Barry Manilow has come out as gay at the age of 73, and thanked his fans for their support after revealing that he had married his partner.

The singer - born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York - told People magazine that he had kept his sexuality hidden for many years as he feared disappointing his fans. 

"I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything," the man behind hits including Copacabana and Mandy, said.

Manilow's partner, Garry Kief, is also his manager, and Manilow describes him as "the smartest person I've ever met in my life." The couple met in 1978, and married in 2014, although they kept the ceremony private.

When news leaked out to some fans, Manilow says he was delighted with their response. "When [the fans] found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy. The reaction was so beautiful – strangers commenting, ‘Great for you!’ I’m just so grateful for it," he said.

Manilow told Entertainment Tonight  that his relationship with Kief "shouldn't work", but that it did.

"We're business partners," he adds. "This shouldn't work, but it did, and I couldn't be more grateful."

The singer's new album, This Is My Town: Songs of New York, is due out on April 21