Barry Manilow shares doctor's warning as cancer battle takes emotional turn

Barry Manilow is currently going through one of the most difficult phases of his life and what made the situation worse is the loss of his breathing and voice.

For those unaware, Manilow underwent surgery after he was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in December 2025.

The 82-year-old American singer-songwriter cancelled many of his 2026 arena tour dates and Las Vegas residency shows, as he is still on the road to recovery.

While giving an interview to The Times as he continues to recover from the surgery, Manilow said, “I'm not totally healed, the doctors said that it would take a while, but I have no patience and waiting is agony.”

“I tried to sing my show, but I have not been able to make it to the end without getting so winded that I have to stop,” the One Voice crooner stated.

Even though Manilow is returning to good health, he still cannot perform for 90-minutes straight.

“I am getting closer and the doctors say it will come back, but they say, 'Barry, you've been through hell. Ease up!' And I have never heard a doctor say that, so it must have been more difficult than I thought,” he noted.

It is important to mention that Barry Manilow has now been declared cancer-free after an MRI scan detected a small cancerous spot on his left lung towards the end of last year.