In 1975, Barry Manilow scored his first No. 1 hit with "Mandy" and launched one of the most successful careers in pop music history. Today, June 17, the singer behind classics like "Copacabana," "Can't Smile Without You" and "I Write the Songs" celebrates his 83rd birthday.
Over the decades, Manilow has sold more than 85 million records worldwide, earned a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony Award, and become one of the best-selling artists of all time. But there was a period when critics weren't nearly as enthusiastic about his success.
One person who never doubted him was Frank Sinatra.
In a 2015 interview with Palm Springs Life, Manilow recalled the moment Sinatra unexpectedly came to his defense during the height of his commercial breakthrough.
"That was the year I really needed somebody to say something like that, because I was getting creamed by the critics," Manilow said. "I'd become annoyingly popular and nothing I could do pleased them, be it my name, my looks, my sound, my performances. They killed me."
Then came Sinatra's famous assessment: "He's next."
Manilow said the two-word endorsement arrived at exactly the right time.
"And then, out of nowhere, Mr. Sinatra said that beautiful thing, 'He's next,'" he recalled. "And it just … well, I was very, very grateful that happened."
The admiration ran both ways. Although Manilow said he only met Sinatra a handful of times, he later recorded the 1998 tribute album Manilow Sings Sinatra and frequently cited the legendary entertainer as one of his biggest influences. He told Palm Springs Life that he learned from Sinatra's ability to fully inhabit a song and tell a story through its lyrics.
Manilow also shared a touching memory involving Sinatra's widow, Barbara Sinatra. During a visit to her home, he played her his recording of "Violets for Your Furs," a song Sinatra famously recorded in the 1950s.
"When she heard that song, I saw tears running down her face," Manilow recalled. Barbara Sinatra told him it reminded her of a Christmas trip to Rockefeller Center when her husband surprised her with violets and pinned them to her coat, just like in the song.
The numbers suggest Sinatra's prediction was remarkably accurate. Manilow has recorded 51 Top 40 hits on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, including 13 No. 1 singles, and remains one of the most successful recording artists of his generation. He is also tied for 15th all time with 13 platinum albums in the United States, putting him alongside some of music's biggest names.
Manilow's latest challenge has been a deeply personal one. After revealing in late 2025 that he had undergone surgery for early-stage lung cancer, the singer said in a June 1 appearance on Good Morning America that he remains cancer-free but is facing uncertainty about whether his voice will fully recover.
"My voice. I don't know whether it's coming back," Manilow said. "I did my first sound check about a month ago, and I didn't sound like me at all. I just couldn't believe that. That it's over."
Despite those concerns, Manilow said he's eager to return to the stage.
"I can't wait to get back," he said. "I'm in great shape. I'm ready to go. I just hope my voice is. If I sound good, that would be just great. I really don't want to cry on stage, but I don't know whether I'll be able to hold that back this time."
For an artist who has spent more than six decades entertaining audiences around the world, the emotional comments offered a reminder that even after all his success, performing remains deeply personal to him.
As he celebrates his 83rd birthday today, Frank Sinatra's famous two-word prediction looks more accurate than ever.
Related: 1983 Power Ballad, Originally Over 7 Minutes Long, Became a No. 1 Hit Twice
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