Barry Manilow is opening up about a heartbreaking consequence of his recent battle with lung cancer.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” this week, the legendary singer revealed that the surgery that helped save his life may have permanently damaged the voice that made him famous.
Manilow Worries His Voice Not Return
“My voice – I don’t know whether it’s coming back,” the 82-year-old performer admitted.
Speaking with a noticeably raspy voice, Manilow acknowledged that he is beginning to accept the possibility that he may never sing the way he once did.
The music icon said he first became concerned after attempting a sound check about a month ago.
“I did my first sound check about a month ago, and I didn’t sound like me at all,” he recalled.
The experience left him shaken as he confronted the possibility that his performing career could be nearing an unexpected end.
“I just couldn’t believe that it’s over,” he said. “That is really upsetting. Because I don’t want it to stop.”
For decades, Manilow’s distinctive voice helped turn songs such as “Mandy,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Copacabana (At The Copa)” into enduring hits. Looking back, he admitted he never imagined a day when singing would become difficult.
“I had taken my voice for granted,” he said, later adding, “I don’t take it seriously. Now I do, because it doesn’t seem to be there the way it always was.”
He Revealed His Lung Cancer Diagnosis in December
Manilow first revealed his lung cancer diagnosis in December.
At the time, he explained that doctors discovered a cancerous spot on his left lung after ordering an MRI following a lengthy battle with bronchitis.
“As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” he shared. “Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.”
The scan ultimately detected the cancer at an early stage.
“The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That’s the good news,” he wrote.
Later that month, Manilow underwent a lobectomy, a procedure that removed a significant portion of his cancerous left lung.
Despite the frightening diagnosis, he remained optimistic about his prognosis.
“The bad news is that now that the Christmas A Gift of Love concerts are over I’m going into surgery to have the spot removed,” he said at the time. “The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.”
While the surgery appears to have successfully addressed the cancer, Manilow now faces a different challenge: uncertainty about whether the voice that defined his career will ever fully return.
Fans have been sending the iconic singer support as he continues his health journey.
