Barry Manilow opens up about the toll of his cancer recovery.
In an interview with The times on March 29, Copacabana The singer revealed that waiting for his voice and breathing to return has been “agony” after being forced to postpone several shows following lung cancer surgery.
“I’m not completely cured, the doctors said it would take a while, but I have no patience and the wait is agony,” said Manilow, 82. “I tried to sing my show, but I couldn’t make it to the end without getting out of breath and having to stop.”
The setbacks come after what was initially described as a simple procedure to remove a cancerous spot on his left lung, discovered during an MRI last December. The examination was carried out after a difficult spell of bronchitis that lasted almost three months.
Despite avoiding further treatment, Manilow admitted that recovery has been more difficult than expected. He still can’t complete a full 90-minute series, although there are signs of progress.
“I’m getting closer and the doctors say he’ll come back, but they say, ‘Barry, you’ve been through hell. Don’t worry!’ And I’ve never heard a doctor say that, so it must have been harder than I thought,” he shared.
For now, the iconic singer is taking things slow, with residency dates in Las Vegas postponed and tours gradually being rescheduled as he works to return to the stage later this year.
