Barry Manilow has always been a reluctant showman.

The 82-year-old star has enjoyed a hugely successful career in the music business, with hits such as Could It Be Magic, Weekend in New England, Can't Smile Without You, and Copacabana (At the Copa) - but Manilow admits he still doesn't see himself as a singer.

He told the Guardian newspaper: "My first love is not being a performer or even a singer.

"I don't consider myself a singer; I consider myself a musician. And you know, if this wonderful part of my career hadn't exploded the way it did, I would be playing piano in some Paris bar and I would be a happy guy, really."

Manilow's career has spanned more than 60 years, but he still doesn't feel entirely comfortable in the spotlight.

He said: "I don't think I've ever really gotten used to it … It's just not who I am. I've figured out how to do it. And the way to do is to be honest with these audiences. Because I don't know how to not be honest on that stage."

Despite his chart success, Manilow has received some fierce criticism from music critics over the years.

He reflected: "It was as if I'd hurt somebody in their family.

"It lasted for so long - from putting me down for the songs, and then putting me down for what I looked like. If you wanted to get a big laugh, you would mention my name. It was 15 years of relentless, horrible reviews."

The chart-topping star - who has released 13 platinum and six multi-platinum albums - admits that the criticism used to really bother him. However, he found a way of coping with the pressures of fame and success as his career has evolved.

Asked how the negative reviews made him feel, Manilow replied: "I would stupidly read some of this stuff and I would go into my self-pity, and I'd pull the covers over my head. And then I would get dressed and go to the sound check, and that was that. Because I didn't agree with them."