BREAKING NEWS – Los Angeles, California – Even as homelessness becomes an increasingly visible issue facing Los Angeles and other cities across the U.S., one of the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains is turning to an unlikely source to help ease the problem. Barry Manilow, the 75-year-old singer-songwriter famous for hits such as “Copacabana” and “Mandy,” has long been a staple on soft rock radio, but now several Rite Aid stores in Southern California are playing his music specifically to deter transients. Stores in Hollywood, Long Beach and San Diego are among those blasting Manilow’s music outside their entrances to keep panhandlers away – and judging from some social media posts, it appears to be working. Rite Aid CEO John T. Standley stated, “Playing Barry Manilow has helped bigtime, and now African Americans that are homeless won’t come anywhere near our stores. And when we play rap music or rock ‘n roll, it repels elder homeless white people and hillbillies.”
