Barry Manilow on life after cancer: ‘I’m not ready to croak’

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In Palm Springs, Barry Manilow drove a golf cart up his driveway and playfully tossed a stuffed goose onto the lawn, much to the enjoyment of his two Labrador retrievers.

“So, where are we doing this?” the 82-year-old singer asked about our interview. He was dressed in a khaki shirt and fitted rust-colored pants, looking like he was ready to do some stylish gardening. But in fact, he’d come just to talk about his incredible life and career.

Barry Manilow and his husband, Garry Kief, who also manages him, relocated to this large desert property from Los Angeles in the late 1990s. Manilow explains they kept visiting and falling in love with the area, eventually deciding to make it their permanent home. By that time, he was already a well-established and popular performer, having earned a Grammy Award, achieved 11 Top 10 hits, and famously performed for 15 nights at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

You might have thought his time in Palm Springs meant he was ready to take it easy, but he surprised everyone by starting a long-running residency at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2005—one that actually lasted longer than Elvis Presley’s. He also had a hit album in 2006, “The Greatest Songs of the Fifties,” which went platinum and led to several other successful albums.

Music

With a new album on the way, here’s a look back at some of the most popular songs by the 85-year-old music icon.

Just before Barry Manilow received an award for his advertising jingles, Sabrina Carpenter surprised the Coachella crowd by including a snippet of his famous song, “Copacabana (At the Copa)” in her performance. This highlighted Manilow’s unique talent – a combination of technical musical skill and catchy, crowd-pleasing showmanship.

Bette Midler, who first hired Barry Manilow to play piano for her performances at New York’s Continental Baths in the early 1970s, says he’s one of the most passionate music lovers she’s ever met. She explains that for him, performing isn’t just work – it’s a true calling and something he feels deeply driven to do.

It’s really worrying to hear that Barry Manilow is facing health challenges. He revealed back in December that he has lung cancer and needed surgery, which meant having to put off some shows. It’s been five months now, and he still hasn’t been able to perform – and as a longtime fan, that’s the longest break I can remember him taking, apart from the pandemic, of course. I’m really hoping he makes a full recovery and gets back on stage soon.

Barry Manilow has a new album, “What a Time,” coming out on June 5th, which is keeping him busy. It’s his first album featuring mostly original songs in almost 15 years. The album starts with a beautiful version of “Once Before I Go,” originally by Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford. Manilow is especially proud that this song, produced by Babyface, recently charted on Billboard’s adult contemporary list, meaning he’s now been on that chart for over 50 years.

It’s clear performing is still a priority for him, as he shows me his home gym – it has everything from weights and a treadmill to a massage table. He explains he’s been working out every morning to get back in shape for his upcoming shows, though he’s not sure if his July dates in Vegas will actually take place. We relax in comfortable leather chairs, with his dogs, Jake and Abby, resting at our feet.

“Please be brilliant,” he tells me. “Don’t be boring.”

What are you doing on a day you’re not working?
Working.

Okay. After my surgery, I haven’t been able to tour. Performing involves singing intensely for ninety minutes, and I’m just not ready for that kind of exertion yet. I’m getting my voice back, but it’s a slow process. The doctors said I’d need to relearn how to breathe, which is taking time. Now, I spend my days at the piano, trying to write and be creative, and the afternoon just slips away.

Was the diagnosis a shock?
Imagine your doctor saying, “You’ve got lung cancer.”

Okay, I’ll tell you what happened. I have really bad hip pain – it’s bursitis and it’s just awful. I was worried I might have broken something. So, I asked my doctor if I could get an MRI to check it out. Before all that, though, I’d been sick with bronchitis twice in a row. Have you ever had bronchitis?

I did have something wrong. It was really bothering me, so I asked the doctor to look at my hip. Instead, he suggested they check my lungs, which thankfully they did. They found a large mass in my chest. One doctor thought it might just be leftover from a previous bout of bronchitis, while another feared it could be cancer. I was hoping for the bronchitis explanation! But further tests revealed it was actually a cancerous tumor.

I was on my way to a sound check when I found out, and honestly, there wasn’t much I could do about it right then. I never imagined I’d get cancer – it just didn’t seem possible. The doctors wanted to treat it quickly, so we agreed I’d finish the shows I had scheduled, then go to the hospital for surgery. It was supposed to be a simple procedure, and thankfully it hadn’t spread. But then I developed a few unexpected health issues – atrial fibrillation, acid reflux, and pneumonia – and ended up in the ICU for a week.

It’s difficult to talk about, but were you ever in serious danger? I was told the doctors said they were worried about losing me, though I don’t remember hearing it directly. Everything is pretty hazy now. When I finally recovered in my room at the Eisenhower Medical Center, I’d lost a lot of weight – I only weighed 128 pounds.

