Barry Manilow’s long history of hip problems probably saved his career.
We’ve heard the “Mandy” superstar in an exclusive interview in People magazine. Newly disclosed among Manilow’s health struggles is that he also had hip problems in November, along with his recent cancer scare and bout with bronchitis.
After performing an MRI on Manilow’s pelvis, doctors checked his lungs and found a spot that was removed surgically near the end of last year.
“If he hadn’t done that, man … He saved my life, because there’s no symptoms for what I had. I could go on, nothing hurt. But they found the dot in my lung,” Manilow told People. “They called me and said, ‘Could be cancer.’ That’s a bad word. ‘Not me. F–k you. I can’t have cancer.’”
Manilow has a history of hip issues dating to 2006, when he underwent an arthroscopy at age 63 to repair cartilage damage caused by performance wear and tear. He opened at the then-Las Vegas Hilton the previous year.
In 2011, Manilow underwent surgery to repair torn abductor muscles and remove bursae in both hips. This was after he closed his run at Paris Theater.
Manilow told the magazine he was determined to return to touring. But he did not mention his canceled performances at Westgate, where he has headlined about 650 shows. He has surpassed Elvis’s 636 performances as the venue’s longest-running headliner and has performed more shows than in any other venue in his career.
Through this recent health odyssey, I believe the superstar will fill his Las Vegas dates, starting May 7-9. At 82, Manilow still has a zeal to be on stage and is a notorious perfectionist.
“The shows that I do are full of energy,” Manilow says, “and unless you’re in top-notch shape, you can’t make it through 90 minutes.”
Manilow had been busy in the studio before the diagnosis. His 33rd studio album, and first in 15 years, “What a Time,” drops June 5.
The lead single, the ballad “Once Before I Go,” reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart. Manilow is the only artist to score a hit on that chart in six consecutive decades. He told the magazine, “I think I was too young to be able to sing a song like that (until now).”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.