Barry Manilow Comes Out And Reveals His Lover Of Forty Years

Pop legend Barry Manilow has been very private when it comes to his personal life, but for the first time he has decided to reveal some things. Like for instance, that he’s gay. This may be shocking to many fans, and it is one of the reason why Manilow has kept it private.

In his exclusive untold story in People magazine, Manilow discusses coming out, finding love, and being in showbiz for five decades.

The 73 year old musician welcomed PEOPLE into his Palm Springs home for an exclusive interview and photo shoot with his manager and husband Garry Kief. Manilow and Kief have had a 40-year romance that not many have known about.

This may be surprising as Manilow married his high school sweetheart Susan Deixler. “I was in love with Susan,” says Manilow of the woman he married after graduating high school, “I just was not ready for marriage.”

The star reveals he had struggled with his sexuality during his year of marriage to Deixler. “I was out making music every night, sowing my wild oats – I was too young. I wasn’t ready to settle down.”

Manilow rose to fame in 1974 with his hit “Mandy” and in 1978, he met Kief who was a TV executive.

“I knew that this was it,” says Manilow. “I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.”

Manilow went on to say, “He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life – and a great guy, too.”

Suzanne Somers, a long time friend of Manilow’s commented: “There’s Barry Manilow the performer, and then there’s the Barry machine.’ It takes enormous savvy and know-how to book and market complicated arena tours, choreograph promotion, direct the entire team and make it look effortless, and that part is Garry’s domain. A major career takes two. Between them, there is enormous comfort and trust.”

The couple married at Manilow’s Palm Springs estate in April of 2014.