Barry Manilow to 'Sit Down and Shut Up' for a While

Barry Manilow is hitting pause. Days after scrapping two Las Vegas residency dates, the 83-year-old singer told fans in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he's taking a "quick break" from touring following a packed summer run of 29 shows in 68 days, reports People. Manilow said the concerts—and his vocals—had been strong, but he acknowledged he'd been "pushing a little too hard" and joked that "now we all need to sit down and shut up."

Manilow plans to resume performances at Westgate Las Vegas on Oct. 8, promising he'll be "singing like a bird" by then; new concert dates are expected next week. The pause follows the last-minute cancellation of his Aug. 21-22 Vegas shows over "technical and vocal problems," as well as a postponed concert earlier this month in Lexington, Kentucky, previously delayed in March during his lung cancer treatment. USA Today notes it's not clear whether the "vocal" issues Manilow mentioned were technical ones or tied to his health, though his post seemed to suggest the latter.