“As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” the musician said at the time. “Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI to make sure that everything was OK.”<\/p>\n
![\"Barry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/d6844d57f9838e32d5cade7667bbf19d.jpeg\"\/)
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Barry Manilow in New York City
Credit: BACKGRID<\/p>\n
“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,\u201d his post continued, adding that he would need surgery.<\/p>\n
In early January, the Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner shared another update to social media, this time letting his fans know he was “Better Today!<\/a>” with a smiling selfie in his hospital gown.<\/p>\n The following month, he announced via Instagram<\/a> that he had a “very depressing visit” to his surgeon, and would need to postpone more tour dates because his \u201clungs [weren\u2019t] ready yet.\u201d<\/p>\n In March, the “Copacabana” singer opened up exclusively to PEOPLE about his experience following the diagnosis.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just don\u2019t even think about [how fragile life is],\u201d he said. And suddenly, you have lung cancer,” Manilow told PEOPLE<\/a>. “But I\u2019m still here. I\u2019m not all here; there\u2019s part of me that isn\u2019t here \u2014 they took out a part of me, and now I\u2019ve got to figure out, \u2018What do I do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Reflecting on his doctor discovering the “cancerous spot” during his MRI, he added, \u201cThey don\u2019t even know how long I had this thing sitting on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt could have been years,\u201d Manilow continued. \u201cIf it had gone any further, then I would be up s—\u2019s creek. It just so happened that it hadn\u2019t spread, and boy oh boy, I thought I might be dying.\u201d<\/p>\n Though he spent seven days in the ICU after his lobectomy to remove the diseased part of the lung, he said he didn\u2019t recall much.<\/p>\n Barry Manilow in New York City \u201cI don\u2019t remember it, thank goodness, because it was a nightmare,\u201d Manilow said. \u201cI\u2019m one of the lucky ones; I don\u2019t have to have chemo, radiation and all that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n The health scare has put things into perspective for the music legend.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has really, really made me take stock of my life,\u201d Manilow told PEOPLE. \u201cThis made me stop and think about: Have I done what I wanted to do, and have I made people happy? Have I been a good friend? All of those cornball things that I\u2019ve read for all of my life, I started to think about that, too. It really did stop me in my tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the answers are yes,” he continued. “And as a matter of fact, there are more yeses than I ever thought.\u201d<\/p>\n Manilow\u2019s 33rd studio album, What a Time<\/a>, is set for release on June 5.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Barry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9c1ee0c3c4448c3ff8d86c553c9897bf.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: BACKGRID<\/p>\n