Barry Manilow reveals lung cancer diagnosis and plans to undergo surgery: 'It's pure luck' it was 'found so early'
Barry Manilow, the Grammy-winning “Copacabana” hitmaker, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Manilow, 82, revealed the news on Monday in a lengthy social media post detailing how his recent bout with bronchitis led to the discovery of the cancerous spot on his left lung.
“As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks. Even though I was over the bronchitis and back onstage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK,” Manilow wrote. “The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed.”
The “Mandy” singer, who recently wrapped up his “A Christmas Gift of Love” concerts in Palm Desert, Calif., will undergo surgery to have the spot removed. As a result, he plans to reschedule the January shows of his Last Concerts farewell arena tour to February.
“It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early,” Manilow added. “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.”
The cancerous spot on Manilow’s left lung is Stage 1, according to People.
“Ironically, I feel great and have no symptoms,” Manilow said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “I’m thankful that my doctors were proactive and ran tests that typically wouldn’t be done. They caught it very, very early.”
Manilow will return to Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, where he has a long-running residency, to perform a series of Valentine’s Day concerts before resuming his arena tour on Feb. 27, in Tampa.
Here are the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s rescheduled concert dates, from late February through late April:
Feb. 27, 2026: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa
March 6, 2026: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
March 11, 2026: North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C.
March 13, 2026: Kia Center in Orlando
March 14, 2026: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
March 16 and 17, 2026: Hertz Arena in Estero, Fla.
April 24, 2026: First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
April 27, 2026: VyStar Veterans Memorial in Jacksonville, Fla.
April 29, 2026: Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga.