Barry Manilow was born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York, on June 17, 1943. The singer, who would eventually become known for such hits as “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” was raised in the traditionally Jewish neighborhood of Williamsburg and his mother says Barry was musical from an early age.“When he was two years old, I saw talent in Barry," she told Billboard. "We had the radio on all the time in our house and he used to dance in his little diapers. When he was seven I put an accordion in his hands. He played it beautifully . . .”Manilow’s first taste of success in the music business came while he was working at CBS while studying at New York’s Juilliard School. He composed the original scores for various plays and commercial jingles, and soon began working with the rising singer Bette Midler. He broke into fame with the track “Mandy,” which was included on his 1974 sophomore release, “Manilow II.”