Speaking to the LA Times on Wednesday (May 27), he revealed that at one point he was "close to death". He told the outlet: "They said at one point - I didn't hear them say this, but I heard that they did say it - 'We don't want to lose him'.

"It's all a total blur now. When they finally brought me back to my lovely room at Eisenhower [medical centre], I weighed 128 pounds." Manilow underwent a lobectomy to remove one of the two lobes in his left lung, a major operation that has fundamentally changed how his body functions.

Although he has been declared cancer-free, he added that his recovery has been far slower and more challenging than he anticipated. He has dipped back into music cautiously, but says he is still nowhere near ready to return to full performances.

He opened up about the honest repercussions of his treatment, which has forced him to adapt his music career moving forward. The doting stepfather explained: "Since the surgery, I can't go on the road.

"Ninety minutes of screaming in tune, which is what I do for a living - I'm not up for that yet. They warned me that I'd have to learn to breathe again." Every day stamina and breath control now require deliberate effort, as he adjusts to performing without one lung lobe.

He said he is effectively having to retrain himself to breathe properly again, describing the experience as "crazy". But the Copacabana hitmaker is determined to recover and has thrown himself into rehabilitation.

Manilow is undergoing vocal exercises, breathing lessons and intense physical training, including multiple daily treadmill sessions, while also trying to regain the weight he lost during treatment. Despite his efforts, he acknowledged that progress remains uncertain.

He admitted to People magazine: "I'm still going through it, but I'm pulling myself back together. I'm not even sure I can go to the next level yet. My body doesn't want to take me there. It's not even doctor's orders, it's my body's orders - it won't let me do it."