Before Barry Manilow became an international pop star with memorable hits such as “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” he was a young musician growing up in Brooklyn, New York. During those formative years, Susan Deixler was his high-school sweetheart and first wife. Their relationship began before fame, record deals, and international tours transformed his life.
The couple married in 1964, but their relationship ended after approximately one year. Decades later, their story attracted renewed attention when Manilow publicly discussed his sexuality and personal life in a 2017 interview with PEOPLE. His candid reflections offered a clearer explanation of why their marriage ended and why he continued to acknowledge his genuine affection for Susan. Her story remains an interesting chapter in the singer’s life before fame.
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Susan Deixler |
| Known for | Barry Manilow’s first wife |
| Nationality | American |
| Early-life connection | Brooklyn, New York |
| Former spouse | Barry Manilow |
| School connection | Eastern District High School |
| Marriage year | 1964 |
| Separation | Approximately 1965 |
| Annulment | 1966 |
| Former spouse’s profession | Singer, songwriter and musician |
| Relationship before marriage | High-school romance |
| Public recognition | Connection to Barry Manilow’s early life |
Who Is Susan Deixler?
Susan Deixler is known primarily for her early relationship with Barry Manilow, the singer and songwriter whose career produced numerous popular recordings. Their romance began during their school years in Brooklyn, before Manilow established himself professionally. Their marriage became an important part of his personal history because it took place when he was still deciding how to build his future around music.
The couple’s relationship is documented in biographical coverage of Manilow, including PEOPLE magazine’s 2017 profile and subsequent reporting by The Guardian. These accounts establish Susan’s place in his early life while providing Manilow’s own explanation of their separation. Her story is best understood through the relationship they shared before his career reached a much wider audience.
Early Life and Their Brooklyn Romance
Susan and Barry attended Eastern District High School in Brooklyn, where Manilow developed his musical interests. The school was an important part of his teenage years: he played piano, explored arranging and composition, and eventually earned recognition for his musical ability. His experiences there helped prepare him for the musical education and professional opportunities that followed.
Their romance developed before Manilow became famous, when they were young and considering what adult life might look like. In his 1987 memoir, Sweet Life: Adventures on the Way to Paradise, Manilow recalled the future he had imagined with Susan, including a home and children. His recollections show that he once envisioned a conventional married life with her, even as his growing passion for music began pulling him in another direction.
Their Marriage in 1964
Susan Deixler and Barry Manilow married in 1964, shortly after his high-school years. Manilow was pursuing musical studies and working toward a career, while the couple were attempting to establish a life together. Their wedding preceded his breakthrough as a recording artist and came before the public recognition that would eventually define his professional identity.
The marriage was short-lived, ending after roughly one year. In his later account of the relationship, Manilow acknowledged that his feelings for Susan were genuine but that he was not prepared for the responsibilities of marriage. His professional ambitions demanded substantial time and energy, and the couple’s relationship struggled to accommodate the direction his life was taking.
Why the Marriage Came to an End
Manilow addressed the reasons for the separation in his 2017 interview with PEOPLE, which attracted international coverage. He explained his feelings for Susan directly:
“I was in love with Susan.”
He followed that admission by acknowledging that he was not ready for married life. In the same interview, he explained that he was making music every night and felt too young to settle down. These remarks provide his own explanation rather than speculation about the couple’s private disagreements. His account places the emphasis on his youth, musical ambitions, and lack of readiness for marriage.
The interview also helped clarify the distinction between the end of the marriage and Manilow’s later public discussion of his sexuality. He said that he was not struggling with his sexuality during the marriage and described his separation from Susan in terms of his circumstances at the time. His comments should therefore be understood as his own recollection, rather than a basis for making assumptions about Susan or their relationship.
The Annulment and Its Historical Context
The marriage ended legally through an annulment in 1966, following the couple’s separation. Contemporary and retrospective biographical accounts commonly describe their relationship as lasting about a year, with the annulment occurring afterward. Keeping the dates separate helps readers understand the difference between when the relationship ended and when its legal status was addressed.
An annulment is distinct from a divorce because it concerns the legal recognition of a marriage’s validity. The clearest documented account remains Manilow’s explanation that he was too young and too focused on music to sustain the marriage. This approach preserves the established timeline without turning unsubstantiated theories about family pressure or religious expectations into facts.
