Barry Manilow Cancels Concert Just Before Appearing

Barry Manilow (Instagram @barrymanilowofficial)

JAKARTA - Barry Manilow, suddenly canceled his appearance in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, just before the show started on Tuesday, August 4, local time.

This sudden cancellation surprised fans who had crowded the concert venue to see the veteran musician's performance.

The news of the delay was conveyed through the X account of the 83-year-old musician. However, the management and Manilow did not disclose specifically the reason behind the decision.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight's show in Lexington has been rescheduled," Barry Manilow wrote in his tweet.

This performance is actually a replacement schedule for a concert that was previously postponed on March 9. The initial delay occurred because the Grammy and Tony Award winner had to undergo intensive treatment for stage one lung cancer.

The deadly disease was first detected in November 2025 when Manilow checked himself in due to hip pain and repeated bronchitis. The medical team found a suspicious spot in his lungs after an MRI scan.

Manilow admitted that the situation changed his perspective on life and his music career.

"You never even think about how fragile life is. Suddenly, you have lung cancer," Manilow said in an interview with PEOPLE some time ago.

"But I'm still here. It's not completely intact; there's a part of me that's missing because they took it, and now I have to think, 'What do I do next?'" he continued.

Manilow also highlighted how lucky he was to be able to detect the disease early before more severe symptoms appeared.

"If he (the doctor) had not done that examination, astaga... He saved my life, because there were no symptoms at all for what I was experiencing. I could still be active without pain, but they found a point in my lungs. They contacted me and said, 'This could be cancer.' That was a very bad word," said Manilow.

The experience of fighting cancer forced the singer, who just released his 33rd album, "What A Time", on June 5, to reflect on his journey in the world music industry.

"This really made me reevaluate my life. It made me stop and think: Have I done what I want to do, and have I made other people happy? Have I been a good friend? All the cliches I've read my whole life, I started thinking about it too. It really stopped me in my tracks," he concluded.