Barry Manilow
In Las Vegas he breaks Elvis Presley’s record
“Mandy” singer Barry Manilow has played 637 shows in Las Vegas. He wants to continue next year too.
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Barry Manilow played his 637th show at Westgate Las Vegas. In doing so, he broke Elvis Presley’s record of 636 Vegas shows.
He dethroned the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”: “Mandy” singer Barry Manilow (80) played its 637th show in Las Vegas. This breaks Elvis Presley’s (1935-1977) record of 636 shows.
At his performance at the legendary Westgate Las Vegas Resort, Manilow performed Elvis in honor of his 1956 song “Hound Dog.” Addressing his fans, he said: “You know I’m happy about all kinds of awards, but I would never be here “If it weren’t for you. Thank you for coming tonight and over the years.”
Even as a child he wanted to be a musician
The 80-year-old went on to talk about his grandfather, who inspired him to become a musician: “Every Saturday afternoon he would take me across the Brooklyn Bridge to Times Square and I would sing something for him and I liked it.” Even as a small child it was clear to him that music was “his thing”: “I was bad at math and sports, but I understood music.”
Manilow made his debut in Las Vegas in 1985. He donated the proceeds from his current record show to the “Victoria’s Voice Foundation”, which works to prevent drug addiction.
The “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley first performed in Las Vegas in 1956, but the show flopped. He didn’t have his mega-success until much later: in 1969, he began performing at the Westgate (then “International Hotel”) and became the highest-paid artist in Las Vegas. He played his last show on December 12, 1976.