Barry Manilow Husband: How Garry Kief Quietly Became His Partner for Decades
When you search “barry manilow husband,” you’re usually trying to understand the person who’s been beside him for most of his adult life—far longer than the public ever realized. Barry Manilow’s husband is Garry Kief, his longtime partner and manager. Their relationship spans decades, they married privately in 2014, and Manilow later publicly confirmed he’s gay in 2017. What makes their story stand out isn’t flashy celebrity romance—it’s steadiness, loyalty, and a partnership that blended love with real-life logistics long before it was safe to talk about openly.
Who is Barry Manilow’s husband?
Garry Kief is Barry Manilow’s husband and longtime manager. If you’ve ever wondered how Manilow maintained such a consistent, carefully guided career over the years—touring, residencies, TV appearances, brand decisions—Kief has been a major part of that stability. He isn’t just “the person he married.” He’s also the person who helped shape the professional life you’ve watched from the outside.
That dual role can sound complicated, but in their case it’s part of what makes sense. Their relationship grew inside the reality of show business, where trust is rare and privacy can be priceless.
When did Barry Manilow and Garry Kief get married?
Barry Manilow and Garry Kief married in April 2014 in a small, private ceremony. They didn’t make it a public moment at the time. In fact, the marriage only became widely known later, which fits the way they’ve handled nearly everything about their relationship: quietly, deliberately, and on their own terms.
The bigger point is the timeline behind that date. By the time they married, they’d already been together for decades. So the wedding wasn’t a “new chapter” as much as it was a legal recognition of a life they’d already built.
How they met—and why their connection lasted
Barry Manilow and Garry Kief met in 1978. That’s the detail that makes most people pause, because it reframes everything: this isn’t a late-in-life romance that popped up after fame settled down. This relationship began while Manilow was still navigating the pressures of being a massive pop star.
Think about what that era demanded. The industry was more controlling, the public was less forgiving, and the idea of a superstar being openly gay could carry real career consequences. If you’re looking for the “secret ingredient” behind their longevity, it’s probably this: they built their bond in the real world, not in a spotlight. When a relationship survives the years when it’s most inconvenient to have one, it tends to be rooted in something sturdier than image.
Garry Kief’s role beyond marriage: manager, protector, partner
Kief isn’t known primarily as a celebrity himself—he’s known as the person who’s been behind the scenes, helping Manilow keep his footing. Over time, Kief became Manilow’s manager and has been credited with guiding major career moves, including long-running live commitments and high-profile performances.
That kind of role takes a particular temperament. A good manager isn’t just a scheduler; they’re a strategist, a filter, and sometimes a shield. When you’re famous for decades, you don’t just need love—you need someone who can protect your time, your energy, and your reputation. Their story suggests Kief was that person, and the relationship benefited from the same core skill: deep trust.
Barry Manilow’s public coming out in 2017
Even though they married in 2014, Barry Manilow didn’t publicly confirm he was gay until 2017. That announcement mattered because it clarified what many fans had speculated about for years, but it also showed how carefully he’d guarded his private life. When he finally spoke openly, he described fears about disappointing fans and the risks he believed existed earlier in his career.
If you’re looking at the husband question through a modern lens—where celebrity couples announce everything in real time—it can feel surprising that someone could keep a decades-long partnership so quiet. But for Manilow’s generation, especially at the height of 1970s and 1980s fame, privacy wasn’t just a preference. It could feel like survival.
What their relationship looks like day to day
The public image of their marriage is intentionally low-key. You don’t see constant red carpet storytelling or curated “couple branding.” Instead, what comes through is a private life that’s been protected. Their long-term home base has been associated with Palm Springs, which fits the idea of stepping away from nonstop industry noise.
That quietness is part of the appeal for a lot of fans. It suggests a relationship that isn’t being performed. When you remove the pressure to constantly prove your love publicly, you get to focus on living it—handling the ordinary rhythms that actually keep a partnership strong.
Family life: stepdaughter and becoming grandparents
One of the most touching parts of this story is that it isn’t limited to two people. Garry Kief has a daughter, Kirsten, and Barry Manilow has spoken about playing a meaningful parental role in her life. Over time, that relationship evolved into a broader family unit—one that stayed mostly out of the headlines but was clearly real in the ways that matter.
More recently, the family story expanded again: Manilow and Kief became grandparents when Kirsten adopted a child. It’s a reminder that “husband” isn’t just a label here—it’s part of a long, layered life that includes family responsibilities and joy, not just romance.
Barry Manilow’s earlier marriage—and why it’s still part of the conversation
Before his life with Kief became publicly known, Barry Manilow had been married once before, to Susan Deixler in the 1960s. That marriage ended years before he met Kief, but it’s often mentioned because it’s one of the few early personal details that made it into mainstream biographies.
It also helps explain why the “Barry Manilow husband” topic draws so much attention now. People naturally compare eras: the early years where he followed a conventional path, the long stretch where he protected his private life, and the later period where he felt able to confirm the truth in his own voice.
Why their story resonates with fans
Plenty of celebrity marriages get attention because they’re glamorous. This one gets attention because it feels human. You’re looking at two people who built something long-term without relying on constant validation from the public. Their relationship is also a snapshot of how much the world changed across one lifetime—how the risks of openness shifted, and how someone who once felt they had to hide could eventually speak plainly.
For many fans, the emotional center isn’t “He has a husband.” It’s “He finally got to live out loud—after already living a whole life.” The marriage becomes a symbol of that freedom, even if the relationship itself was always real behind the scenes.
Quick facts about Barry Manilow’s husband
- Name: Garry Kief
- Relationship began: 1978
- Married: April 2014 (private ceremony)
- Public confirmation: Manilow confirmed he’s gay in 2017
- Connection beyond marriage: Kief has also served as Manilow’s manager
The takeaway
Barry Manilow’s husband is Garry Kief, and the simplest way to understand their story is this: it’s a decades-long partnership that grew quietly, endured the most restrictive eras of the entertainment industry, and eventually stepped into the light on Manilow’s terms. The marriage date matters, but the real headline is the length and depth of the life they’ve built—one that blends love, work, and family in a way that’s rare in any world, famous or not.
