Turn out the lights, the party's over

There has been a great deal of talk lately about the impending end to Barry's Vegas appearances. Since I haven't been there after he left the Hilton, I can't speak for his run at the Paris. But I can say that those Hilton years hold some very special, unique memories. It's those memories and the friendships that were made there that cause me to look back on those years with great fondness and sometimes pain. A recent death in the fan world has caused me to do a little retrospective thinking.

I remember my first show at the Hilton and how I arrived there alone, excited about my stage seats and not knowing what to expect. As I was seated on the second row, a young girl named Mandy asked me if I was alone. She was also alone and had an empty chair next to her on the front row of the Dew Drop Inn side of the stage. I moved up to sit next to her and we chatted for a bit. It was only the second time I had seen Barry, the first time was from quite a distance. Imagine my surprise when he walked over to me and asked me to help him with his jacket. It was one of those once in a lifetime moments, and even though the moment came and went so quickly, it was exciting to be thrust into the limelight even for a few minutes.

Mandy and I exchanged numbers and emails and became good friends. Over the years, we went to many shows together and still, to this day, keep in touch with one another. She was my first fan friend, but there would be many others.

I met Karen the night that Mandy had her dance with Barry. She and her husband David were sitting next to us on the stage. They joined us for a drink afterwards and we were both impressed about how much David loved Karen and how much they both enjoyed listening and enjoying Barry's music. We kept in touch, although we were never able to make it to Vegas again at the same time. One day, I got a phone call from Karen but it wasn't Karen. It was her husband David telling me that Karen had passed away suddenly. My heart broke. It was one of those defining moments in fandom when even though we only met once, I felt such a strong loss.

My fan friendships have become just as important to me as the ones in my day to day life. I have shared grief with them, invited them to my daughter's wedding, and met friends from England and Australia in Vegas. We have laughed together, cheered together, cried together, danced together and even prayed together.

All of this to say that I have missed my Vegas days the last few years. I miss getting together with friends, staying up late talking, getting up early having coffee, and being crazy for just a few days and nights while destressing. But most of all, I miss the magic that I felt when I was there and the joy that came knowing I could come back again.

For me, it was over two years ago, but the finality of it now, just makes me glad that I had those few years when walking through those doors at the Hilton gave me great joy.

The party may be over, but the friendships will last a lifetime,
Texas Fan

P.S.For those who knew Carol, I know your pain is unbearable. It may be dark right now, but her light will always be there in your heart and in your memories. May she rest in peace and may you find comfort in knowing that you were blessed to have her in your life.

Why I'm a Manilow Fan

I've been involved in the Manilow fan world in depth since 2006. My first encounter with fandom came at my first show in Las Vegas on my birthday 5 years ago. It was a positive experience. So much so, that I'm still close with that fan today (even though she's my daughter's age). Since that first encounter, I've had many other ones. Some good, some not so good, and some absolutely horrible. I've made some good friends, made some enemies, had enemies turn into friends, and choose to ignore the rest. I've been disillusioned and discouraged by fan behavior in the past and vented here on my blog numerous times.
Every now and then, after being away from the fan world, it happens. My faith in the "nice" factor is restored and I realize that not all fans are jealous, petty and vindictive. Tonight was one of those nights. Two fans (whom I've never met in person, by the way) took time out of their festivities tonight in Vegas to meet my daughter who was there for the weekend. She has heard me talk so much about the fan world, and one of these ladies actually took time out of her busy life to mail my daughter's wedding cake top to her two years ago (again, without us ever having met).

Barry has said often that his fans are unique. I've said that the friendships I've made over the last five years are priceless. But tonight, I also learned that there really is something special and unique about Manilow fans. When you meet these type of fans, it makes you proud to say that Barry actually brought us together.

Thanks Fran and Susan for welcoming Jillian into your world tonight. I hope some day to meet you in person, but for now, I treasure your friendship.

Tipping my hat to Barry (for bringing us all together),

Texas Fan

Postscript:
Sadly I never got to meet Fran in person. She passed away this past week. But although we only communicated through social media and email we shared many laughs, baseball stories, Manilow stories and I was with her during her son's college process. She was a proud mother, a loving wife and an amazing friend. I pray that God will give her family comfort during this time and that we all never miss another opportunity to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us.

It's not personal, it's just business

"It's not personal, it's just business". Words from a very famous movie. I didn't buy it then and I'm not buying it now. It is personal. It's very personal. People always take the way a business treats its customers as personal. The best businesses treat their customers as they would want to be treated themselves. The worst businesses put the dollar before the customer and treat them like a number (or a dollar amount).

Unfortunately, as much as I'd like it to be so, it's never "all about the music". Those pesky business practices always interfere with the musical enjoyment. Those pesky business practices always taint my view of the music. I wish it didn't, but it does. And today, somebody who is very kind and giving, got the "business" side of the music and it wasn't pleasant. It never is. And another lifelong fan bites the dust.

I can only hope that the money that was saved and the rights that were protected will make someone more comfortable and happy knowing that the goblins who are trying to steal the music from them were squelched and silenced. I can't help but think to myself, what's the harm? Give and you shall receive...or is it slam the "not hurting anyone" fan to the ground and you win? Either way, the music doesn't sound so great right now. It's leaving a bad taste in my mouth again.

