Barry Manilow Is Coming To Charlotte And He’s Bringing All The Hits!
Manilow Hits 2023 Tour Headed To Spectrum Center
To help celebrate his 50th anniversary as a recording artist, Barry Manilow is heading out on tour and he’s bringing all his hits with him. This special run of seven shows will kick off January 13 in Sunrise, Florida stopping at key venues through the Southeast before making its final stop right here in the Queen City on January 21st at Spectrum Center.
What can one say about such an iconic artist that hasn’t already been said? Barry Manilow is a truly legendary performer with over 85 million albums sold worldwide, countless sold-out world tours, and 50 Top 40 singles with a whopping 12 that made it all the way to number one. He has received just about every industry accolade winning the Grammy Award, American Music Award, Emmy Award, Special Tony Award, and Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Barry has appeared in movies, on television, on Broadway and just about everywhere one can imagine during his storied career. Not to mention that New Year’s Eve just wouldn’t be the same without his quintessential holiday song “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve.”
So, I thought I would tell my own personal Barry Manilow story and how his music became such an integral part of my life. My story begins in a suburb of Buffalo, New York circa 1977. AM radio was the norm for me in elementary school and I had my little transistor radio tuned to different local stations all the time. So, it was only natural, that I heard a lot of Barry Manilow at the time. My mother also had music on all the time as she was somewhat of an amateur singer so it seems that Barry and his music were always a part of my life. After all, he wrote the songs that made the whole world sing right? It was my eighth birthday and for my big gift, I received my first real cassette tape recorder courtesy of my Grandma Irene and the local Radio Shack. Needless to say, I was super excited. Now I could record myself singing along to all my favorite songs. The icing on the cake, pun intended, was a special trip to the local shopping mall with my Uncle Tom to purchase my very first cassette tapes. Right in the front of the store was a huge display with a cardboard cutout of Barry Manilow and his most recent release Manilow Live. Immediately that I knew that was the one. It’s iconic in so many ways, Barry on the cover in his blue jumpsuit, arms spread wide open. Once I got it home, I must have listened to the “Jump Shout Boogie Medley” at least twenty times in a row, imagining myself singing and performing with Barry on stage.
My childhood was filled with Barry memories. His songs just seem to hit home and give me all the feels. Every single time I hear “Can’t Smile Without You,” it still puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step. To say that I am over the moon to finally have the chance to see one of my favorite artists of all time live in concert would be the understatement of the century. This tour is a must-see. Don’t miss your chance to see the one and only Barry Manilow when he makes a stop in your town. Come on, you know you can’t smile without a little Barry in your life!
