You can't possibly imagine the tremendous, positive impact Barry Manilow has had on my life! I saw him on Oprah's show on 9/4/92. I liked him in the 70s but never considered myself a fervent fan. After that show, I bought one of Barry's greatest hits CDs. I foolishly thought that I would be happy with a CD.
The more I heard, the more I had to hear. I soon started buying every Barry Manilow album I could find and then became a collector of all things Manilow. My house was decorated in modern Manilow! The first time I saw him in concert completely put me over the edge because he has such tremendous stage presence, and I joined his fan club the next day.
I've traveled to places from London to Las Vegas just to see Barry in concert (I've seen him **50** times since 1993). Until I started attending so many concerts, I never realized how vitally important music is to my soul. He was the conduit to get me back into listening to and enjoying music, and, as a result of that step, actually playing music again after being away from it for over a decade. I started playing the HARP in 1995. I even laughingly say that I have my harp because of him! (I sold a huge chunk of my Barrybelia on eBay to raise money to buy my pedal harp.)
When Barry came back into my life in 1992, I was working at a job that paid extremely well but I didn't particularly enjoy. I desperately wished that I could have a job like Barry's, where I loved it so much that I would do it even if I weren't paid. Those thoughts percolated with those of Barbara Sher's books, and I slowly realized that my life could be an exceedingly rich brew of things that I love. Voice-overs and harp have become my two life's passions.
In addition to being one of the conduits funneling me toward the path of my own life's passions, I now understand that Barry captivated me that day on the Oprah show so that I would learn some extremely important life's lessons from him, specifically:
- Don't take your critics' words to heart; what do they know, anyway? Forget about pleasing everybody; concentrate on playing to the people who like what you do. (This thought became my mantra when I needed help in weeding out my anxiety and self-doubt and cultivating a high sense of self-esteem from within myself.)
- Do what you love (in my case, voice-over) not for the money but because you can't NOT do it. "You shouldn't do it for the applause, the money or the ego satisfaction because it doesn't work. You've got to do it because you've got to do it."
- Your job is just what you do, but it doesn't change who you are.
- You can give in, you can give out, but you don't give up.
- The better produced demo you make, the better chance you have. (This truth is probably not universal to everyone, but it sure applied to me when I decided to pursue my life-long interest in voice-over!)
I shook Barry's hand once at a Knoxville concert when I had a front-row seat. Even better was the time in 2005 when he held my hand in Las Vegas; trust me, a hand hold is sooo much better than a shake! I was thrilled to talk with him ever so briefly (if you can believe I was brief!) when he was a guest of 99X Radio in Atlanta. If you're interested, you can hear my segment (which Barry ends with truly wonderful advice applicable to anyone pursuing a creative endeavor!) or the entire interview. Many thanks to Leslie and Todd at 99X for graciously sending me a copy of the whole interview.
One of my dearest dreams is to meet Barry and have a private, meaningful conversation with him. I want to tell him how much I have learned from him. According to this article, he's planning to create an audio autobiography. I would certainly love to work with him in any capacity on that project, if only to be the narrator who introduces the book for him. I'm also open to singing or playing my harp with him during one of his shows!
Barry gave me inspiration and courage to pursue my dream of voice-over work. He is proof that a person can rise above any circumstance and do anything they put their mind to doing. While best known for the hit song Copacabana, he has sold over 75 million albums and won countless awards. He continues to create new music and perform for legions of fans in sold-out venues. At the end of his concerts, Barry often urges his audiences:
DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
Nobody is going to come and save you. You've got to save yourself.
Nobody is going to give you anything. You've got to go out and fight for it.
Nobody knows what you want except you,
and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it.
So don't give up your dreams.
I own every Manilow album and DVD produced, but maybe it's time for you to add to your Barrybelia! I have found some amazing stuff on eBay, and I occasionally sell some of my massive collection. In fact, I highly recommend eBay as a way to finance your dreams. :)