"I am a musician. My passion for music has obliterated everything in its path for my entire life."

• Born Barry Manilow on June 17, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York
   
• Manilow covered a song co-written by Scott English and Richard Kerr called "Brandy" in 1974, changing the title to "Mandy." It became Manilow's first No. 1 hit. Released in 1974, Barry Manilow II became his first album to crack the Top 10, hitting No. 9 on the Billboard 200. 
   
• Manilow won his first GRAMMY for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Copacabana (At the Copa)" for 1978. He performed "Mandy" and "Could It Be Magic" at the 18th GRAMMY Awards in 1976. 
   
• Did you know? Manilow has written or performed music in advertisements for State Farm, Band-Aid, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dr. Pepper, and McDonald's.
   
• In 2011 Manilow performed "Memory" at the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Barbra Streisand. 
   
• The Manilow Music Project, a program of the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, donates instruments and materials to public school music programs.