In a tragic announcement, Barry Manilow, the 82-year-old singer known for hits like “Copacabana” and “Mandy,” took to social media on December 22, 2025, to announce that he has been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer.
For context, the cancer was discovered incidentally during an MRI scan ordered by his doctor after Manilow suffered a prolonged bout of bronchitis. The scan revealed a cancerous spot on his left lung, described as a stage-one tumor.
Reacting to the detection, he said, it was “pure luck” and credited his doctor. His physicians believe the cancer has not spread, with additional tests underway to confirm this. The beloved singer is scheduled for surgery in late December to remove the spot and expects no chemotherapy or radiation. He plans to recover with just recovery with “chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.”
Unfortunately, due to the surgery and a one-month recovery period, he has rescheduled his January 2026 arena concerts to dates in February, March, and April. He plans to return to the stage for Valentine’s weekend shows at his long-running Las Vegas residency in February 2026.
Turning to the public, Manilow encouraged fans to get tested for any symptoms, emphasizing the importance of early detection. This is his second reported cancer battle, following a throat cancer diagnosis in 2020 that was treated successfully.
Announcing the diagnosis on social media, 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,” he noted, adding more context on the frightening diagnosis.
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Building on this point, the singer stated, “The bad news is that now that the Christmas A Gift of Love concerts are over, I’m going into surgery to have the spot removed. 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.”
Wrapping up his comments, he said, “I’m counting the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine’s weekend concerts. Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party.”
Watch the clip here:
Reacting to the news on social media, one user posted, “This is such sad news. My prayers 🙏🏼 are with @barrymanilow. I’ve always loved your music and I wish you the best.” Another said, “Praying that Barry Manilow has a smooth recovery and that they remove all of the cancer in his lung. 🙏🙏” One new yorker posted, “To my Brooklyn brother Barry Manilow get well soon we are praying for a full recovery we are so proud of you.”
Featured image from embedded video