Barry Manilow says hiding his sexuality was a 'burden': 'Didn't want my career to go away'

Renowned singer Barry Manilow has expressed regret over the struggle he faced due to concealing his homosexuality, mainly because he was apprehensive about harming his career prospects. In a candid discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, the 80-year-old musician, who publicly came out as gay in 2017, admitted the constant fear he felt regarding losing his career if others knew his true sexual orientation. He recalled his trepidation over potential queries regarding his sexuality during interviews. Manilow's sexuality was a concern during the period when negative impacts on careers were notable, as exemplified by Elton John's confession of being gay, a cautionary tale disclosed by record producer Clive Davis. Manilow came out as gay in 2017, and tied the knot with his long-term partner, Garry Kief in 2014.

John, the acclaimed songwriter and performer, revealed his bisexuality at 29 in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1976, and later embraced his homosexuality in 1992, at the age of 45. The legendary music producer Davis, now 91, unveiled his own bisexuality in his 2013 autobiography, "The Soundtrack of My Life". However, Davis has stated that he does not recollect any discussion with Manilow about the potential career implications of revealing his sexual orientation.

Manilow met his spouse, Garry Kief, in 1978, and the two secretly wed in 2014. Manilow, previously hitched to his high school sweetheart Susan Deixler, initially suppressed his real identity, and first revealed it publicly along with the story of his relationship with Kief in a People magazine interview in 2017. Despite his initial concerns about disappointing his fans, Manilow was pleasantly surprised to receive significant support and positive reactions from them after his revelation. He acknowledges his privacy to date, but celebrates the loving relationship with Kief, their shared parental role in raising Kief's biological daughter, Kirsten, and the recent thrill of becoming a grandfather through Kirsten's adoption of a little girl.