LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Ten Kentuckiana teachers are finalists to be honored by the Manilow Music Project. The winner will be decided by online voting.
Music legend Barry Manilow chooses a deserving music teacher at each stop of his concert tour. He meets with them and gives them $10,000. Half of that is cash, and the other half is money to buy instruments for their classrooms. Manilow's concert at the KFC Yum! Center is Monday, Aug. 21.
"Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted," Manilow said in a news release Tuesday. "I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools."
Voting opens Tuesday, June 27, and closes Friday, July 21. The winner will be announced Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Here is a list of the 10 finalists for the Manilow Music project teacher award. Click here to vote.
- Joann Talley, Charlestown High School
- Ashley Bell, Grayson County High School
- Debra Burnell-Wise, Pleasure Ridge Park High School
- Christina Givan, Ballard High School
- Robert Bernardi, North Bullitt High School
- Amy Noon, J. Graham Brown High School
- Daniel Taylor, Butler Traditional High School
- Natalie Humble, Henryville High School
- Doug Elmore, Floyd Central High School
- Conner Kinmon, Eastern High School
The Manilow Music Project said voting is open to anyone who has ever been moved by the power of music to vote for their favorite music teacher. The project has given away more than $10 million to help support music education and instrument donations.
The winner of the Manilow Music Teacher Award receives:
- $5,000 prize
- $5,000 in Manilow bucks to purchase instruments for their classroom
- 2 tickets to see Barry Manilow at the KFC Yum! Center on Aug. 21, 2023
- Special backstage award presentation ceremony
Having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide, Manilow is one of the all-time best selling recording artists with 50 Top 40 singles, including 12 number one hits and 27 Top 10 hits. He is ranked as the No. 1 Adult Contemporary artists of all time, according to Billboard and R&R magazines.
Barry Manilow performs "Copacabana (At The Copa)" live, taken from "Live in Japan 1985"
A note from Barry about that show...
Live In Japan 1985
Osaka-jo Hall
Osaka City, Japan
June 6th, 1985
We were in Japan when we first saw this video. We were near the end of our Japanese tour when someone brought the DVD into my dressing room and we started to watch it.
It was the first time we’d ever seen and heard audio and video of that quality. We all flipped out.
It’s been a long time since I watched this one and the quality is just as terrific as I remembered it.
The Japanese audiences were wonderful. I had written cue cards with my introductions written out in phonetic Japanese. I loved these people so much, I wanted to be able to talk with them, so I butchered their language, but I think they understood what I was trying to say. I hope so.
At the end of the show, I sang “Sakura, Sakura” a very famous folk song about the cherry blossoms. I substituted my own chord changes for the original and ended it more like an American pop song. I think they liked it. I LOVED doing it.
Oh, I loved this tour. Japan is such an interesting country. So far away from everything I knew. These people were so kind to us. So encouraging to us. I felt an immediate kinship to them.
This show reminds me of a wonderful time in my life. I hope you can feel it.
-Barry
LYRICS:
[Verse 1]
Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair
And a dress cut down to there
She would merengue and do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a star
Tony always tended bar
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Across the crowded floor
They worked from eight 'til four
They were young and they had each other
Who could ask for more?
[Chorus]
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copa, Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (Here)
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copacabana)
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa, they fell in love
(Copa, Copacabana)
[Verse 2]
His name was Rico, he wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair
He saw Lola dancing there
And when she finished, he called her over
But Rico went a bit too far
Tony sailed across the bar
[Pre-Chorus 2]
And then the punches flew
And chairs were smashed in two
There was blood and a single gunshot
But just who shot who?
[Chorus]
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copa, Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (Here)
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copacabana)
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa, she lost her love
(Copa, Copacabana)
[Bridge]
(Copa, Copacabana)
(Copacabana)
(Music and passion)
(Always in fashion)
[Verse 3]
Her name is Lola, she was a showgirl
But that was thirty years ago
When they used to have a show
Now it's a disco, but not for Lola
Still in the dress she used to wear
Faded feathers in her hair
[Pre-Chorus 3]
She sits there so refined
And drinks herself half-blind
She lost her youth and she lost her Tony
Now she's lost her mind
[Chorus]
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copa, Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (Here)
At the Copa, Copacabana (Copacabana)
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa, don't fall in love
(Copa, Copacabana) Don't fall in love
(Copacabana, Copacabana)
[Outro]
(Copa, Copacabana)
(Copacabana, Copacabana)...
Head to https://www.manilowtv.com for the full archive of Barry Manilow live performances!
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#BarryManilow #FanilowFriday #copacabana
Manilow is best known for hits including "Copacabana," "I Write the Songs," "Could It Be Magic," "Mandy," and "Looks Like We Made It." The 79-year-old music icon is also a Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner.
Ticket prices for Manilow's show in Louisville on Aug. 21 range from $19.50 to $349.50 plus taxes and fees. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com and will not be available at the KFC Yum! Center box office for this sale.
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