Barry Manilow opens up about why he stayed closeted for so long: ‘I’m so private. I always have been’

I saw Barry Manilow in concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles just after he had gotten married to longtime partner and manager Garry Kief in 2014.

He did not say a word about it.

I was shocked and somewhat disappointed.

Manilow is opening up about his reluctance to open up about his relationship of nearly 40 years.

‘I’m so private. I always have been,’ the singer says in this week’s People Magazine cover story.

He also admits he thought being openly gay would disappoint his largely female fanbase. ‘I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,’ says Manilow.

Turns out, ‘When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful — strangers commenting, ‘Great for you!’ I’m just so grateful for it.’

The couple met in in 1978 and Manilow says:’I knew that this was it. I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that.

‘He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life — and a great guy, too.’