Barry Manilow had recently completed a run of charity Christmas shows at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. However, the 82-year-old singer-songwriter will be taking a longer-than-expected holiday break.
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The "Mandy" artist shared on Monday that he was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. His January arena dates are being rescheduled so he can have surgery and recover.
Barry Manilow Released a Statement
Manilow released a statement on Instagram that "a cancerous spot" was found on one of his lungs during an MRI. This came after a long bout of bronchitis earlier this year.
"As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks," the singer wrote. "Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK. The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed."
"It's pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early," he added. "That's the good news."
Then There's the Bad News
Manilow shared more information with his fans, explaining the next steps in his journey.
"The bad news is that... I'm going into surgery to have the spot removed," he said. "The doctors do not believe it has spread, and I'm taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that's it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns."
Looking ahead, Manilow estimated that recovery will take about a month, so his arena shows in January will be postponed.
"I'm very sorry that you have to change your plans," he continued. "Just like you, we were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around."
However, if you had planned to see the "Copacabana" singer on Valentine's Day weekend, don't worry. He's got you.
"In the meantime, I'm counting the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine's weekend concerts on February 12-13-14 and throughout 2026," he wrote. "Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!"
He then reminded fans that if they "have even the slightest symptom...get tested!"
