Barry Manilow made his feelings about the US midterm elections clear during his show on Friday, November 6, when he changed the lyrics to his 1980 hit I Made It Through the Rain. Performing at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas, he altered the end of one line to: "By the people who turned our country blue," a direct reference to the election results.
Donald Trump and the Republicans suffered a defeat in the midterms, with the Democrats flipping states across the US. Voters punished Mr Trump and his allies in swing states such as Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and North Carolina. The Democrats also took the Republican strongholds of Texas, South Carolina and Kansas. The flipping of Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maine helped crush Mr Trump's party.
Fan reactions divided
Following the dig, Barry continued the song seamlessly, although the move divided fans. Commenting on the change on Instagram, one wrote: "...I’m surprised at his political comment. MANY SPEND $$$$$ to see him… And are not blue staters, so don’t bother the hands that... keep you well oiled and rich!!!!" Another added: "Big fan, but this is b******t." A third fumed: "He's a total hate-filled loser."
However, he also had support. One fan defended him, writing: "Hey! He writes the songs that make the WHOLE WORLD SING! So leave him alone." Another hinted they wanted him to run for president, commenting: "Heck yeah! This is amazing. Manilow 2028!" Another gushed: "NEVER tear up while watching these types of videos. This time I am literally crying!!! Being a lifelong Fanilow, my heart suddenly felt full of love and joy during this clip..."
That fan added: "[This] is THE BEST celebrity accolade that I'VE seen and/or heard since the election results were announced. @barrymanilowofficial made his classic lyric one that resonates with ALL of us after the historical 2026 midterm elections! No wonder I've loved him for FIFTY years!"
Show halted after five songs
The change became a one-off as Barry did not repeat the lyric the following night on Saturday, November 7, since he was forced to halt his show after just five songs. He has had health struggles since undergoing surgery for lung cancer in December last year, and it once again caught up with him.
Halting the show, he pulled out a piece of paper with a prepared speech, telling the audience: "I have to write it out because I want you to know exactly what's happening." He then gave a health update, continuing: "As you might have noticed, I'm having trouble singing."
"For those of you who don't know, last year I had some crazy, crazy surgery. Last December, during a routine checkup, doctors found a cancerous tumour in my left lung. They operated, but they removed half of my lung...and they scraped my vocal cords. They told me that it would take over a year for my voice to come back...and there would be nights where my voice wouldn't be there. Tonight is one of those nights. I’m 83. I’ve had cancer, I’ve had pneumonia. I'm a m***********g person," he insisted.
Assuring them they would all get refunds, he said: "Hopefully you'll come back and see my show, our show, when my voice is 100%. It comes and it goes. I never know whether it's going to be like this or whether I'm going to be fine."