How long you figure it had been since you weighed 128 pounds?
I don’t remember ever being 128.

You once said you didn’t think you’d ever face cancer. What made you say that?

I was always so focused on being busy, which now seems silly. I realized I’m used to taking charge – whether it’s leading a band or an audience – but this time, I had to let others lead and rely on their help. That was a major lesson. The support I’ve received from nurses, doctors, and friends has been incredible, and I’ve been so touched by all the kind notes people have sent.

It’s been really tough being away from performing. For years, my life has revolved around making albums and touring, and I’ve always loved that rhythm. Right now, I’m focused on recovery and following my doctor’s advice – that’s the path forward.

There’s actually one more option I considered. I wasn’t prepared to give up on life, and I definitely didn’t want to stop performing. It all happened so quickly – one day I was on stage to a cheering crowd with a fantastic band, and the very next day I was getting ready for surgery.

So, I am taking vocal lessons. However, I still get out of breath easily – even just walking! I like to sing along to my old records, but I can only manage about three songs before I need to stop and catch my breath.

Would it be possible to do a performance that focuses on slower songs? I’d prefer to leave out the really fast-paced ones, like “It’s a Miracle” or “Copacabana.” I’m also working on some powerful ballads that build to a strong finish.

Do you smoke or drink alcohol? I quit smoking a long time ago. I do vape occasionally, but mostly just enjoy having it in my hand. I used to be a heavy smoker – I started when I was just nine years old, growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s. At one point, I was smoking three packs of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes a day, and it didn’t affect my breathing at all. Smoking was just part of who I was – a skinny piano player who smoked.

Before he was a skinny piano player, he was a skinny accordion player.

Barry Manilow had a humble upbringing in Brooklyn, raised by his Jewish mother and Irish father who separated shortly after his birth. As a child, he loved to perform for his mother and grandparents, often playing the Jewish folk tune “Hava Nagila.” Later, his stepfather introduced him to the music of Gerry Mulligan and Judy Garland, sparking his interest in jazz and pop music.

You know, he always told me he never really dreamed of being on stage. He was a creator at heart – he wanted to write music, put the arrangements together, and produce the whole thing. It’s funny, his first big break actually came from writing jingles! I was so proud when I found out he wrote the ‘Like a Good Neighbor’ tune for State Farm, and even the Band-Aid jingle – that’s all him!

He explains that his approach worked well for pop music because it mirrored the techniques used in commercials. Both rely on quickly capturing the audience’s attention – commercials in about five seconds, and pop songs in around ten.

In 1971, Barry Manilow began working with Bette Midler, contributing to her hugely successful first album, “The Divine Miss M.” This opportunity led to his own record deal with Clive Davis at Arista Records. Though Manilow preferred to stay behind the scenes, he immediately found success with the emotional ballad “Mandy,” followed quickly by another hit, “I Write the Songs.” Interestingly, despite its philosophical tone, Manilow didn’t actually write the lyrics to that famous song.

Bruce Johnston, the writer of “I Write the Songs” (which won a Grammy thanks to Barry Manilow’s recording), believes Manilow’s success with the song comes from his genuine and unpretentious approach. Johnston, a member of The Beach Boys for sixty years before retiring this year, says Manilow’s version – also recorded by artists like Captain & Tennille and David Cassidy – is the only one he truly loves. He feels Manilow fully embraced the song and performed it with complete authenticity.

Following the success of several more of his songs – including “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again,” “Weekend in New England,” and “Looks Like We Made It” – Clive Davis asked Barry Manilow to produce an album for Dionne Warwick, a new artist he had signed to Arista Records. Warwick was initially surprised by the suggestion. “Did Barry Manilow really understand my music?” she recalls with a laugh. She soon found out that he did. When she arrived for their first recording session, she discovered Manilow had covered his piano with all of her previous albums. “He wanted to show me he knew my work inside and out,” Warwick explains.

The album Dionne, a collaboration between the artists, earned two Grammy Awards and produced popular, smooth-sounding singles like “Deja Vu” and “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” These songs revitalized Dionne Warwick’s career and cemented Barry Manilow’s reputation as a talented soft-rock artist.

Music

The new box set, ‘We Gotta Groove,’ revisits the Beach Boys’ recordings made at Brother Studio in 1976 and 1977.

Despite his musical talent, Barry Manilow never really won over rock critics. While his songs connect with listeners through dramatic performances, he was often labeled as shallow or overly sentimental. Even today, many find it surprising that he’s been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for so long without being inducted.

