Edna Manilow is the late mother of American singer and songwriter Barry Manilow. Edna’s son Barry is known for hit recordings like”Could It Be Magic”, “Looks Like We Made It”, “Mandy”, and “I Write the Songs” among others. He has sold over 85 million records as a solo artist worldwide, making him one of the world’s bestselling artists.
Edna Manilow: Bio Summary
| Name | Edna Manilow |
| Famous as | mother of Barry Manilow |
| Date of birth | 27 May 1923 |
| Place of birth | United States |
| Died | 8 September 1994 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Joseph Manilow and Esther Manilow |
| Spouse | Harold Pincus |
| Children | Barry Manilow |
Who Was Barry Manilow’s Mother, Edna Manilow?
Edna Manilow is best known as the mother of singer-songwriter Barry Manilow. Edna was born on 27th May 1923, in Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, USA. Her parents were Joseph Manilow and Esther Manilow. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. She had a sister called Rose Manilow. She was married to Harold Kelliher also known as Harold Pincus.
Harold was a truck driver of Irish descent. Edna Manilow and Harold were married on June 3, 1942, in New York City, New York, USA. They became parents of a son Barry Manilow born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943, in New York City, United States. Edna is said to have made Harold change his last name to Pincus, the name of a Jewish uncle of his from the 1800s.
Harold’s occupation as a truck driver and his lack of Jewish credentials made him unwelcomed into the Manilow family. Barry who grew up and became a singer and songwriter told the Irish Independent: “The fact that Harold was an Irish truck-driver was hidden from the family. It was considered a terrible thing for my mother to have done.”
“They wouldn’t even allow my name to be Kelliher. They changed it immediately. When I was born, I was called Barry Pincus. They had to dig deep into my father’s family to find one Jewish relative. They went back to the 1800s and they found one uncle, a Jewish guy called Pincus. My mother made my father change his name to Pincus.”
Barry also said: “Right now it sounds stupid but back then they thought that having a Jewish son was the most important thing. To me, it means nothing. As a matter of fact, it would have been interesting if my name was Barry Kelliher and if I was raised half-Irish and half-Jewish, but I wasn’t. The Irish part of me did not exist. It was gone and forgotten.”
ALSO, READ: Harold Pincus: What Happened To Barry Manilow’s Father?
Edna and Harold’s marriage failed and they got divorced. Edna raised their son Barry as a single parent. She became a single parent to Barry because her family didn’t allow Harold to have a relationship with his son after the divorce. Edna raised Barry alongside her Jewish parents. Barry’s grandfather had his surname changed to Manilow a few weeks before Barry’s bar mitzvah.
Barry was told that his biological father was “a monster father”. He was also told that he shouldn’t have anything to do with his father. As for Barry he didn’t think his father was a monster father at all. “There is a touch of tenderness in his tone,” Barry said. “I think he was a good guy. He tried to get in touch with me, but they wouldn’t let him in my world.”
Edna became an alcoholic and made several suicide attempts. She “was a troubled parent – alcoholic, suicidal, doting – and her sway over her son was evidently a powerful one.” Her son Barry had interviewed her for his autobiography, “cause I always had trouble with her. And I took along a legal pad and I spent about five, six hours with her,” Barry said. “And I said, ‘Tell me the story. Tell me your story. Tell me our story.”
“It was the first time I saw her as a woman who had a life. I knew a tiny little bit of this and that, but the dawn broke that afternoon. Oh, she’s not the goddess I thought she was. She was just a woman doing the best she could. I recommend it to anybody – interview your mother, ha ha”. Edna Manilow was married to William Eugene Murphy. She was a businesswoman and volunteered at hospitals to help care for children with AIDS.
ALSO, READ: Susan Deixler: Inside The Life Of Barry Manilow’s Ex-wife
Edna Manilow Died Of Lung Cancer
On 8 September 1994, Barry Manilow’s mother Edna Manilow died in Florida, USA, at age 71. Her death was caused by lung cancer. She is buried at Star of David Cemetery, in Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. Her ex-husband Harold Pincus died on 11 June 1995, at the age of 74.
Author
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right and needs corrections, Kindly contact us!
