revealed this week that his legendary golden voice may have been permanently destroyed by surgery to save him from lung .
Showbiz
Barry Manilow Fears Losing His Singing Voice
Barry Manilow revealed this week that his legendary golden voice may have been permanently destroyed by surgery to save him from lung cancer.'My voice – I don't...
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'My voice – I don't know whether it's coming back,' the 82-year-old crooner admitted during an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday.
Manilow, who spoke with a shockingly raspy voice, made it clear that he was now starting to lose whatever hope he once had of being able to sing on stage again.
'I did my first sound check about a month ago, and I didn't sound like me at all,' he said.
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Manilow revealed in December that he was , and later that month he had a lobectomy, in which a significant portion of his cancerous left lung was removed.
The hitmaker – who smoked from just nine years old until he was 39, then began vaping in recent years– shared in March that he was practicing to strengthen his post-surgery voice, even though he had 'no patience and waiting' for it to return was 'agony.'
Barry Manilow revealed on Good Morning America on Monday that his voice may have been permanently destroyed by lung cancer surgery
'My voice – I don't know whether it's coming back,' the 82-year-old crooner admitted after revealing his lung cancer diagnosis in December 2025. 'I did my first sound check about a month ago, and I didn't sound like me at all'; pictured in July 2025 in Seattle, Washington
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But after his disappointing sound check, he was forced to consider the possibility that he would never be able to belt out tunes like he once could.
'I just couldn't believe that it's over,' he said with a dazed look. 'That is really upsetting. Because I don't want it to stop.'
Manilow admitted that he had 'taken my voice for granted' after it helped him sing classics like Looks Like We Made It, Mandy and Copacabana (At The Copa) on stage night after night.
The hitmaker – who smoked from just nine years old until he was 39, then began vaping in recent years – shared in March that he was practicing to strengthen his post-surgery voice, even though he had 'no patience and waiting' for it to return was 'agony.'
But after his disappointing sound check, he was forced to consider that he might never be able to belt out tunes like he once could. 'I just couldn't believe that it's over,' he said with a dazed look. 'That is really upsetting. Because I don't want it to stop'; pictured in February 2025
However, Manilow recalled the 'terrifying' experience of ending up in the intensive care unit (ICU) after developing pneumonia in the wake of his surgery
'There were a couple of moments there that I thought this may be goodbye,' he said. 'But these people at this hospital, they were just angels, saints. I could cry so hard every time I think about these nurses and doctors.'
Manilow tried to look on the bright side and said he was 'doing good,' but he was still caught off guard by how long it took to recover from lung cancer.
After doctors discovered a 'spot' on his lungs, he had a lobectomy to remove a portion of his left lung. Doctors said the surgery was a success, and he wouldn't need chemotherapy or radiation afterward, but Manilow ended up in the ICU with pneumonia; seen in June 2025
Manilow admitted that not being able to summon his iconic voice could make him a wreck on stage. 'I really don't want to cry on stage, but I don't know whether I'll be able to hold that back this time,' he said
Despite not having control of his voice yet, Manilow has optimistically scheduled a UK leg of his farewell tour to start on June 9, while the US leg is still scheduled for June 25, with his Las Vegas residency dates beginning on July 9; pictured in London in May 2024
But Manilow admitted that not being able to summon his iconic voice could make him a wreck on stage.
'I really don't want to cry on stage, but I don't know whether I'll be able to hold that back this time,' he said.
