SWEET LIFE

by Barry Manilow

sweet life adventures on the way to paradise by barry manilow

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer and conductor best known for his songs Mandy and Copacabana.

Reviews

[Catherine]

This was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed reading about Manilow's youth , how he got his start in music, and his huge passion for making music. He also has quite the sense of humor! However, there were some personal details/stories that seemed incomplete (what exactly happened with Linda?? And wanted to know more about Jeanne, about how the new manager saved his career, etc). But this was written in 1987 and given what I know now about his personal life (from reading/the news), perhaps he wasn't comfortable going into more detail. Fair enough. I was also hoping for more commentary on some of his songs (we get info on "Mandy" and "Could It Be Magic"). Overall though, it was an interesting read and a fun used bookstore find.

[Lisa Hebert]

Read it as a teen, at the height of my Barry Manilow adoration. Loved it so much, I read it twice. That's why I give 5 stars--it is written well, the story flows, we get an inside look at his childhood to adulthood, his becoming of who he is now, the process behind his art, the raw difficulties along the way...But looking back now, in 2022, it's also disappointing. He was so open in the book about his female relationships and loves. Knowing that he's married to Garry and they were together since the 80's--of which there is no mention--this book no longer feels authentic. I wish I felt differently. I guess that fact doesn't negate the experiences he shared, but it makes me question what to trust within the pages.

[David Hibberd]

What a wonderful book. It provides insights into the many struggles of Barry Manilow. His desire to have the security of a nine-to-five job with a regular paycheck battled his need to pursue his love of music. He talks about his fears of performing especially when he became a solo artist. His descriptions of his concert at Blenheim Palace in the UK along with the many memories it invoked brings those emotions to the reader. This was an enjoyable read.

[Luxie Ryder]

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this! I like his humorous writing style and loved finding out all about his youth.

This guy deserves every bit of the fame he has. Whether you like his music or not (I love it - especially the track the book is named after), anyone who reads this book will never again disagree that he's a talented, hard working artist.

[Sandy]

I felt like a voyeur peeking into his life. It was interesting. Gave insights into the price/trials of fame. I remember his songs affectionately.

[Michael]

Sweet Life is a safe biography that just tells enough of Barry's life story to be interesting but it's not very telling. Certain events are merely glossed over which makes sense given what we now know about Barry so it makes sense. There were things he couldn't reveal in the book so it comes off as something he wrote just to give fans something to read while not being explosively revealing. He keeps it all simple and talks about his career and key events that shaped it. The book is good, but you feel as if he's merely giving his fans what he thinks they want and that's not a bad thing. There's some interesting moments here but let's face it, it's Barry Manilow so you don't really go into this thinking he's going to talk about a drug addiction or anything that would make his fans think any less of him.
By keeping it simple he's given his fans something that feels relateable, and you can't help but like the guy. It's Barry after all and you can't really imagine the guy being a violent guy that beats his husband, or spends his days shooting heroin. He's able to keep the fact that he's gay hidden by beriefly talking about his first marriage and other relationships but we all kind of knew he wasn't straight anyway so it's not a shoker to know that was in a relationship with a man while he was writing this book. Sweet Life doesn't contain any dirt and keeps things pretty simple which isn't really a bad thing.

[Lance Lumley]

This is a book I have read several times in the past and still enjoy. I have not only the hardback version, but the paperback, which I found both at a library book sale years ago.
The book takes the reader through Manilow' s early years of his life living in New York trying to become an arranger in music. When he meets Bette Midler (after having a song recorded thanks to Tony Orlando), his career starts to soar, including a record deal.
The book is short overall, and takes the reader through his career up to the 2 Am Paradise Cafe album, and reveals the struggles of being Barry Manilow the person and Barry the star. A sequel would be wonderful, since Manilow's resurgence in his career in the 2000s with his "Greatest Hits of" various decades. Besides that, this book is as enjoyable as it was the first time I read it.
For a in depth review, visit my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...

[Krystee]

Great re-read of an old favourite

I read this when it came out and decided I’d like to read it again after all these years. The book is written in such a way that it feels like the reader is right there experiencing these moments with Barry. As a huge Barry fan since the 70,s, some aspects felt like a trip down memory lane. This book is as passionately inspiring to me today as it was when it was released. If you’re a Barry fan and have never read this, or have not read it in years, I recommend adding it to your reading list.

