BARRY MANILOW

Central Park crowd gets sent home early from a big show that was supposed to make life feel normal again. As usual, 2021 had other ideas.

Central Park Concert Barry Manilow performs at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert at The Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) (Andy Kropa)NEW YORK — (AP) — This time, Barry Manilow didn’t make it through the rain. Organized early in the summer, the concert was intended as a celebration of New York City overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. But on Saturday, the concert kicked off amid worries about the highly contagious delta variant of the virus. New York City over the past week has averaged just under 2,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, according to state statistics.

This time, Barry Manilow didn’t make it through the rain.

The tropical storm system Henri brought heavy winds and rain to the Northeast U.S. as it began pummeling the New England coast early Sunday.

Barry Manilow sings Barry Manilow was stopped in mid-song during the "I Love NYC" concert in Central Park due to lightning. (Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Live Nation)NEW YORK — A star-studded concert to celebrate the re-emergence of New York City from .the COVID-19 pandemic was dampened by inclement weather. >> Read more trending newsThe “We Love NYC” concert in Central Park, featuring the New York Philharmonic, Jennifer Hudson, Carlos Santana, LL Cool J, and Earth, Wind and Fire, was stopped Saturday night because of lightning threats, The New York Times reported. Barry Manilow was midway through his hit, “Can’t Smile Without You” when authorities brought the concert to a halt, citing lightning as the reason, the newspaper reported. The event, which brought thousands of vaccinated fans to Central Park’s Great Lawn, was delayed as fans filed out of the park, WABC reported.

A superstar-laden Central Park concert meant to celebrate New York City’s recovery from the coronavirus was cut short because of severe weather as Hurricane Henri approached.

Mandy and her calf Manilow were released Wednesday morning near Blue Spring.

Manatee release Mandy the manatee and her calf Manilow are back home in the St. Johns River after months of rehabilitation. (WFTV.com News Staff)VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Mandy the manatee and her calf Manilow are back home in the St. Johns River after months of rehabilitation. Officials with the Save the Manatee Club said the pair were rescued from Blue Spring State Park in March after researchers noticed Mandy showed signs of emaciation. The staff at SeaWorld Orlando worked to rehabilitate her back to a healthy weight, and nicknamed her calf Manilow, after the Barry Manilow song “Mandy.”The pair were released in the St. Johns River adjacent to Blue Springs State Park on Tuesday morning. WATCH: 9 facts about manateesThe Save the Manatee Club and the Friends of Blue Spring State Park are raising funds to rebuild the park’s rescue and release area.

If you’re driving in your car a lot today, don’t be surprised if you hear more Gordon Lightfoot than usual.

Oscar de la Renta funeral scheduled for next week Late fashion designer Oscar de la Renta will be laid to rest in a private ceremony on Monday in New York City. Also, Barry Manilow sings with the greats on his new album "My Dream Duets." Suzanne Marques reports on the day's top entertainment news.