Looking back and questions.....

So I'm sitting here flipping through channels on my TV and scrolling through some of the various blogs about Barry on Blogger and I came upon an article about Johnny Mercer. The article talked about the legend's career and there was a brief mention of Mr. Manilow and how he received a number of Johnny's lyrics after his passing. But then the article said something about Barry smoking pot backstage in Vegas. I was like wait a minute, FALSE!! Going back to the article to get the quote I just realized that the title of the article is "Barry Manilow goes to pot as Johnny Mercer turns 100 and gets a Capitol celebration."

Wow low blow there!! The picture they have is of Barry on stage during the 60's segment with the fake (hopefully) joint. So here is what the article says:

"During the last year of his life, Mercer became a Fanilow, partly because Barry Manilow’s first hit record was a ditty entitled "Mandy," which was also the nickname of Mercer’s daughter Amanda. After Mercer’s death, his widow give Manilow unfinished lyrics her hubby had written, asking him to develop them into complete songs. Among those works was a piece titled “When October Goes,” a bittersweet remembrance of lost love. Manilow applied his own melody to the lyric and the 1984 single became a Top 10 hit. Luckily it didn't go to pot even if Barry was smokin' the weed backstage in Vegas. Tell us it's not true, Barry! Tell us only your career is smokin'! Tell us that doing such a stupid thing to promote your CD is sad, sad, sad."

As I look back on Barry's bit I realize how ridiculous it is. But this is just an opinion. To start, I am very, very, VERY, against the use of drugs and alcohol; I believe people who do drugs are idiots.
So getting that out of the way, I kind of agree with the guy/girl that wrote the article. A sixty something year old guy pretending to smoke weed on stage..... kind of sad. Stooping to an illegal level to promote an album is pretty bad.* Though I do not agree with the whole joke on stage I have to say the person writing the article could have checked his facts!! He could have gotten Barry in a shit-load of trouble!!! (Excuse my fowl language) It's pretty low to be calling Barry out for a stupid joke when the article has nothing to do with him and the author didn't even check his facts!! Ugh makes me angry.

This article was written a couple days ago, does Barry still do this bit even?

I believe I'm rambling and not making much sense, I'm watching Ace of Cakes on Food Network so my attention is divided.



The picture. Oye.....


*So I was saying about the illegal level to promote an album, I saw the the bit back in 2006 before the sixties album came out and it was pretty damn funny, even if I'm anti-drug.



Now, to the question I mentioned in the title of this post. Does anybody know anything about Barry's musical? Harmony? Is that ever going to happen does anyone know?

Also, does anyone know when the new "rock" influenced album is coming out?

I'm assuming these questions won't be answered because no one reads my blog anyway but I guess it doesn't hurt to try huh?


Man, does the author of that Johnny Mercer article really think Barry Manilow is a pot head? Like come on, look at the guy!



Link to the article:
Click here for the article!!