The tour will take Manilow around the States from December 13 through February 22. Tickets are not available yet to the general public but a fan club Internet pre-sale is under way through Ticketmaster and details are available on the www.barrynet.com Web site.

Although his name immediately brings to mind sentimental pop songs and throngs of (shall we say … older?) fans, Manilow tours with rock-star fervor.

His three-decade career includes numerous world tours. Starting in 1974 with his first solo outing, Manilow went on to spend several years performing around the world; some tours lasting as long as two years.

In the past 10 years alone, Manilow played close to 600 shows, earning more than $77.5 million. Through it all, he’s maintained an average guy attitude and a self-deprecating sense of humor.

For a guy who often says his voice is less than great and that he doesn’t understand his success, he’s done all right.

It’s estimated Manilow has sold more than 50 million records in addition to winning Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards, and being nominated for an Academy Award.