Barry Manilow

Gary Barlow talks to the international superstar Barry Manilow about his life and career. Reluctant to take centre stage and preferring the life of accompanist and arranger, Manilow graduated to singing his own songs after writing advertising jingles and working in American television on an early forerunner of an X Factor style talent show. He talks about how he was reluctant to record a song called 'Brandy', but how as' Mandy' it gave him his breakthrough hit; how songs like 'Copacobana' came to be written; and how important the musical arrangements of his songs still are to him after a career that has included some 75 million record sales, countless performances, television shows, albums and musicals from Brooklyn to Broadway.