EXCLUSIVE: Barry Manilow was returning to the stage at the age of 82 for a run of UK shows despite admitting he was struggling to be ready to perform a full 90 minute gig.
Barry Manilow launched his stage comeback to a standing ovation tonight – six months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He told the crowd: “Looks like we made it! This is the first show of our UK tour so get ready for anything. Let’s get this party started!”
The 82-year-old still loves performing and was delighted to walk back onto the stage in Glasgow, having been forced to postpone some shows earlier in the year as he failed to recover in time from an operation to remove the tumour in his lung.
He opened the show by playing a piano medley of his hits – without singing initally – and got a standing ovation from the crowd at the OVO Hydro Arena.
Questions had been asked whether his voice would fully return to the one that is known for belting out hits like “Copacabana” and “Mandy” and selling 85 millions records around the world.
Just a week ago he told Good Morning America: “My voice – I don’t know whether it’s coming back. I did my first sound check about a month ago and I didn’t sound like me at all. I just couldn’t believe that it’s over. That is really upsetting. Because I don’t want it to stop.”
He has been working with a vocal coach since then as well as in rehearsals and sound checks. Hours before he took to the stage, he had told BBC Breakfast in a brief interview it had been a “rough ride” but he is now recovering and is “feeling great”.
Manilow was returning to the stage more than six months after his last show in America, after doctors discovered he had lung cancer during a routine check up. His cancer diagnosis was announced on December 22 on his official website.
The singer had just completed a Las Vegas residency and a five-night series of charity Christmas concerts in Palm Desert, California.
He told the LA Times it has been “agony” being unable to perform live for so long and having to postpone some planned US dates until later this year, including yet more shows in Vegas, where he has now performed more shows than Elvis Presley.
Just two weeks ago he also admitted he was not ready to perform a full live show, meaning fans in Scotland may have been seeing Barry not quite yet performing at 100%.
At the end of May, he told the LA Times: “Ninety minutes of screaming in tune, which is what I do for a living — I’m not up for that yet. 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.”
The break, aside from Covid, has been his longest time away from the stage for many decades. He is set to continue to play live now for many months to come whilst promoting his new album What A Time.
Things could have been much worse in 2026 for Barry if it hadn’t been for his doctor. After complaining about some pain in his hips he asked his usual doctor for an MRI scan, the doctor asked for his lungs to also be scanned, as Barry had two bad bouts of bronchitis in recent times.
Barry explained: “I think he might have saved my life because they found a big black thing in my chest. One doctor said it was probably remnants of the bronchitis, the other doctor said it could be cancer. I voted for the bronchitis. But they went back in to see and it was a cancerous tumour.”
Barry has also been reflecting a little on his life and career ahead of his 83rd birthday which he will celebrate on June 17 with fans at a show. He said: “Have I done everything I wanted to do? Have I been good to people? Have I made people feel good? That’s all I ever wanted to do with my music.
“The thing that shocked me was all the people around the world being concerned about me. It was note after note after note about ‘we’re praying for you.”
He will turn 83 with a show at London’s O2 marking the end of his UK run of shows. He also released a new LP on June 5 called What A Time, his first LP of new material in almost 15 years.
* Barry Manilow’s UK tour continues this week with dates at Leeds, Liverpool and other cities until the final London date on June 17. Ticket details at barrymanilow.com
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
