Barry Manilow talks about the aftermath of recovering from cancer.
In an interview with The times on March 29, Copacabana The singer revealed that waiting for his voice and breathing to return had been “agony”, after being forced to postpone several shows following lung cancer surgery.
“I’m not totally cured, the doctors said it would take a while, but I have no patience and waiting is agony,” Manilow, 82, said. “I tried to sing my show, but I couldn’t make it to the end without getting so out of breath that I had 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 ultrasound followed a difficult bronchitis which lasted almost three months.
Although he avoided further treatment, Manilow admitted that recovery had been more difficult than expected. He still isn’t able to complete a full 90-minute set, although there are signs of progress.
“I get closer and the doctors say it’ll come back, but they say, ‘Barry, you’ve been through hell. Relax!’ 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 Las Vegas residency dates postponed and tours gradually rescheduled as he works toward a return to the stage later this year.
