From childhood trauma to rock legend: How pain fueled a superstar’s rise

a baby

The rock icon has said that his father was physically and emotionally abusive to him. When Barry Manilow’s song Mandy came on the radio, the young boy sang along, only to have his stepfather cuff him over the song because it was deemed “evil.”

Adding to his anger, he said his mother let the abuse happen, something he later drew on in his songwriting.continue reading …