A devoted Barry Manilow fan says he was left "humiliated" after being prevented from meeting the music legend because staff allegedly considered his wig and tribute outfit to be offensive to the singer.
Wayne Denton and his business partner Janet Martin spent £2,480 on VIP packages for Barry Manilow's concert at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena, which included access to an exclusive meet-and-greet with the star after the show.
The pair are longtime Manilow enthusiasts and have travelled extensively to watch the singer perform, attending more than 20 concerts over the years, including shows in Las Vegas and Toronto. Despite their dedication, they had never previously had the opportunity to meet him in person.
However, after enjoying a front-row experience at the Liverpool concert, Denton claims he was denied access to the meet-and-greet because of the outfit he was wearing.
The fan performs in a Barry Manilow tribute act called Celebrating Barry and had arrived dressed in an orange sparkly jacket along with a wig designed to resemble the singer's hairstyle.
According to Denton and Martin, members of Manilow's team told him he would need to remove both items if he wished to meet the star.
In a backstage recording, a staff member can be heard telling Denton to remove the wig and jacket before entering.
Another member of staff reportedly said: "I'm sorry. I've been instructed we can't do the wig and the jacket."
Martin said she was particularly upset by the request that Denton remove his wig, describing it as a deeply personal issue.
"When they said about losing the wig, I just said 'this is really insulting'," she said.
"It's a real hair wig, and replicates Wayne's own hair before he went bald. I was taken aback... I thought, that's really personal and a very sensitive subject."
She added: "What did they expect us to do? Humiliate Wayne in the middle of this corridor, whipping a wig off? Could you imagine anybody having to do that? That's really bad."
When Martin challenged the request, she says a staff member responded: "It's actually insulting to Barry, so it's an absolute no."
The incident has left the pair disappointed after spending thousands of pounds on the VIP experience and travelling extensively over the years to support the singer.
Barry Manilow, 83, remains one of the world's most successful recording artists, with a career spanning more than five decades and hits including Mandy, Copacabana, Can't Smile Without You and I Write the Songs.
His concerts continue to attract devoted fans across the globe, many of whom regularly travel long distances to attend performances.
Denton says he never intended any disrespect and was simply expressing his admiration for the singer through his tribute act.
