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Who Are Manilow's Modems?

All Access Manilow's Modems On Line Fan Club is the original internet BMIFC sanctioned fan club. Our members span the world from the U.S., England, Australia, Philippines, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Canada, Holland, Vienna and everywhere in between.

Current Members: 431 (last update March 26, 2008) Since 1996 we have been active in charity work, we sponsor at least one fundraiser a year. To date we have donated a total of $12,244 to various charities, as well as volunteering time.

Administering the day-to-day club activities is Margie Ramey, founder and Director of Manilow's Modems. Handling the web site is our resident geek, Sharon Petka, aka WebChick.

Margie has been on the Manilow circuit close to 30 years. In the early days you could usually find her sitting in the trees at The Greek Theater but in past years she's finally figured out how to get those primo fan club seats through the BMIFC. "It pays to become a member of Barry's Official International Fan Club," she says. "The fan club tickets and the Barrygrams alone are worth the nominal membership fee they charge."

When she finally broke down and bought a computer in 1995, the first name to hit her search engine was Manilow. "The rest is history!" she tells us. She discovered a whole Manilow world existed in cyberspace and within a few months she was sharing a room in Las Vegas with some fans she'd met on the music boards. "A little nerve racking at first," she says. "But we clicked immediately. I've never hesitated to stay with other fans since then and they're always welcome to stay at my home when they're in the neighborhood. It's rough when you think you're the only fan out there, but when you start finding others and get to know them.... it opens so many doors in your life."

That's what prompted her and a few other new friends to start up the first Online Fan Club. Getting it officially sanctioned by the BMIFC was another story, however. "They fought me on the idea for awhile. I don't think they realized the power of the Internet at that time. They kept telling me we had to have regular meetings and that we wouldn't be able to do that with this type of club. A month later we held our first brunch in Las Vegas.... thirty-five fans and a 'bamming waiter.' The next gig in Vegas found us planning our second party. With over one hundred fans and a surprise visit from Kate and Mickey, we proved to the BMIFC that even though we were not the conventional fan club we could still fit the bill. It was a great surprise to find our first sanctioning letter in the mail in 1997." Since then they have continued to grow and their members span the entire world now. "I know from the emails I read that a lot of new friendships have blossomed from our fan club. Many of these people might never have met if the BMIFC hadn't put their faith in our group and given us the chance to show them that we had the right stuff."

Over the past seven years not only has Margie had the chance to travel all over her home state of California but to cities in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey as well. "These are places I might never have had the opportunity to see if it wasn't for Barry and his fans.

The generosity of the people who follow him is phenomenal. Not only have they opened up their homes but their wallets and checkbooks as well when it comes to our annual fundraising. Over the past seven years we've raised close to $6,000 for charities ranging from The American Cancer Society to AIDS Research, all in Barry's name."

So what's next in the world of Barry for Margie? "Another trip to New York I hope." She's just waiting for word on when Manilow's newest conquest 'Harmony', will open on Broadway. After seeing the previews of his hard work in La Jolla in 1997, she's anxious to see the final outcome of this one. Although she can be one of Manilow's toughest critics at times, she can only predict success for this incredible story of six street musicians who found world fame during the Nazi regime. "This group existed through one of the toughest eras in the history of our world and then just disappeared from sight. If it wasn't for Barry and Bruce Sussman bringing this story to light, I might have missed out on this poignantly true story of survival and friendship. "

"It's just another part of my life that Barry has touched. His music, dedication and words of wisdom over the years as well as his zest for life have always been an inspiration to me. If Barry is still around 30 years from now, you can bet I'll be there too."

A Manilow fan since the mid-seventies, Sharon shakes her head in wonder, "I still remember being slightly embarrassed joining the BMIFC in my late 20's. I mean fan clubs are for teenagers aren't they? There I was, a Mom of an eight year old, a Bluebird Leader and member of the PTA for crying out loud, joining a fan club."

Sharon was dragged kicking and screaming into the home computer phenomenon in the early '90s. She was positive back then that there was no good reason for anyone to have a computer at home. "Goes to show you how wrong I can be. Less than a decade later not only is a home computer part of my day to day routine but it's a vocation."

Eight months ago she made a decision to leave a comfortable job with a steady paycheck and strike out on her own. "I could have stayed where I was professionally, but I hated to get out of bed every morning Sometimes you just have to follow your heart" These days the paychecks aren't steady and the hours are long but she loves every minute of it. It isn't unusual for her to put in 15-hour days. "I fall into what the geeks call a 'programmers trance' where time has no meaning. Web page design is a kick." And thank goodness she feels this way. After the MM website shut down several months ago, Sharon volunteered her time and talent and has taken on the daunting task of creating a brand new website from scratch. All her hard work and long hours are bringing the new MM website into the twenty-first century.

Sharon joined Manilow's Modems during the summer of 1999. "My daughter just moved to the East Coast; Barry was going on tour and for the first time ever, I had no one to share the excitement of that up-coming opening night." She explains, "my husband is an extremely tolerant man and has been known to attend two concerts in a row with me, but he isn't remotely interested in discussing song sets or whether Marty Panzer will contribute lyrics to the next album."

"When Margie mentioned that the BMIFC was concerned that an on-line fan club wouldn't be able to hold regular meetings, I had to laugh," she says and shakes her head. "Regular meetings? Heck, Manilow's Modems is an email string. We meet daily. There is always something going on."

Sharon doesn't spend every minute behind a keyboard though. A long time Redskins fan, Sunday's in the fall and winter are set aside for football games. There has even been the occasional road trip to see her ever lovin' 'Skins play the Arizona Cardinals.

"Of course the all time A-number-one top item on my list of fun things to do is play with my granddaughter, Samantha. " she says with a gleam in her eye, " being a Grannie to Sammy-face just can't be beat."

Another word used to describe Manilow's Modems is friends. Below is just a sample of the get-togethers before concerts and special events like television tapings and benefit performances all across the country.

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On rare occasions the BMIFC chooses local fan clubs to decorate dressing rooms along the tour route. The Fall of 1999 Manilow's Modems were given the opportunity to spruce up the Greek Theatre. With membership strewn the four corners of the globe one of the challenges was to find a way for all to participate in some form. Members were asked to compose a message that would fit into a star. These stars were then printed placed in a scrapbook for Barry and Co.

←Click Anywhere on the star to view the dressing room and scrapbook

That was only the beginning. Along with jazzing up the spartan room assigned Barry, work also went into making the space occupied by the band a little brighter. Food, toys and even a disposable camera was left for their enjoyment. You have to be careful when you ask musicians to take pictures for you. The guys did give us a perspective of backstage that most of us will never see.

Click on the hiding musician to see the band's handiwork →

←The Manilow's Modems Can't Smile Without You Sorority

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