Barry Manilow recalls how his friend Bette Midler reacted when he signed his first record contract in 1969: ‘Well, you don’t sing’

Before writing and performing hits like Mandy and Copacabana, Barry Manilow made his living as a songwriter, accompanist and arranger in New York.

While he worked with artists like Bette Midler, none of them knew him as a singer, and were quite surprised when he signed a contract with Bell Records in 1969.

The 80-year-old singer – who recently became a grandfather – opened up People how Midler reacted to the surprising news.

‘When I told Bette (Midler), I said, “I just got a record deal.” And she said, ‘What am I doing?’ I said, “Singing.” She said, “Well, you don’t sing.” I said, “Yeah, I know, but they think I do!”, Manilow joked.

He revealed that his own singing initially came about because he could not afford to hire suitable singers to perform the songs he wrote.

Songwriter: Before writing and performing hit songs like Mandy and Copacabana, Barry Manilow made his living as a songwriter, accompanist and arranger in New York City

Barry and Bette: While he worked with artists like Bette Midler, none of them knew him as a singer and were quite surprised when he signed to Bell Records in 1969.

Don’t sing, ‘When I told Bette (Midler), I said, “I just got a record deal.” And she said, ‘What am I doing?’ I said, “Singing.” She said, “Well, you don’t sing.” I said, “Yeah, I know, but they think I do!”, Manilow joked

“I made a few demos of songs I’d written — I sang on my demos because I couldn’t afford to (hire) a bona fide singer — and Bell Records liked what they heard and offered me a record deal,” he explained is Manilow.

“People couldn’t believe I was the one who got the record deal. It was supposed to; I was just a pianist, an arranger,’ added Manilov.

His debut self-titled album was released in 1973 and featured Could It Be Magic, but its 1974 follow-up – Barry Manilow II – featured his hit Mandy.

The second album went platinum and reached No. 9 on the Billboard album chart, although the singer admitted he was “scared” of performing live.

“The part that terrified me and I wasn’t very good at was the execution. It never occurred to me that I would be up there singing and interacting with the audience. That was the hardest part. And I smelled,” admitted Manilov.

“However, the audience didn’t think so. They didn’t care that I was clumsy and stuttering. They liked that I was a real guy up there,” he added.

“Little by little, because of these wonderful (fans), I figured out how to do it.” But I still feel like a fraud sometimes because I never wanted to do this,” Manilow said.

He went on to praise Midler, 77, saying: “She was so brave. She is still the most talented human being I have ever, ever seen, never mind worked with.’

Demos: “I made a few demos of songs I’d written — I sang on my own demos because I couldn’t afford to (hire) a bona fide singer — and Bell Records liked what they heard and offered me a record deal ,” Manilov explained

Talented: He went on to praise Midler, 77, saying: ‘She was so brave. She is still the most talented human being I have ever, ever seen, never mind worked with

‘She beats them all. She can do everything. She’s a comic, she’s a singer, she’s an actress. She’s just the most brilliant talent ever, and I was lucky enough to be there and support her with my arrangements and ideas,” he says.

Manilow added: “I loved working with Bette. And what I learned from her is to take risks. Don’t play it safe.’

Years after his then incredible musical career, he is building a new career on Broadway.

His musical with songwriter Bruce Sussman Harmony opened on Broadway on Wednesday, more than 25 years after it was first performed in La Jolla, California in 1997.