{"id":880760,"date":"2026-10-13T11:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T11:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/880760\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T11:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T11:24:12","slug":"barry-manilow-walks-off-stage-after-two-songs-cancels-weekend-shows-because-of-health-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/880760\/","title":{"rendered":"Barry Manilow walks off stage after two songs, cancels weekend shows because of health issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

As swiftly as Barry Manilow<\/a> returned to the stage following a health-related hiatus, he has stepped away.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Manilow cut his concert short just two songs after it began. The 83-year-old crooner abruptly told the crowd to talk among themselves as he walked off stage, according to concertgoers who detailed the incident on social media<\/a>. The curtain dropped, and a few moments later the audience was told the show was a wrap. Manilow’s performance slated for Saturday was subsequently nixed.<\/p>\n

The day before, on Thursday, the “Copacabana” singer had returned after a six-week break to perform at the International Theater at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, telling the audience<\/a>, “I’m back!” Manilow appeared to be spry and energetic throughout the show. “God, I feel like I’m a teenage idol again,” he joked when a couple of audience members tossed underwear onto the stage. He picked up a pair of full-coverage briefs and asked if they needed to go to the laundry, then a pink lacy thong and joked, “I’ll keep this pair.”<\/p>\n

“After a triumphant welcome-back concert on Thursday, Barry got hit with bronchitis and had to cancel his Friday and Saturday shows,” reps for Manilow told Paste Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Last year, Manilow revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer<\/a> and that surgery would require him to postpone several performances. In May, he told The Times<\/a> that, since he had surgery, he was getting winded just walking down the hallway. “Ninety minutes of screaming in tune, which is what I do for a living \u2014 I’m not up for that yet,” he said at the time. “I will be, but it’s taking a long time to get my voice back. They warned me that I’d have to learn to breathe again. So these days, I get up, I go to my piano and I try to be creative. Before I know it, the afternoon’s over.”<\/p>\n

The star returned to the stage in June following a six-month hiatus, in support of his latest album, “What a Time,” his first LP loaded with new material in almost 15 years.<\/p>\n

Read more: The life of a showman: Barry Manilow on cancer, coming out and cosmetic surgery<\/a><\/p>\n

But in August, Manilow canceled shows<\/a> because of vocal and technical problems before telling fans he needed to pause. “We just finished a fantastic summer tour, 29 shows in 68 days,” the singer said. “The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard.<\/p>\n

“Now we all need to sit down and shut up,” Manilow said.<\/p>\n

Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.<\/a><\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n