Barry Manilow has a message for his global fanbase, and he is not mincing words: he is nowhere near ready to throw in the towel.
The 82-year-old music icon recently opened up about his private battle with lung cancer, revealing that doctors detected a cancerous spot on his lung in December 2025. The discovery followed routine testing after the singer suffered from recurring bouts of bronchitis.
True to form, the showman has no intention of letting the diagnosis slow him down.
A Personal Fight with a Familiar Foe
For Manilow, the diagnosis hit incredibly close to home. The “Copacabana” singer shared that his mother had previously passed away from lung cancer, a tragedy that instantly fuelled his determination to fight back.
“I thought, ‘No, I’m not going to let this happen.’ And I was right,” Manilow stated. “They got rid of it, and they threw it in the garbage. I feel fine.”
While he admits his legendary vocals are still recovering, his trademark humour remains entirely intact. Joking about his resilience, he summarised his current outlook quite simply: “I’m not ready to croak.”
The Show Must Go On
Despite being forced to temporarily postpone his popular Las Vegas residency at the Westgate earlier this month, the crooner is already looking toward the future.
Manilow is officially scheduled to launch an arena tour across the United Kingdom this June, followed by a swift return to his Las Vegas stage in July. For those wondering if he is rushing his recovery, the performer made it clear that staying away from the stage was never an option.
“I don’t want to cancel this tour. I’m so looking forward to it,” he said. “So, I’m going to do it whether I can sing or not!”
With an attitude like that, it is safe to say the music world has not seen the last of Barry Manilow.
