He’s never going to loom as large over Las Vegas as Elvis Presley still does. But Barry Manilow has beaten one of the King’s famous records.
After 38 years of headlining the showroom that Elvis built, Manilow — a Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winner with 12 US No. 1 singles — officially broke the King’s record by performing his 637th show at the Westgate this weekend.
Slow and steady won this race for the man who writes the songs (except for that song, which was written by Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston). Manilow, 80, took more than five times the seven years it took Presley to log 636 consecutive sold-out shows at what was first known as the International Hotel, and then the Las Vegas Hilton, from 1969 to 1976.
Looks Like He Made It
Manilow first performed at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1985, booking his first official residency from 2005 through 2009. He switched to Paris Las Vegas for a residency from 2011 and 2012, then toured the world before returning to the Westgate for his current run in 2018.
It is unclear exactly whether Thursday, Friday or Saturday night’s show was Manilow’s 637th. However, it was most likely kept unclear, so fans wouldn’t all try to purchase tickets for only one of the three shows.
The achievement was recognized on stage during Manilow’s Thursday concert, where the star was presented with the key to the Las Vegas Strip by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom.
According to the Westgate website, Manilow will donate all proceeds from this weekend’s performances to six charities: the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Manilow Music Project, Musicians on Call, Three Square, Victoria’s Voice, and Youth Villages.
Why Stop Now?
Manilow began his record-breaking week by signing on for another year at Westgate. He added Valentine’s Day weekend through the holiday season of 2024.
“We’re sold out night after night after night,” Manilow said in a Q&A published this week. “The audiences are just great. And it’s great. There’s no reason to not keep playing at the Westgate.”
Tickets go on sale for Manilow’s new Westgate dates at 10 a.m. Oct. 6 through Ticketmaster.
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