Melissa Manchester
A sophisticated singer-songwriter who blended jazz-inflected pop with emotional depth, crafting timeless hits like 'Midnight Blue' and 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You.'
Born 1951 (age 75)·American singer-songwriter and actress·Birthday: February 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Melissa Manchester emerged from the vibrant New York songwriting scene of the early 1970s, a protege of Bette Midler and a peer of Barry Manilow. She distinguished herself with a rich, expressive voice and a writer's keen eye for emotional nuance. Her breakthrough, the self-penned 'Midnight Blue,' was a masterclass in melancholic pop, establishing her as an artist of substance in the adult contemporary realm. Manchester never settled into a single groove; she could deliver heart-wrenching ballads like 'Don't Cry Out Loud,' generate dance-floor energy with the Grammy-winning 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You,' and even venture into film, earning an Oscar nomination for co-writing 'Through the Eyes of Love.' Her career is a testament to artistic resilience, navigating shifting musical trends while maintaining a core identity of musical intelligence and heartfelt connection.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Melissa was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Melissa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Melissa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Grammy Award in 1982 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for 'You Should Hear How She Talks About You.'
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for 'Through the Eyes of Love' from *Ice Castles* (1979).
- Wrote and recorded the enduring adult contemporary standard 'Midnight Blue,' a top-ten hit in 1975.
- Authored and performed the hit ballad 'Don't Cry Out Loud,' which became a signature song.
Did You Know?
She was a member of Bette Midler's early backing group, The Harlettes, in the early 1970s.
Manchester taught songwriting at the University of Southern California.
She is a trained actress and has performed in stage musicals, including *Song of Singapore* and *I Sent a Letter to My Love*.
Her godfather is the influential music publisher and manager Milton Okun.
“I was never interested in being a star. I was interested in being a singer.”
