Barry Manilow Reveals He's a Grandfather: 'I Really Am Enjoying It' (Exclusive)

Barry Manilow married his longtime love, Garry Kief, in April 2014 and have been together since they met in 1978

Barry Manilow is a grandfather!

Speaking with PEOPLE in this week's issue, the iconic singer, 80, revealed that he's now a grandfather as husband and manager Garry Kief's daughter Kirsten, 47, recently became a first-time mom, bringing a baby girl into their lives.

"Garry’s daughter Kirsten adopted a little girl, and so I’m now a grandfather," he tells PEOPLE. "I’ve never, ever thought about having a baby or having anything to do with [being] a father or any of that."

"I’m watching this little girl—she’s 2½—grow up and learn. This is a brand-new experience for me, and I really am enjoying it," he adds.

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The exciting news comes amid a year of milestones for Manilow, 80, who recently beat Elvis Presley's record for most concerts at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas as he played his 637th show at the venue.

Manilow shared a video from the monumental show to social media on Sept. 23, and the venue was adorned with celebratory decorations. "Welcome to our record-breaking weekend," he told the audience in the clip.

"Tonight we are breaking his record with our 637th show here," said Manilow, who was joined on stage by multiple individuals from the Westgate and the Clark County Commission to receive the key. Additionally, Sept. 23 was declared "Barry Manilow Day" in Las Vegas.

"It really is all about you guys," he reportedly told fans at the show, per NPR. "You know I love all the awards and all, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Thank you for coming tonight and through all the years."

Manilow's exciting year continues with his upcoming Broadway production Harmony. The new musical, which Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Manilow wrote an original new score for alongside lyrics and book by his longtime collaborator Bruce Sussman, is decades in the making; Manilow initially premiered the musical in California all the way back in 1997. Harmony was originally intended to open on Broadway in 2004, but the run was canceled when its funding fell apart, according to The New York Times.

The production is centered around the real-life story of the Comedian Harmonists, a group of German singers who gained fame in the 1920s and '30s. The group ran into trouble as Germany's Nazi regime took power in the '30s because it featured some performers who were Jewish, according to the Times.

“They represent everything I love — they’re a combination of The Manhattan Transfer and the Marx Brothers, with complicated harmonies — and funny as hell,” Manilow told the outlet about Harmony in April. “When we dug into it, it just killed me: Why don’t we know about them?”

The production also stars performers Sierra Boggess and Julie Benko among its principal cast; it is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle.

Harmony begins preview performances Wednesday, Oct. 18, with opening night at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre scheduled for Monday, Nov. 13. Tickets can be purchased here.

For more on Manilow, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

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