Barry Manilow, inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002, says he doesn’t let criticism bother him. “I’ve always been an outsider,” he explains, propping one leg up on the arm of his chair, possibly due to bursitis. He doesn’t focus on accolades or social events. Instead, he feels fortunate to live in a beautiful place with a loving partner of over 46 years. “Our laughter and love for each other are the most meaningful rewards I could ask for,” he says.

Barry Manilow married his partner, Keith Kief, in 2014, and publicly shared that he is gay three years later. He was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, for a short time in the 1960s. Has coming out changed how people perceive him?

He describes the reaction as minimal. “No one really cared,” he explains, stating that people were already aware. He chose not to discuss it publicly, though, because coming out in the 1970s and 80s would have likely ended his career. He adds with a smile that he simply avoided the topic.

“Garry and I are just two guys that live in a house on a hill with two dogs that we love.”

Like many of Manilow’s hits, “Once Before I Go” was Davis’ idea.

Hugh Jackman played entertainer Peter Allen – the subject of the Broadway hit “The Boy From Oz” – and Allen once played a song for Barry Manilow in the early 1980s. Manilow remembers loving the song, but felt he was too young at the time to sing it convincingly. He says the song really needs a singer with life experience to truly connect with it.

Davis initially thought Barry Manilow should include the song in his performance at the We Love NYC concert in Central Park, which Davis organized in 2021. Although the show was briefly interrupted by bad weather during Manilow’s performance of “Can’t Smile Without You,” Davis continued to encourage the singer to record the song afterward.

Manilow said, “I’m not sure why, but he was really enthusiastic about something.” He explained that this person genuinely enjoyed it, and he felt it was done for his benefit. Even though they no longer work together professionally, Manilow considers him a friend and acknowledges he was right about something in the past.

After being diagnosed with cancer, was Manilow concerned that his fans might think the song, which sounded like a sad goodbye from a loving partner, actually meant he was retiring for good?

“Not one time has anybody said, ‘Is he talking about dying?’”

While not a traditional concept album, many songs on “What a Time” explore how memories and the past influence relationships. Barry Manilow acknowledges he’s known for hit singles, but he actually prefers creating full albums. His personal favorite is the jazzy “2:00 AM Paradise Cafe” from 1984, which features collaborations with Gerry Mulligan, Sarah Vaughan, and Mel Tormé.

You know, it’s funny – the critics who had been really tough on me? They didn’t think I had it in me to pull something like that off. Honestly, I was pretty surprised myself that I could actually do those more pop-oriented songs. It was a real turning point for me, proving I wasn’t just limited to one style.

You previously recorded popular songs from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Why didn’t you continue the series with songs from the 1990s? Were there any songs from that decade worth recording?

Barry.
Didn’t it start to go downhill?

Whitney Houston had so many iconic songs – just thinking about them, there are a lot! Those recordings are untouchable. I consider myself a capable arranger, but even I can’t surpass those records. Perhaps four albums was the right amount for me; I felt ready to focus on songwriting again.

You mentioned you feel modern pop lacks strong melodies. That’s what you’re really longing for, and Clive is encouraging you to create something that feels like a fresh, modern collection of classic songs.

He previously worked with Johnny Mathis, and now I’ve been checking out the current Top 20 hits. I really like Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

I love the idea of ‘Die With a Smile.’ But honestly, the songwriting style I’m hearing now just isn’t clicking with me. It feels like they’ve abandoned the classic structure of verses, choruses, and bridges. To my ears, a lot of modern songs just feel rambling and unstructured, like one long, never-ending sentence.

I was trying to think of artists older than you who are still performing.
Name me one.

Willie Nelson.
Oh, yeah.

Johnny Mathis.
Mm-hmm.

Frankie Valli.
[Rolls eyes].

You’re suggesting he doesn’t actually sing live, and relies on a recording. I was a big fan of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – everyone was!

Would you ever lip sync?
I’m terrible at it. I try now and again.

Does it bother you ethically? It really depends on who created it. I enjoy the spontaneity of a performance – not knowing exactly what will happen next. It’s thrilling to push my vocal range and see if I can hit those challenging high notes.

Is failing to meet expectations a sign it’s time to stop? I’m close to that point right now, but I’m actually feeling stronger, so maybe I can keep going. I still look good, even though I feel incredibly old – I’m not even sure how that happened, and I definitely don’t use Botox!

People are always asking if I’ve had any work done, and honestly, for the most part, the answer is no! I did get a facelift once when I was living in L.A., but since then it’s just been very minor touch-ups here and there. Nothing major, I promise!

I interrupted him, saying, “I actually asked you a question first.” He explained that constantly working felt like getting a single facelift – he’d address things when they visibly deteriorated, admitting he cared about appearances just like anyone else. He recalled a friend whose mother once said, “I always knew he was gifted, but when did he become so good-looking?”

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2026-05-27 13:33