Barry Manilow says a part of himself ‘isn’t here’ after cancer diagnosis

American singer Barry Manilow has said a part of himself “isn’t here” after being diagnosed with lung cancer in December last year.

The 82-year-old was found to have a cancerous spot on his lung during a scan following an issue with his hips, and has undergone treatment – describing himself as “lucky” as he did not have to undergo chemotherapy.

Speaking to US outlet People, he said: “You just don’t even think about (how fragile life is), and suddenly, you have lung cancer.

“But I’m still here. I’m not all here, there’s part of me that isn’t here — they took out a part of me, and now I’ve got to figure out, ‘what do I do?’”

Manilow will release his first album in 15 years in June, named What A Time. The record will be his 33rd studio album, and will feature a song co-written by Take That singer Gary Barlow.

The star said the doctor who carried out his scan “saved my life”, because he said he had no symptoms of the disease and “could go on”.

Reflecting on his diagnosis, Manilow added: “It has really, really made me take stock of my life. This 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’ve read for all of my life, I started to think about that, too. It really did stop me in my tracks, and the answers are yes, and as a matter of fact, there are more yeses than I ever thought.”

It comes after Manilow broke Elvis Presley’s record of 636 for most shows performed in Las Vegas in 2023, with his current long-running residency at the Westgate casino and resort.

Manilow has achieved seven UK top 10 albums, including a number one with Barry Live In Britain, and one UK top 10 single with I Wanna Do It With You.

The singer began his career in the early 1960s, and had his first hit in the UK with Mandy in 1975, and has gone on to sell more than 85 million records as a solo artist worldwide, being nominated for 15 Grammy Awards, and winning one.