I hope you’ve all been enjoying this very rare part of our website. And amazingly, there’s more where this comes from!

This month’s ManilowTV is a very important evening of my life and career. This was the show we did at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, in 2004. And what a show that was!

After over 35 years of late plane rides, hotel rooms, lousy dressing rooms, terrible weather and most of all being homesick, I’d had it. When we began putting this show together, it was going to be the last show. Really. I had no plans after this show.

I told everyone, including myself, that this was it.

One Night Only, One Last Time.

And we pulled out all the stops!

I’ll just tell you this: Donna Summer and the lead male singers of “Harmony” make a dynamic appearance. And wait until you see the spectacular Kye Brackett and my fantastic singers open the show with a gospel version of “Daybreak”.

After we did this one show, I agreed to do around a dozen more shows so that I could say goodbye to a majority of the country.

But as we wound down, I began to feel very sad. After all, I really didn’t want to “retire” from the music business. I mean, I’m old, but I’m not THAT old! And except for an ache or two here and there, I’m in great shape. Plus I love my band, I love my audiences and I love making music. But I hated touring.

But I hadn’t counted on my genius friend and manager Garry Kief. I mean it folks. Anything good that’s ever happened for me and for you for that matter, is really because of the brilliant Garry Kief.

Garry had started to talk with Ken Ciancimino, head of Entertainment at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. After Ken saw this show, he offered me a two year deal at the Hilton right there, on the spot. Two years turned into five years and the rest is history.

At the end of this Mandalay Bay concert, I’ve included two songs that I hope you’ll like.

Remember, friends, these videos only meant to be for archival purposes. This one is the close-up camera that was being shown on screens around the arenas, so get ready for some real close shots!

Hope you enjoy this episode. It’s a real doozy!

-Barry