What you need to know
Barry Manilow has been diagnosed with cancer and has to pause his farewell tour.
On Monday, December 22nd, musician Mandy revealed in a statement on her Facebook page that she had to take a break from touring after discovering a “cancerous spot” in her left lung.
“We just finished five wonderful Christmas concerts at the McCollum Theater in Palm Desert,” Manilow, 82, began his statement. “This is the seventh time we have held a benefit concert and raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations across the Coachella Valley.
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After thanking everyone for their support, he opened up about his recent health issues.
“As many of you know, I recently had bronchitis for six weeks and then had a flare-up for another five weeks,” Manilow said. “Even though I overcame bronchitis to return to the stage at Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI to make sure everything was okay.”
He continued: “The MRI revealed a cancerous plaque in my left lung that needed to be removed. It’s pure luck (and great doctors) that we caught it so early. That’s good news.”
But the “bad news,” Manilow said, is that surgery will be needed to remove the spot.
“The doctors don’t believe the infection has spread and I’m undergoing tests to confirm the diagnosis and that’s it. No chemotherapy, no radiation, just chicken soup and reruns of ‘I Love Lucy’,” he said.
Manilow then said he was “counting down the days” until he could return to his “second home” in Las Vegas for a Valentine’s Day weekend concert.
“Looks like it’s going to be a big party this weekend in February!” he added.
Manilow then shared rescheduled dates for his farewell tour, originally scheduled for January 2026, which included stops in nine markets, including Orlando, Florida, Tampa, and Columbus, Ohio.
“Ironically, I feel fine and have no symptoms,” Manilow said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, adding that the cancerous tumor is stage 1. “I’m grateful that the doctors were proactive and did tests that wouldn’t normally be done. They caught it very early on.”
In June, Manilow spoke to Billboard about “The Last Concert” series, scheduled for several cities across the U.S., and how it reflected on his career and his musical peers from the ’70s and ’80s.
“I’m like, ‘What? Am I the only one left?'” he told Billboard. “This is Billy Joel. Elton (John) is unwell, Rod (Stewart) and Neil (Diamond) are fine. I think Diana Ross is still in great shape.”
Manilow continued, “There’s probably only a handful of people in my world who are still there. I’m still healthy. I’m still strong, I still have the voice, I still have the energy. The night I don’t hit Natural Fa on ‘Even Now,’ that’s the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it.”
See below for a complete list of rescheduled arena shows.
TAMPA – February 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
