Weekend Retro Rewind | Dad's Day Edition | Barry Manilow

Posing with Dad in 1986 (age 13) at our condo in Florida

In honor of Father's Day, I'm bringing Weekend Retro Rewind back to 1975. I was only about three when this song came out. When I was five, my dad took acoustic guitar lessons. I'm not quite sure why, but he always sang "Mandy" by Barry Manilow to me on his guitar.

Me at age 5, when Dad would sing to us

My name obviously isn't Mandy, Mom's name isn't Mandy and Dad wasn't a Barry Manilow fan. Maybe "Mandy" was the song they were learning in his guitar class. Whatever the case, I loved it. I loved when Dad would sing to us by the fireplace in the little ranch house in Oakdale, Long Island. It's one of my favorite memories of my dad. Dad's a plane ride away in Florida, so other than a phone call, I haven't been able to celebrate Dad's Day with him in about ten years now. Read more about my dad here and here.



Fun Facts About Barry Manilow's "Mandy"

• Originally written as "Brandy" in 1971.
• Sick of being asked who "Brandy" was, the song writer, Scott English said it was his dog.
• "Mandy" was Barry Manilow's first number one hit.
• "Mandy" was Barry Manilow's first gold single.
• Artists who've covered "Mandy" include: Westlife, Donny Osmond, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.