Barry Manilow Officially Comes Out As Gay

After being in the public eye for decades, Barry Manilow has officially opened up for the first time and confirmed he is gay. The “Copacabana” singer told People Magazine that he was fearful of the revelation for years as he did not want to disappoint his fans.

“I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,” Manilow told People. “When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful — strangers commenting, ‘Great for you!’ I’m just so grateful for it.”

While Manilow wed long-time partner Garry Kief in 2014, he never spoke openly about his sexuality until now. “I’m so private. I always have been,” he said. Manilow found fame in the ’70s with a number of pop hits and his personal life became second to his career, until he met Kief in 1978. “I knew that this was it,” said Manilow. “I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.”

While their relationship was tested due to Manilow’s immense popularity, the couple has managed to stay together for almost 40 years. Today, the pair resides in Palm Springs and Manilow, 73, is set to release a new album “This Is My Town: Songs of New York” later this month.