Barry Manilow has told fans he will go ahead with his UK arena tour in June but will miss his scheduledLas Vegas showsin May, after doctors advised the 82-year-old singer he is not yet ready to return to his long-running residency while recovering from lung cancer surgery.
The update from Barry Manilow came after months of uncertainty around his live schedule. At the end of last year, doctors discovered a cancerous spot on his left lung, and the American star was subsequently diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer.
The tumour was removed and Manilow cancelled performances while he recovered, including his spring dates at the Westgate Las Vegas where he has built a kind of second home on stage.
In a new message to fans, Manilow struck a typically wry tone, mixing reassurance with a dose of showman bravado. He said he had seen his doctor 'yesterday' and had been told he was 'making great progress' and looked 'great,' before joking, 'Well of course I do! Thank you very much! All the training and exercising I've put in is paying off.'
Please see the message below from Barry:Good news! I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I’m making great progress and look great! Well of course I do! Thank you very much!All the training and exercising I’ve put in is paying off.He did say, however, that I’m not…
That upbeat assessment came with a blunt caveat. According to Manilow, his medical team have ruled out a return to Las Vegas for now, meaning his planned May run at the Westgate will not go ahead. He told followers, 'He did say, however, that I'm not quite ready for Vegas. That means I won't be able to return for our May shows at @WestgateVegas.'
For fans in Britain, the Barry Manilow update is far more optimistic. The veteran performer said the same doctor had cleared him to proceed with his June arena shows in the UK, describing them as the target he is now working towards.
'But the good news is he said I will be ready for my June arena shows in the UK,' Manilow wrote, before adding, 'It's going to be great to see you all in the UK.'
The tour is due to open at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on 9 June. Over eight days, he is scheduled to play Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff, Birmingham and London, in what is being framed as a major run for a man who has already been on the road, in one form or another, for more than half a century.
There was also a nod of loyalty to his Las Vegas base, which has brought him a new generation of fans as well as steady box office. Calling Westgate Las Vegas his 'home away from home,' Manilow promised he would be back there in July, once he has made it through the UK dates and been given further clearance by his doctors.
Source: International Business Times UK
