Earlier today, the multiple Grammy Award winning Barry Manilow released his first album of new material in nearly a decade.
Titled 15 Minutes , the 16 track concept album tells the story of a singer who experiences the highs and lows of the fame machine.
“I’ve been having a lot of success with the cover songs,” explained Manilow in a recent interview with ABC, “but I missed writing, so that’s what [this album] is. These days, [fame] seems to be more magnified than ever,” Manilow continued. “Especially with reality shows like American Idol . These young people get fame out of the blue, and I’ve been there, and it is difficult to handle when it hits you at any time.”
So what is the inspiration behind his new look and sound?
In a recent interview with Reuters, the ‘Copacobana’ singer revealed his album began to develop as he witnessed Britney Spears enduring a public meltdown.
“I was watching Britney Spears being driven crazy by the paparazzi,” Manilow says. “This young, beautiful, talented girl was just trying to live her life, but she was being followed around everywhere. I asked myself, is that the price of fame these days?”
Barry, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, has already started working on his next project, a second volume of his 1984 jazz album, 2:00 AM Paradise Café .
Here is a recent clip of Manilow performing Bring on Tommorow on ABC’s Good Morning America show.
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