Barry Manilow has said that he didn't reveal that he was gay for decades as he was worried about disappointing his fans.
The fiercely private singer has opened up about his sexuality and his marriage to his manager Garry Kief, who he wed in 2015, for the first time.
In an interview with US magazine People, 73-year-old Manilow said: "I'm so private. I always have been. I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything."
Manilow has been in a relationship with Kief for nearly 40 years, and the couple wed in a secret ceremony in Palm Springs, California in April 2015. The following year, the news of their marriage and Manilow's sexuality made headlines and he received an outpouring of support from his fans.
"When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy", Manilow said. "The reaction was so beautiful - strangers commenting, 'Great for you!' I'm just so grateful for it."
.@barrymanilow's untold story: How the pop legend struggled with fame, finding love and his sexuality https://t.co/UQyFEV3Qma pic.twitter.com/m83MyoerLS
— People Magazine (@people) April 5, 2017
The star has now publicly broken his silence about his husband, saying he knew he was "the one" as soon as he met Kief, who was then a TV executive, in 1978.
"I knew that this was it. I was one of the lucky ones. I was pretty lonely before that," he explained. "He's the smartest person I've ever met in my life - and a great guy, too."
Manilow was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler.
"I was in love with Susan," Manilow said, "I just was not ready for marriage."
The singer says he wasn't struggling with his sexuality during their marriage. He told People: "I was out making music every night, sowing my wild oats - I was too young. I wasn't ready to settle down."
