In the 1970s, Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus) became popular for his melodic romantic songs and intimate singing style. "Serious" music critics mocked him for his audience of middle-aged women. His boy-next-door appearance made him the target of cruel jokes. But Manilow sold records by the millions. Songs such as "Mandy" and "Copacabana" had huge chart success. Never exactly a groundbreaking artist, Manilow always entertained his loyal audience with easy-listening romantic pop.

After attending the New York College of Music and the Juilliard School in the 1960s, Brooklyn-born Manilow proved himself an all-round music professional. He began his career as a composer and arranger of commercials for such products as Dr. Pepper and Band-Aid and also sang on Broadway (see entry under 1900s—Film and Theater in volume 1). Since the height of his fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he has...