'Better Today': Barry Manilow Reassures Fans as He Recovers From His Hospital Bed After Going Through Lung Cancer Surgery
Barry Manilow shared an encouraging health update weeks after revealing his lung cancer diagnosis.
Jan. 3 2026, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Barry Manilow has offered fans an encouraging health update weeks after revealing his lung cancer diagnosis, sharing a hopeful message from the hospital as he continues his recovery following surgery, RadarOnline.com can report.
Words of Encouragement
The 82-year-old singer posted a smiling hospital selfie on Instagram.
On Friday, the 82-year-old Copacabana singer posted a smiling selfie from his hospital bed on Instagram after undergoing a procedure to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung. The brief caption read, “Better today!” prompting an outpouring of emotional support from fans across the platform.
The comment section quickly filled with well-wishes and expressions of relief. “Heal!! We need YOU!!!” one follower wrote.
Another added, “ALRIGHT! 2026 starting off right with this post!”
A third commented, “You don’t know how wonderful it is to wake up to this pic!! Been so worried about you!!!!”
Cancer Diagnosis
Manilow announced last month that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Manilow revealed his diagnosis last month, the day after performing his final charity Christmas concert in Palm Desert, California. In a detailed Instagram post, he explained that the discovery came after an extended bout of illness.
“As many of you know, I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” he wrote. Although he had recovered enough to return to the stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, his doctor ordered additional testing as a precaution.
“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,” Manilow said.
The scan revealed an early-stage cancerous spot. “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 shared.
Looking Forward
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Manilow underwent surgery to remove the cancerous spot from his lung.
Manilow reassured fans that doctors believe the cancer had not spread and that aggressive treatment would not be necessary. He explained that surgery was the only step required, adding that 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.”
Following the procedure, the Grammy-winning artist rescheduled all his January concert dates and apologized directly to fans. “I’m very sorry that you have to change your plans,” he wrote. “Just like you, we were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around.”
Looking ahead, Manilow said he is focused on returning to the stage for his Valentine’s Day performances. “In the meantime, I’m counting down the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine’s Day concerts,” he said. “Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!”
