Barry Manilow canceled a high-profile appearance on "The View" that was set for today, saying he doesn't want to be interviewed by the most conservative of the show’s five hosts.
The Palm Springs resident's album "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies" drops nationwide today.
"I had made a request that I be interviewed by Joy (Behar), Barbara (Walters) or Whoopi (Goldberg), but not Elisabeth Hasselbeck," Manilow said. "Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request, so I bowed out.
It’s really too bad because I've always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs."
Manilow recorded a duet of "Don’t Go Breakin' My Heart" for his CD with former "View" hostess Rosie O'Donnell, who often argued with Hasselbeck on the morning talk show.
Manilow pulled the song from the CD's final version because he said its up-tempo beat didn’t fit after the album turned more romantic. But he called working with O'Donnell "inspiring."
The best-selling adult contemporary artist of all time, Manilow has more than 60,000 fan club members worldwide.
Diana Garcia, outreach coordinator for state Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, tried to build a Manilow fan base in the Coachella Valley before finding herself spread too thin.
She said she wishes Manilow would have sat down with the "The View" crew, including Hasselbeck, who she called "a valuable member of 'The View.'"
"That's what I would hope for," she said, "but I would respect Barry's opinion and, if that's his personal conviction, then he should be allowed to have that. And more power to him for making that decision."
