Young man from this old photo has became a music legend and proudly come out as gay at age 73

If you start singing and swaying when 'Mandy' starts playing then you are a fan of the man featured in this article.

Barry Manilow was born in Brooklyn and went to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. Julliard is a performing arts conservatory established in 1905 and any student accepted is already exceptional by any standards, and Manilow would prove to be a great singer, musician, and songwriter.

The singer who was born in 1943, initially made a living working as a pianist in the notorious New York City gay bathhouses. He also worked with a then-unknown Bette Midler.

In 1967 Manilow got his first serious job as the director of a network television show on CBS. and he also wrote the adaption of The Drunkard, and created jingles for commercials for brands like Dr. Pepper and Band-Aid; and also the McDonald's jingle You Deserve a Break Today.

In the 1970's Manilow got his first break as a performer and his songs Mandy, I Can't Smile Without You, Copacabana, and I Write the Songs - to name but a few - were massive hits.

“I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything.”

Manilow was criticized as being “too feminine” in his music, and for the unashamedly romantic style of his art. At a time when hard-core rock music ruled, women related to the sweet songs and love stories he sang about.

The majority of his fans were women, and the term ‘Fanilows,’ which meant female fan base of Manilow, was coined by his detractors.

For many years, Manilow hid his homosexuality afraid he would disappoint his doting fans, but in 2017 at the age of 73, he came out as gay. He was amazed and moved by the overwhelming support he received as thousands of women from around the world reached out with affectionate acceptance.

Manilow's albums like 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe, Swing Street, and Showstoppers were the greatest hits of the 1980’s. The man who had been brutalized by critics was acclaimed by the public and became a superstar; and in 2002, Barry Manilow received the ultimate accolade and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.