MANILOW, 'the man,' mesmerizes his fans


The Third Great Barry Manilow International Fan Club Convention, held in Washington, overflowed with passion and dreams expressed by well over 1,000 dedicated, honest people.

Barry Manilow means many things to many people. To those who don't understand his silently overpowering charm, he's "saccharine sweet." Yet to others who see beyond the slick, well-coiffed facade he usually wears, those attracted by a charisma as inexplicably magnetic as it is intangible, Mr. Manilow is "the man."

Not all performers command such a loyal following as was evident at Mr. Manilow's third convention. He has the distinction of having the largest fan club in the world.

People from virtually every corner of the world came to Washington to attend this gathering. Besides a cross-country representation from the United States, delegates were from the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia and Japan.

What IS it about "the man"? For 66-year-old Leah Lindner from Bridgeport, Conn., it's simple. "He's a wonderful, sweet, caring person." Leah is known in Connecticut as "the one-woman fan club," single-handedly calling 40 radio stations in support of the singer's "Weekend in New England" record when it came out. It's his "concern for others, related throug his music" which makes her a Manilow fan.

The convention was a melting pot for all emotions involved in being a Manilow fan. It was also a week's worth of displays of talented hard work -- all dedicated to the feelings brought on by just one man.

A Barry Manilow convention is yearly formatted with many activities. This one took on added, unique facets by highlighting the singer's band members. Friday night climaxed with an event suspiciously titled "Evening of Special Entertainment." It started off with an unprecedented (in Manilow history) showcase of the diverse persons who, in addition to working with Mr. Manilow, support their own careers.

The special entertainment wouldn't have been complete for Mr. Manilow's fans without an appearance from "the man" himself. After the jazz group Uncle Festive left the stage, the lights dimmed, everyone got antsy and, just before all went crazy waiting, a very familiar voice came from nowhere, singing the words "Here I am. . . . "

Nothing else was needed. From then on Mr. Manilow satisfied all by pulling up a chair in between songs and very candidly answering questions. As if he were an old friend catching up on news, he joked, laughed, joked, sang, and kissed and hugged and hugged and kissed.

One question: "In Lake Tahoe we asked for a picture with you but you were leaving and said, 'Next time.' Is this next time?" Mr. Manilow's answer: "Sure, darlin', come on up with a camera." The two women did and the kisses they received, not to mention the picture, will fuel their storytelling for many years to come.

Mr. Manilow has often said his life's mission is to bring the world together with music. No matter the opinion of his music, in evidence at his convention was the undisputable fact that he has indeed achieved his mission. As it went in one concert clip seen over the week, "Is there anything he can't do?"

To the world at large he may be misunderstood. To those emotion-oriented people who follow his career, their one in-unison answer to that concert clip was an overwhelming, "No!"