Barry Manilow is currently on a tour which sees him doing what he says will be his last-ever shows in various cities. However, the 81-year-old legend says he has no intention of retiring from live performance, and will keep doing his ongoing residency in Las Vegas, until one very specific thing happens.
“I’m still healthy. I’m strong and I’ve still got my voice and my energy. The night I can’t hit the F natural on ‘Even Now,’ that’s the night I throw in the towel,” he tells Billboard. “But I can still do it.”
Barry says he feels badly for his colleagues who’ve been dealing with serious medical issues, such as, most recently, Billy Joel, who has a brain disorder, but also Elton John, whose eyesight has been severely affected by an infection, and Neil Diamond, who has Parkinson’s.
“It’s like, ‘What? Am I the only one left?” he tells Billboard. “Diana Ross is still in great shape I think. There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there.”
As for Billy, whose Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus diagnosis means he’s currently unable to perform, Barry says, “It just broke my heart when I heard about Billy Joel. I’m such a fan of his work. I really hope he’s able to get back to it.”
But while he won’t stop performing, Barry says he will stop recording. He plans to release an album this summer, which he says will “probably be my last.”
“It’s a Barry pop album,” he says. “I think people who like what I do will like this album; I don’t know about everybody else who likes today’s music, but it’s a solid album.”
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