Barry Manilow Jokes Surgical Recovery Has Been 'Agony' Because He Has 'No Patience' and Wants to Be Back on the Road
Barry Manilow Jokes Surgical Recovery Has Been 'Agony' Because He Has 'No Patience' and Wants to Be Back on the Road
Rachel DeSantisTue, March 3, 2026 at 10:05 PM UTC
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Barry Manilow in his social media video; Barry Manilow performingCredit: Barry Manilow/Instagram; Scott Legato/Getty -
Barry Manilow shared a video message to fans saying it's been "agony" not being able to go on stage
Manilow announced in December that doctors had found a cancerous spot on his lung
His single "Once Before I Go" is now a Top 10 hit
Barry Manilow is itching to get back on stage!
Amid his recovery to remove a cancerous spot on his lung, the legendary singer, 82, is celebrating a new milestone: his song “Once Before I Go” is a Top 10 hit, extending his chart run to six decades.
Manilow addressed the accomplishment in a social media video message to fans, thanking them for their well wishes over the last few months.
“It's been a long ride and since I have no patience, it’s been agony,” he said. “But I am getting stronger. And I have great doctors and wonderful friends and family, but I am so looking forward to getting back on stage.”
He continued: “What a time it’s been. Hey, that’s the name of my new album! It’s called What a Time. It comes out real soon and I can’t wait to show these songs to you. So here’s to another century of making music together, my friends. All my love and gratitude.”
Manilow announced in December that he’d have to pump the brakes on his farewell tour after doctors found a cancerous spot in his left lung. He said at the time that his doctors believed it hadn’t spread, and he would not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.
He has since had to reschedule several shows, most recently on Feb. 20, when he pushed back all shows through March 17. His next show is currently scheduled for March 26 in Las Vegas.
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The “Mandy” singer said he’d been working out on a treadmill three times a day, but “still couldn’t sing more than three songs in a row.”
He recalled his doctor telling him, “Barry, you won’t be ready to do a 90-minute show. Your lungs aren’t ready yet. You’re in great shape considering what you’ve been through, but your body isn’t ready.”
Barry Manilow performing in July 2025 in Seattle.Credit: Mat Hayward/Getty
Manilow’s song “Once Before I Go” hit the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart on Tuesday, March 3, some 52 years after “Mandy” first charted in 1974.
“You know, with everything that’s going on in the world, I wanted to check in and share some good news. In fact, it’s great news,” he said in his video to fans. “Our latest single ‘Once Before I Go’ just entered the Top 10 on the pop chart. How do you like that? I’m 100 years old with a Top 10 single on the pop charts… Like my grandmother once said, next thing you know, they’ll be walking on the moon.”
He went on to thank Clive Davis, “for suggesting the song,” radio stations for playing the song, and fans for requesting it.
Manilow previously told PEOPLE in September that Davis had been the one to tell him he should sing “Once Before I Go,” which was previously performed by Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz.
“I’ve always loved it, but I was too young to be able to sing it truthfully,” he explained.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
