The fast paced fan world of Manilow

Gosh...get involved in real life and you miss so much in the Manilow world. It's been months since I hopped on to the MMN. And even longer since I read the alt-fan site. I can't even remember the last time I looked at the Barrynet. Can I smile without it? Absolutely!

I've come to realize how time consuming fandom can be. If you truly want to immerse yourself in the Manilow fan world it requires hours and hours a day/and or night. Time that is scarcely there for me anymore. And time that seems, for me at least, to be a waste. Because, when it comes right down to it, what have I missed? After spending about 30 minutes browsing around last night, I realized that not much has changed. Fans are still fighting with one another. Fan gangs are still exerting their bullying tactics over the poor, innocent "newbies". The chickadees are still talking about how "hot" Barry is. :::Yawn:::

I did miss: the convention (although not much was said about it--I found more information on Facebook); some crazy women in an elite group were apparently outed for their lewd posts (not surprising); there was a FREE online convention (unsanctioned by the BMIFC--wow!). Barely anything to truly peak my interest.

What does interest me? Radio interviews, articles about Barry, candid first-person stories, and pictures of him at celebrity events. The best place (and the only place as far as I'm concerned) to find this is Moonstone's blog: Shadows of Manilow. She keeps up with the news and information and these things interest me. I also enjoy reading Dana's reviews of the shows. Anything else is a yawn. And, you can have the fan drama, thank you very much!

What do I miss? The friendships. The good times. The excitement of Vegas. The music. But...I'll always have the music and the memories.

Signing off for now,
Texas Fan

P.S. The best news I've heard lately--Redcat's blog is BACK! Check it out--Redcat's Return.

When the GOOD times come again...

This week the BMIFC convention will be in full swing and hundreds of Manilow fans will be converging on Las Vegas to celebrate the music that is Manilow and the man that is the music. While I was walking this morning, one of my favorite songs came up on my Ipod and the memories came flooding back of all those "good" times I have had in Las Vegas centered around Barry and his music.

But the words of this song express exactly where I am in my Manilow journey:

Every rainbow has to have an end
A pot of gold or dreams foretold
May not be there my friend
In this high and mighty world we live in
Some times we have to break
Some times we have to bend
Until the good times come again

Hope we both survive the world out there
You'll never know what wind will blow
So don't forget I care
And don't forget the way we felt together
Sometimes we have to hold
To all the good that's been
Until the good times come again

I'll see you then
When the good times come again
When you and I have made it back
From the people and the places we have been

I'll see you then
When the good times come again
The door that we go out of
Is door that we come in
When the good times come again.

For me, this world holds many wonderful memories and has brought me into the lives of some very special people. People who have become friends and people who have come alongside me during this difficult and yet exciting time in my life. And just because I'm not able to be with them right now, it doesn't mean that there won't come a time that I will again. Knowing this, somehow, makes this time in my life more bearable. For now, I have my memories and pictures of those good times to carry with me.

I'll see you then, when the good times come again,
Texas Fan

An indepth look at the man and his music

I just read an article posted on Moonstone's blog (Up Close and Personal with Barry Manilow) that was so indepth and honest I had to sit back, wait a minute and read it again. It's been a very long time since I've read anything about Barry that was so incredibly open and vulnerable.

Take some time and read it if you haven't already. My favorite quote came at the end of the piece:

I’d like my tombstone to read:
The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.

If we could only see more of this guy,
Texas Fan