On this date, September 9, 1977, Barry Manilow hit it big with the release of his song ‘Can’t Smile Without You.’ It reached number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Can you remember the catchy lyrics and melody?
The song was also released by ‘The Carpenters’ with a few lines changed. Barry’s version starts with a sweet, soft whistle and builds intensity over the duration of the song.
Barry, born Barry Alan Pincus in 1943, is a cultural icon and famous American singer and songwriter. His hits include ‘Could It Be Magic,’ ‘Mandy,’ ‘I Write the Songs,’ and ‘Copacabana,’ which was made into a TV movie.
He has scored 51 Top 40 singles and 13 number 1 hits. His 13 platinum and 6 multi-platinum albums are some of music history’s highest sales. Even Frank Sinatra loved his sound, saying, ‘He’s next!’
Barry has also written and sang jingles for huge companies like Pepsi-Cola, McDonald’s, Band-Aid, and State Farm. He’s the composer behind State Farm’s ‘Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.’
Shockingly, Barry has been nominated for a Grammy a total of 15 times, once in every decade from 1973 to 2015. He has sold more than 85 million records worldwide.
His undeniable style borrows from crooners of the 40s and 50s, power ballads, and even a bit of Broadway. His career spans decades and one of his biggest hits was the 1977 classic, ‘Can’t Smile Without You.’
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO1PFzb2?si=02e064d6170643a3
If Barry Manilow brought back memories, there's plenty of it at Amazon now.