My only complaint is that page 163 is missing from the Kindle version. Additionally, the Kindle version could not be read on my particular Kindle but I have the Kindle app on my iPad and Mac so I was able to use either of those to read the book. I’m not going to complain about that though - I was just thrilled to be able to find this book available on Kindle.

[Frances]

I love Barry Manilow and really enjoyed this biography, which was published in 1987. His passion for music, his amazing work ethic and his fabulous sense of humour shine through. It is interesting to read about his relationships with women, as this was written long before Manilow came out, although his husband Garry Kief, features as a wise and valued support from the 1970's onwards. This is a great read for fans like me.

[LOVEROFBOOKS]

Loved this book. Barry is an excellent writer and I did not want to put this book down so I finished it in one night. He allowed us into the painful episodes in his life along with the happy ones. I only wish there were more photos but there were two separate sections with photos of him from when he was a little boy and also a teen and a grown man. I just wanted more, but that's just me!

[Amber]

This was echoed in other reviews, but knowing what we know now, this book is really incomplete. It would be nice for someone to write an authorized bio, or for him to write a sequel or something. Still, it was interesting to see how he kind of accidentally became famous!

[Paivi]

Essential reading to all Barry fans. Inspiring and funny.

[Stephen Chase]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!! So funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kathy S]

Easy read. Interesting how he came from such poor beginnings, was broke twice in his life, didn't pay attention to what he was earning and spending.

[Robin]

Read this 1987 book in one day. Interesting look at his early life through mid-80’s. Found this used book and just read it on a whim.

[Mollie]

Inaccurate. While I enjoyed reading about his music and performance, I did not enjoy the kiss and tell stuff.

[Patricia]

This was written in the 80s, so it covers his earlier life, but it is well written- whether you are a fan or just like reading memoirs of musicians, you will like this book.

[Bernie]

Enjoyable read but not the whole story - doesn't tell you things he rather you didn't know. Outstanding talent - great song writer.

[Roz Peters]

I’m biased.

[Dmnelson225gmail.com]

It was one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. It made me feel, think, laugh, weep, smile and I learned a great deal about his early life. I learned how he was a "misfit" like me in school. His writing style was easy to read just as his music and voice are easy on the mind, heart, and soul. Sweet Life: Adventures On The Way To Paradise I read it originally when it was first published and read it as a "fan" now I read it with different "eyes". This time I read it with a clearer picture of life and living. It taught me that we must never give up and always believe that we are who we set out to be and if we are not where we want to be in life then there really is no one but ourselves to blame.

It showed the struggles and fears of a man who only wants to be a man and not an IMAGE but some one with feelings, who hurts, who bleeds, who gets angry and has fears and inhibitions just like the rest of the world. It showed the human side of a very talented entertainer.

[Shelly Ann]

I believe you need to be a fanilow to love this book, that is unless you want to read about Barry Manilow. It is a heart felt written book. I enjoyed it as I read it the year it came out. I had two copies, lost one in a fire, and the other to a rain storm in Florida. I miss them to. It is basically reading about how he grew up. Lets us know many personal things about his life. Some of the things that he went through as a child, I think allot of us can relate to. It was written in a way for us to understand him better and where he comes from. I am glad he finally decided to do this book and the sequel to it.

[Paul White]

Enjoyed this book having read an autobiography recently. Would have enjoyed it more had he gone into more detail about the how and why rather than what he felt and thought. That being said I loved the chapter on his Blenheim Palace concert. It captured the atmosphere and that's what you want in a read.

I did wonder by the end as to the purpose of the book and whether it was a release for Mr Manilow or an explanation of why some things happened the way they did.

If you like his music and are interested in the singer then it's worth the read, and definitely worth reading to experience how the music scene used to be before we had cell phones and streaming music.

[Diane May]

Even if you're not a fan of Barry Manilow, this is a heartwarming, inspirational autobiography. It's an easy read...as if he's in the room talking to you... A "rags to riches" story that will inspire you. I loved it!

[Galen Bohn]

I really liked the book. It was great to see how Berry grew up. It was also great to see how he helped people along the way. it's also great to see how he overcame his fear of singing. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Valerie]

Great book for Barry fans!

[Brian]

People overlook both his personal struggle to "make it" and the incredible quality of much of Barry's music.

[Theresa]

I learned a lot about Barry Manilow, one of my favorite artists, that I didn't know. Anyone who is a fan should read it.

[Kim]

I knew just about all of it from reading the new bio on him.

[Gayle Kee]

Loved it! Great insight into one of my favorite singers. Great.

[Nehad]

Barry Manilow