BARRY MANILOW'S upcoming album "15 Minutes" is a concept album that was inspired by . . . BRITNEY SPEARS, and her 2007 head-shaving meltdown. (???)
--Barry explains, quote, "The thing we started to think about was when Britney Spears was being hounded by the paparazzi. They were driving her crazy.
--"She couldn't have a life without them pulling up next to her car and following her and driving her crazy to the point where, that was around the time she shaved off her hair. I think they actually helped to drive her crazy.
--"We all looked at it in horror . . . and I said, 'Is this what happens these days?' So it seemed like a thing to be writing an album about."
--"15 Minutes" comes out next Tuesday. (--It's unclear if Barry caught any of the CHARLIE SHEEN insanity that went down earlier this year . . . and if he plans on writing an album about that.)