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The 2017 Interview That Renewed Interest
In April 2017, Manilow discussed his sexuality and long-term relationship with Garry Kief in a widely covered PEOPLE interview. The conversation brought attention to a personal life he had largely kept private for decades. Because Susan was his first wife, coverage of the interview also revisited their marriage and the circumstances that led to its end.
The renewed interest was significant because Manilow openly acknowledged that his earlier feelings for Susan had been genuine. His explanation challenged simplistic assumptions that the marriage must be understood only through later revelations about his personal life. The interview gave readers a clearer timeline: his youthful marriage came first, his career continued to develop, and he eventually built a long-term partnership with Kief.
Where Is Susan Deixler Today?
Susan Deixler’s life today receives considerably less entertainment coverage than Manilow’s career. She is not a regular participant in his concerts, recording projects, or public appearances, and her name generally appears in retrospective accounts of his early personal life. Her story is primarily connected to the relationship that brought her into the public record decades ago.
Some online biographies attribute a later career in holistic health or homeopathy to Susan and associate her with Northern California. Those details should be supported by reliable, independently checkable evidence before being presented as established biographical facts. A trustworthy biography should distinguish documented events from claims that lack strong supporting sources.
Family, Personal Life and Public Image
Susan’s connection to Manilow is the central documented feature of her public biography. His 1987 memoir and later interviews provide insight into the future he once imagined with her, including the possibility of raising children together. However, an imagined future described in a memoir should not be confused with evidence that the couple actually had children together.
Manilow later established a long-term relationship with Garry Kief, whom he married in 2014. His discussion of that partnership in 2017 helped explain why his first marriage returned to public attention. Susan’s own story should not be defined solely by later developments in her former husband’s life. A balanced account recognises her place in his history while respecting the distinction between documented events and assumptions about her private circumstances.
Social Media and Public Recognition
Susan Deixler is known through historical reporting and biographical coverage rather than through a public-facing entertainment career. Her connection to Manilow continues to generate occasional interest among readers researching his relationships, early life, and personal journey. This interest is largely retrospective, tied to the singer’s interviews and the timeline of his career.
For readers looking into her present-day life, it is useful to distinguish her public recognition from the extensive publicity surrounding Manilow. His professional activities and interviews are regularly covered by entertainment outlets, while Susan has not become a comparable public figure. Her biography is best presented through the established details of their relationship and the historical record surrounding it.
Interesting Facts About Susan Deixler
- She was Barry Manilow’s high-school sweetheart, long before he became an internationally recognised singer.
- The couple married in 1964, during the early stages of Manilow’s musical journey.
- Their marriage ended after approximately one year, according to accounts of Manilow’s personal history.
- The marriage was annulled in 1966, two years after the wedding.
- Manilow discussed Susan in his 2017 interview with PEOPLE, explaining that he had loved her but was not ready for marriage.
Conclusion
Susan Deixler remains a notable part of Barry Manilow’s personal history because she shared his life before his rise to international fame. Their high-school romance led to a marriage in 1964, followed by separation and an annulment in 1966. Manilow’s later comments made clear that he remembered the relationship as genuine, even though he was not prepared to sustain a marriage while pursuing his musical ambitions.
The renewed attention surrounding their story in 2017 demonstrated how a brief relationship can remain part of a public figure’s biography for decades. Susan’s story is most informative when it combines the documented timeline with Manilow’s own recollections, without adding unsupported claims about her current circumstances. It offers a glimpse into his life before fame and provides a more personal perspective on the experiences that shaped his early adulthood.
FAQs
Who is Susan Deixler?
Susan Deixler is Barry Manilow’s first wife and former high-school sweetheart. They married in 1964 before his rise to international musical fame.
When did Susan Deixler and Barry Manilow marry?
The couple married in 1964. Their relationship ended after approximately one year, and their marriage was annulled in 1966.
Why did Susan Deixler and Barry Manilow separate?
Manilow explained that he genuinely loved Susan but was too young and focused on music to be ready for married life.
Why did Susan Deixler become a topic of interest in 2017?
Manilow discussed his sexuality and personal history in a 2017 PEOPLE interview, prompting renewed coverage of his first marriage.
What is Susan Deixler known for today?
Susan remains best known for her early relationship with Barry Manilow. Her documented public biography centres on their marriage and his later reflections.
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