Barry Manilow. Bobby Bank/WireImage Barry Alan Pincus was born on June 17, 1943 to Harold Pincus and Edna Manilow in Brooklyn, New York. Since his parents divorced when he was young and he was raised by his single mother, he adopted her maiden last name instead. His love for music bloomed early, as Manilow took on the accordion and the piano as a child. He would later enroll at the New York College of Music (now part of N.Y.U.) and attend the Juilliard School of Music to fine tune his talents.