaction was so beautiful, strangers commenting, 'Great for you!' I'm just so grateful for it."
