Barry Manilow: The Biography (Paperback)

~ Patricia Butler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Named "The Showman of our Generation," by Rolling Stone Magazine, Barry Manilow has had over 25 Top-40 hits and numerous gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records.

The softcover edition of the bestseller, is an assessment and record of both Manilow's personal life and almost a quarter of a century of chart and touring triumphs.

Features exclusive family photos and childhood pictures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Music Sales (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0711991979
• ISBN-13: 978-0711991972
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #471,083 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Read, April 7, 2002

By	Barbara A. Breuer (Staten Island, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barry Manilow: The Biography (Hardcover)

While this isn't the best biography I have ever read, it is the best I have read on Barry Manilow.

While this pales in comparison to _Sweet Life_, his autobiography, it does fill in where other biographies have dared not go.

Unlike the other biographies I have read, Manilow is human in this one and does not appear to walk on water.

My biggest problem with the book is that it is unbalanced. The author concentrates on his early years and breezes through his later years as if they were insignificant.

The information that she does give us regarding his early years is interesting and we gain a valuable insight into Manilow, both through previously published interviews as well as interviews with people who were part of his life back then. I was particularly concerned about how the author would treat his sexuality, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how she treated this topic with respect and dignity.

Since this is an unauthorized biography, one would expect most info to be culled from past interviews. This is ok, as she really digs deep to find the information from the interviews.

The fan portion left much to be desired. It's unfortunate that the author did not get the fan support she needed in the writing of this book as she would have gotten a better cross section of fans.

If for nothing else, buy the book for the pictures, as there are some I have never seen.

This is a book for those Manilow fans who are not afraid to think "out of the box."

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Shadow of a Biography, August 10, 2002

By	Brenda Meskunas "Brenda" (Orlando, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you've never read Barry's autobiography: "Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way To Paradise", that's the one you need to find and read. Ms. Butler's book, lacking Barry Manilow as a source (along with anyone who's been close to the man since 1980), comes across as a "shadow" of a book. It smacks of a college term paper that was required to be 20 pages when the writer only had enough material to fill 10 ... thus necessitating some "creative journalism" to fluff it out.

To the author's credit, she valiantly tries to fill in the holes where she can, relying almost exclusively on already-published information (thus making this a boring read for diehard fans) and anecdotes from people who knew Barry decades ago. Some of the stories as they relate to Barry's earlier years are mildly interesting, but any of value are few and far between.

The book is written fairly well until the twenty-fifth chapter, at which point the structure falls apart. It seems the author couldn't figure out a good way to wrap it up, so she stumbles onward with a chapter about psychotic fans and then, at the end, with a feeble attempt to answer the burning question: Why Barry, after more than three decades, continues to be scorned by the critics and the world at large? The burning answer? Well, we don't know, because the author never really answers it. I got to the end of this one and wondered why I had bothered.

I think some fans will like to own this because there are a few unique photographs, but beyond that it's a tedious read and, as biographies go, rather poorly written.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unauthorized and unfair, August 24, 2003

By A Customer

This book makes Barry Manilow and his fans look like they're in competition for the outcast award. If you want to read all the negative articles and comments Butler could find about Barry all in one place, then this is the book for you! If you are a loyal fan, not a wacky, love-struck, "middle-aged housewife" (as his fans are often called) read this book if you dare.