Barry Manilow Donates $300,000 Worth of Instruments to Joplin, MO High School Music Program

In response to the needs of the local public schools and their severely depleted music programs, Barry Manilow gathered some friends and formed The Manilow Music Project as part of his nonprofit Manilow Health and Hope Fund.  The mission statement of the Manilow Music Project highlights the importance of music programs in our schools and donates instruments and materials to school music programs.

Manilow himself travelled to Joplin, MO, severely damaged by a tornado this May. The singer donated $300,000 worth of musical instruments to a local high school's music program, adding that "I know first-hand how invaluable music can be to get you through life's tough times. It is an honor and a privilege to help these kids after such a disaster."

"We are just thrilled," Rick Castor, director of the Joplin High School band, told Entertainment Weekly. "It was just like Christmas. We opened a few of the things last night and today."

With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records); with no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits to his credit between 1975 and 1983, on the Billboard Hot 100. Manilow has worked on over 40 albums over the course of his career as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. His recently released Grammy nominated "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," album chronicles the most touching love songs ever written.

Read the Entertainment Weekly article here.