Barry Manilow reveals lung cancer diagnosis, will undergo surgery

Barry Manilow said a scan of his lungs picked up a 'cancerous spot'. Photo / Getty Images

Barry Manilow is to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

The veteran entertainer, 82, has revealed he recently battled bronchitis and a scan of his lungs picked up a “cancerous spot”. He’s now preparing to undergo an operation to remove part of his lung and he’s been forced to call off all his upcoming concerts.

In a post on Instagram, Manilow said: “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 on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.

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

“The bad news is that now that the Christmas Gift Of Love concerts are over I’m going into surgery to have the spit [sic] removed.”

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However, Manilow explained the doctors do not think the cancer has spread so he’s unlikely to require chemotherapy or radiation treatment following the operation.

He 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.”

Manilow will need a month to recover from the operation so he’s had to call off his planned US shows in January.

He added: “The only follow-up is a month to recover and that means we will have to reschedule the January arena concerts ... I’m very sorry that you have to change your plans.”

The rescheduled gigs include stops in Orlando, Charleston, Greensboro and Columbus. The concerts have all been rescheduled and Manilow hopes to be back on stage in February to resume his Las Vegas residency over the Valentine’s Day weekend (February 13-15, 2026).

His message concluded: “Something tells me February is going to be one big party ... I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and remember, if you even have the slightest symptom, get tested!”

Manilow previously battled throat cancer following a diagnosis in 2020 but went on to make a recovery.

He has previously been open about how he became hooked on cigarettes as a child and smoked for decades.

In a previous interview with the London Evening Standard newspaper, he said: “Well, I smoked for 30 years. I started when I was 9 years old. I grew up in Brooklyn. Then I stopped about 15, 20 years ago.

“Then I just started in Las Vegas and the band and I went down to a little club and somebody offered me a cigarette. And I was back.

“Within a week I was back. Not on a pack a day, ‘cause when I was really smoking I was on three packs a day – non filters. Oh yeah. I was a great smoker.”