No one could predict the success of Barry Manilow's "Copacabana (At the Copa)."
At the time of its release, Manilow was most known for his soft rock ballads, including "Mandy," "Can't Smile Without You," and many more. Yet, "Copacabana" spoke to audiences, rising to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning an award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1979 GRAMMY Awards.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we travel back to the evening Manilow took the stage to accept his golden gramophone for "Copacabana."
"This is the first time I've ever won a GRAMMY, and I couldn't be prouder than to have one for 'Copacabana,'" Manilow said at the start of his speech.
He went on to praise his two co-songwriters, Bruce Sussman — who later recounted the surprise impact of "Copacabana" in Manilow's compilation album, The Complete Collection and Then Some…, in 1992 — and Jack Feldman. Before exiting the stage, Manilow thanked a few other collaborators, including his co-producer and engineer.
Today, "Copacabana" remains one of Manilow's highest-charting and most remixed hits. In 1985, Manilow, Sussman and Feldman developed the track into a made-for-television musical of the same name.
Press play on the video above to watch Barry Manilow's complete acceptance speech for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 21st GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.