Barry Manilow Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Barry Manilow will have to reschedule a portion of his farewell tour after doctors discovered cancer in his lung.

The “Copacabana” singer, 82, took to social media Monday to reveal that he would be taking a break from performing to undergo surgery to remove a “cancerous spot” on his left lung.

“We just finished five great Christmas concerts at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert,” Manilow began his statement. “This marks the seventh time we have done these charity concerts and raised millions for nonprofit organizations throughout the Coachella Valley.”

Thanking everyone for their support, Manilow continued on to share his recent health struggles. “As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” said the “Mandy” singer. “Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI to make sure that everything was OK.”

“The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed,” he continued. “It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That’s the good news.”

The “bad news” is that Manilow will require surgery to remove the spot from his lung and a month of recovery out of the spotlight. “The doctors do not believe it was 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,” he wrote, noting that his January arena performance dates have now been rescheduled.

Despite the setback, Manilow is “counting the days” until he can return to his “home away from home” at the Westgate Las Vegas for his scheduled Valentine’s Day weekend concerts, which he suspects will be “one big party!”

The full list of rescheduled show dates can be seen below:

• Tampa – Feb. 27 – Benchmark International Arena
• Columbus – March 6 – Nationwide Arena
• Charleston – March 11 – North Charleston Coliseum
• Orlando – March 13 – Kia Center
• Sunrise – March 14 – Amerant Bank Arena
• Greensboro – April 24 – First Horizon Coliseum
• Jacksonville – April 27 – VyStar Veterans Memorial