Barry Manilow Reveals Doctors Worried He Might Not Survive ICU Scare After Lung Cancer Surgery

Barry Manilow recently gave more details about his lung cancer surgery that was supposed to be a “no brainer” but actually led to a weeklong stay in the ICU.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, May 27, Manilow, 82, revealed that he learned that he had a cancerous tumor in his lungs when he was on the road. Doctors told him that it would need to be removed, so the “Mandy” singer made a deal with them regarding the timing of the surgery.

“They wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, so we made a deal: I’d finish the couple of weeks of shows that I had, then I’d go to the hospital and they’d remove it,” he explained.

However, Manilow’s other ailments surfaced.

“It was supposed to be a no-brainer — it hadn’t spread yet, thank goodness,” the Grammy winner continued. “But then my AFib kicked in and acid reflux kicked in and pneumonia kicked in. They rushed me to the ICU for seven days.”

While being admitted to ICU in and of itself is cause for alarm, the “Copacabana” artist said that he was told at one point the doctors weren’t sure if he was going to survive.

“I didn’t hear them say this but I heard that they did say it — ‘We don’t want to lose him,'” Manilow told the publication. “It’s all a total blur now. When they finally brought me back to my lovely room at the Eisenhower [medical center], I weighed 128 pounds.”

After undergoing surgery earlier this year, Manilow shared an update with fans on Instagram and told everyone he was doing well but he hadn’t recovered enough to return to the stage.

Fortunately, in March during an interview with People, he announced he was officially cancer free.