The ups and downs of being a Manilow fan,
Texas Fan

Fans, Civilians and Everyone in between

The Manilow world consists of people. And people are different. There die-hard fans. The occasional concert goers. The once in a lifetime attendees. And there are the civilians. Civilians is a term that the longtime fans have given to people who don't understand the man, the music or the concert experience. All these groups are continually clashing with each other over all kinds and types of drama.

• The fans are out of control and rush the stage
• The civilians yell at us when we want to stand
• The fans sing loudly during the show and annoy those sitting next to them
• The civilians get drunk and fall all over the fans during the show
• The civilians won't be quiet during the ballads
• The fans won't sit down and are rude to the people behind them
• The occasional concert goers don't understand why the fans are yelling at inappropriate times
• The once in a lifetime attendees can't believe how the die-hard fans behave
• The civilians just want to sit and enjoy the show
• The die-hard fans buy the same seats every show to get a chance at a dance or a handshake
• The occasional fans don't understand why anyone would go to so many shows
• The civilians won't "get into" the show and enjoy it

Everybody has an opinion. But here's something I've learned in the last few months: they are ALL valid points. What's the solution? Perhaps it is to empathize with the people around you; look at the concert from their point of view. What is it the French say, "C'est la vie"

It's just a thought.
Texas Fan

Not What You See

Perception is everything. The real problem is that we might not be how we appear but our actions sometimes speak volumes to others. If we want people to see the real us we have to be willing to be vulnerable, open and approachable. We may not feel like we are coming across in a certain way but if we are perceived that way by many, then odds are we are giving the wrong impression.

Looking beneath the surface requires honesty from both parties and a willingness to receive at times criticism and open up to the possibility that your perception might just be wrong. There is always so much more.

I will always have an opinion but I will try very hard to look beneath the obvious and ask myself if I am truly seeing what I need to see. If I have learned one thing in the last few months I've learned that the obvious is not always the truth.

Watching the sunrise from a different perspective this morning,
Texas Fan

Arriving in D.C.

Barry Manilow landed at the airport in Washington DC, he signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans. He was all smiles and seemed very excited to be in town.
Pictured: Barry Manilow Picture by: Brandon Todd / Splash News

Always nice to hear that he's connecting with the fans,
Texas Fan

Raving Fans

Barry has said it himself: the underlying strength of Barry Manilow's long term success has always been his fans. They have taken abuse and ridicule over the years for being a Manilow fan. They have weathered the jibes, the critics, the naysayers and even family who can't understand why they want to go to show after show. In the past, they have been "raving fans". They have sold his music, his concerts, his character, and his integrity to all who will listen. Barry has always had the talent. That fact is undeniable. But it's the fans who buy the albums, attend the shows, and support the career. It's the fans who put up with the crazies that ruin the fan world. It's the fans who keep coming back after being attacked and ridiculed by other fans who are jealous, envious and hateful. You have to ask yourself...why? Why do any of us put up with it all? Why do we keep coming back for more and keep promoting the man and his music?

It was because we felt he cared. We felt appreciated. We felt that he valued our loyalty. In short, we truly were raving fans. If any business is to survive (and yes, Manilow is a business), and grow and keep customers, they have to embrace that concept. One raving fan for a customer, will bring you 20 more. An unhappy fan, or customer, will spread that unhappiness to hundreds.

The principles in Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles book, RAVING FANS, are simple: find out what your customer wants and deliver that to them plus one. In the past, that's exactly what the Manilow organization has done. The music was the basis for securing the customer. But the "plus one" was the added value: the personal appearances at conventions, the personal notes from him to his local fan clubs, the added value a fan club member received by joining, and the general feeling that they were valued for their undying support over the years. All of these bonuses created those RAVING FANS.

But today, there is another type of raving fan. The type of fan that drives away business. The type of fan that feels mistreated and devalued. The type of fan that spreads their dissatisfaction to others. The sad thing is, you can't silence those fans. You can delete their posts. You can ban them from fan sites. You can harass them so much that they leave. But, you can't silence their anger because they have been unfairly abused and cannot find any justification for that unfair treatment. Those type of raving fans will destroy a business. Those type of raving fans will spread like a cancer and influence others. And when they feel mistreated without a reasonable explanation, they will turn on each other.

From a business perspective, the recent happenings over the last few days in the Manilow world are disturbing. There are fewer and fewer "raving fans" and more and more fans who are raving about mistreatment and the lack of concern for their support over the years. And from a business perspective, it's a dangerous place to be. You can't constantly shift blame for poor customer service. The main goal is to make the customer feel that even though they were mistreated, you own up to it, apologize, and promise to remedy the situation by doing two things: 1) rectify the abuse by offering a reasonable recompense for their loss and 2) assure the customer that if they remain loyal, it will not happen again. But there comes a point when the customer will not accept excuses any longer and discontinue being a raving fan because of the unsastisfactory service. That time has come for many fans. "We're sorry" just isn't enough any more.

From a fan's perspective, it saddens me greatly. It's hard to listen when you feel so mistreated and discouraged by the person whom you have admired over the years. It saddens me because it muddies the waters and pulls fans away from the music. It drives them to find another avenue for their fandom and it assures that the music will not be available for everyone to enjoy because there is no longer a market for it. I can't even imagine a greater loss. But if things don't change, it will happen.

It's time for more than words,
Texas Fan

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ~Bill Gates