By admin 
INTRODUCTION
A single, yellowed annulment document from 1966 remains the silent, structural foundation of a $500 million musical empire. For Barry Manilow, the journey from a modest Brooklyn apartment shared with his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, to the global stage has been paved with professional triumphs and deep, private reckonings. As he navigates the high-stakes recovery of early 2026 following a successful pulmonary surgery, the narrative of his first marriage has transitioned from a hidden footnote to a central theme of his legacy. The question that lingers in the sophisticated circles of the music industry is no longer about the dissolution of that union, but whether the “Mandy” singer has finally sought the definitive, personal reconciliation that five decades of distance couldn’t provide.
THE DETAILED STORY
The paradigm of Manilow’s relationship with Susan Deixler changed irrevocably in April 2017, when he officially came out to the public and acknowledged his long-term partnership with Garry Kief. This moment served as a sophisticated form of public restoration for Deixler; by speaking of her with profound respect—calling her the “perfect” wife and admitting he was simply “not ready for marriage”—he effectively apologized through the medium of global discourse. While there is no public record of a televised “reunion” or a formal, publicized apology, those close to the Manilow camp suggest that the 2020s have been a period of meticulous emotional inventory. The 2026 “The Last Sunrise” tour is a testament to this, as he performs ballads that were born from the debris of that early New York departure with a renewed sense of historical clarity.
Susan Deixler, for her part, has maintained a dignified silence, occasionally emerging to offer a rare, authoritative benediction. In the wake of his 2017 announcement, she dismissed the notion of lingering bitterness, characterizing their brief marriage as “ancient history” and expressing genuine happiness for his success. This lack of friction has allowed Manilow to integrate her memory into his narrative architecture without the need for a sensationalized apology tour. For a man who prioritizes professional discipline and privacy, the apology has been delivered through the relentless preservation of her dignity in every interview and memoir he has published over the last forty years.
As the 2026 tour visits cities like Nashville and Sunrise, Florida, the emotional weight of his performance of “Even Now” suggests a man who has made peace with his past. The stakes of “The Last Sunrise” are as much about clearing the emotional ledger as they are about the final bows. In the meticulously curated world of Barry Manilow, the most powerful reconciliation isn’t found in a grand public gesture, but in the quiet realization that his first love was the catalyst for the very loneliness he used to make the “whole world sing.” Ultimately, the resolution of the Susan Deixler chapter is an authoritative proof that legacy is not just what you build, but how you honor those who stood at the foundation before the first brick was laid.