Barry Manilow, 82, chats ‘nightmare’ lung cancer battle ahead of releasing his first album in 15 years

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Barry Manilow, the popular singer known for his soft rock hits, revealed he was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer last November. His health issues initially appeared as bronchitis and hip pain, but further testing uncovered the cancer.

After the 82-year-old singer, a Grammy winner with a history of smoking and vaping, underwent an MRI, doctors discovered a small spot on his lung.

Barry Manilow described the moment he received a frightening phone call. He remembered thinking, “It could be cancer.” He said the word felt awful, and his immediate reaction was denial – “Not me,” he thought. “I can’t be sick with cancer.”

I had no idea how long it had been there – possibly years. If it had gotten worse, I would have been in serious trouble. Luckily, it hadn’t spread, and for a while, I really thought my life was in danger.

Just a month ago, the singer known as Sun Shine, who needs only an Oscar to achieve EGOT status (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), had a section of his left lung removed due to illness and spent a week in intensive care.

‘I don’t remember it, thank goodness, because it was a nightmare,’ Manilow said.

‘I’m one of the lucky ones; I don’t have to have chemo, radiation and all that stuff.’

The singer, famous for ‘Copacabana,’ has recovered from cancer, and the experience led him to deeply reflect on his life.

Manilow paused to reflect, wondering if he’d achieved his goals and brought joy to others.

You know, I recently did some serious self-reflection, really thinking about what it means to be a good friend. All those classic lessons about friendship suddenly hit me, and it honestly made me pause. I started evaluating my own actions, and the answer, thankfully, is a resounding yes! I realized I’ve done even more to nurture my friendships than I initially thought, which is such a wonderful feeling.

The Brooklyn native concluded: ‘This really rocked me but I’m getting stronger.’

Barry Manilow and his manager, Garry Kief, were partners for 36 years before marrying in 2014. Kief provided Manilow with both personal and professional support throughout their relationship.

In 2015, the National Enquirer reported that the actor known for “Mandy” and Barry Manilow Productions’ 77-year-old president reportedly chose not to legally marry because they worried the news would become public.

In a 2017 interview with People magazine, Manilow described someone as ‘the smartest person I’ve ever met,’ and also a wonderful person.

I worried my fans would be upset if they knew I was gay, so I kept it hidden for a long time. But when people learned Garry and I were a couple, the support was incredible. It was so heartwarming to see strangers sending positive messages, and I’m truly thankful for their acceptance.

The singer, known for ‘Dancin’ in the Aisles,’ had been married before. His first marriage, to his high school sweetheart Susan Deixler, ended quickly – it was annulled after only a year in 1964.

Barry Manilow recently achieved a remarkable milestone: his latest song, “Once Before I Go,” made him the first artist ever to have a top 10 hit on the adult contemporary charts for six decades straight. He’s had a total of 13 number one songs on that chart throughout his career.

On June 5th, the singer known for hits like “When the Good Times Come Again” will release his 33rd studio album, “What a Time.” This is his first album featuring entirely new songs in almost 15 years.

Barry Manilow, who has 4.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, will next perform on April 13th at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York.

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2026-03-24 17:43