Barry Manilow has decided to postpone the first leg of his upcoming tour following a “very depressing visit” with his surgeon amid his battle against early-stage lung cancer.
In a social media statement shared Friday, 82-year-old Manilow revealed that despite taking to his treadmill three times a day, he was still unable to sing “more than three songs in a row” before having to stop.
Even still, the beloved singer believed he would be well enough to perform his upcoming arena shows — but his medical team shut that down.
Manilow said his surgeon “shook his head” before going on to explain that his lungs just “aren’t ready yet.” He acknowledged the “Mandy” singer was in “great shape considering” his recent diagnosis, but still warned him against doing “the first arena shows.”
“You won’t make it through,” his surgeon warned.
The hitmaker said he wanted to take the stage, but his “body knew what my heart didn’t want to admit: I wasn’t ready.”
As a result, Manilow said he will reschedule his performances between Feb. 27 and March 17.
He hopes he’ll be able to continue on with the rest of the tour in April, including concerts at the UBS Arena on Long Island and the Prudential Center in Newark.
This is only the most recent time the “Copacabana” singer has been forced to postpone shows amid his health battles. He previously canceled a series of January concert dates as well as a residency at Westgate Las Vegas, which was set to run from Feb. 12 through 21.
