Barry Manilow Says Fate of Postponed Tour Is Uncertain After Lung Cancer: &x27;I Have to Learn How to Breathe Again&x27; (Exclusive) Jeff NelsonTue, March 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC 0 Barry Manilow Says Fate of Postponed Tour Is Uncertain After Lung Cancer: 'I Have to Learn How to Breathe Again' (Exclusive) Barry Manilow was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer last November He tells PEOPLE exclusively that he's doing vocal exercises and breathing lessons to "learn how to breathe again" "I want to know that if I can't do it, I did everything I could do to go back on the road and do these 90minute c...
Barry Manilow Says Fate of Postponed Tour Is Uncertain After Lung Cancer: 'I Have to Learn How to Breathe Again' (Exclusive)
Jeff NelsonTue, March 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
0
Barry Manilow Says Fate of Postponed Tour Is Uncertain After Lung Cancer: 'I Have to Learn How to Breathe Again' (Exclusive) -
Barry Manilow was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer last November
He tells PEOPLE exclusively that he's doing vocal exercises and breathing lessons to "learn how to breathe again"
"I want to know that if I can't do it, I did everything I could do to go back on the road and do these 90-minute concerts," Manilow says of working to get back on stage
Barry Manilow is on a long road to recovery.
The music icon, 82, was supposed to resume his ongoing farewell arena tour in January but postponed shows due to his November lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. Now cancer free, he's working hard to regain his strength and reclaim his voice. But the fate of his performing career is still up in the air.
Four weeks after receiving his stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis, Manilow — who will release his next album, What a Time, on June 5 — checked into the hospital to undergo a lobectomy, which resulted in the removal of one of his left lung's two lobes, which deliver oxygen to the bloodstream.
Barry Manilow at home in Palm Springs on March 4, 2026Credit: John Russo
"I'm still waiting for the strength that I lost to come back," says the star, who dipped down to 128 lbs. because of his procedure. He's eating to gain weight back, works out every morning and is on the treadmill multiple times a day.
"I'm still going through it, but I'm pulling myself back together," Manilow says. "I'm not even sure I can go to the next level yet. My body doesn't want to take me there. It's not even doctor's orders, it's my body's orders — it won't let me do it."
The ordeal has also taken a toll on Manilow's low-tenor voice — and has jeopardized his eventual return to the stage. After his surgery, Manilow rescheduled multiple dates of his ongoing farewell arena tour and Las Vegas residency. At press time, he was slated to resume his tour on April 12, but at the time of this interview, wasn't sure if that curtain would rise.
Barry Manilow performing in Seattle in July 2025Credit: Mat Hayward/Getty
"I have to be able to do the kind of thing I've always done without this one lobe," says Manilow, who is one of the bestselling artists of all time, having sold more than 85 million records. "The shows that I do are full of energy, and unless you're in top-notch shape, you can't make it through 90 minutes."
When he first attempted to rehearse his set list after the lobectomy, "I couldn't even get through the first song," Manilow says, but six weeks before the planned tour launch, "I was able to get through most of the whole show."
Barry Manilow at home in Palm Springs on March 4, 2026Credit: John Russo
To recuperate, he's doing vocal exercises and breathing lessons.
Advertisement
"I have to learn how to breathe again. Isn't that crazy? It's beyond frustrating. It's just sad that I cannot do what I love doing, but maybe [by April 12] it'll all be over and I'll be able to go back to my old life," Manilow says. "I have to get on that treadmill because I don't want to throw it away. I want to know that if I can't do it, I did everything I could do to go back on the road and do these 90-minute concerts. If I can't do it, I want to know that it's not because I didn't try."
Barry Manilow on the cover of the April 6, 2026 issue of PEOPLECredit: John Russo
Amid his cancer journey, Manilow has received support from his husband and manager, Garry Kief, and of course his beloved Fanilows.
"I had no idea that there were that many people out there that even knew I was alive," he says.
Barry Manilow's 'What a Time' album cover art (out June 5)
After announcing his diagnosis online on Dec. 22, those fans "sent the most beautiful things to me, from all over the world, people writing to me and wishing me well. Don't make me start to cry," says the musician. "It should be a horrible experience, and it was, but those notes and those people made it doable."
As he continues to focus on his recovery, "We'll see if I can make it back," Manilow says.
While he works to get back onstage, Manilow also knows the show must go on. He's now preparing for the release of his 33rd studio album, What a Time. The record features his latest hit single, "Once Before I Go," a timeless, sweeping ballad that fits seamlessly alongside his canon of pop classics (from "Mandy" and "Looks Like We Made It" to "Can't Smile Without You") that launched the self-effacing Brooklynite to superstardom in 1974.
"Once before I go / I want you to know that I have loved you all along … So kiss me for the last time and hold me close once more," Manilow sings on the track, which he originally heard years ago but only recorded it after his friend and former music label executive, Clive Davis, recently suggested he do so.
"I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like that. It moved me," Manilow of the song, which in March became a top 10 single, making him the only artist in history to notch an adult contemporary hit in six consecutive decades. "I think I was too young to be able to sing a song like that [until now]."
For more on Barry Manilow, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 24, 2026 at 05:09PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle
Post a Comment