In a shock move American pianist singer songwriter Barry Manilow has announced that he is abandoning the piano in favour of the oboe.

Manilow said Thursday that while he enjoyed a good session fingering the ivories of a well stacked grand he had decided that it was time he came out and admit that he was in reality more a good hard woodwind sort of guy.

“It’s all very well tinkling away on a keyboard but getting your lips round an oboe and blowing a heady tune is really where it’s at” said Barry.

Manilow, real name is Boris Manislave, admitted that the news of his switch to woodwind might comes as a shock to his many female fans after four decades of crooning love songs.

“But let’s face it, their husbands sons and boyfriends probably hate my guts,” he said pointing out that the upside for them would be that it’ll be impossible for him to sing with his mouthful.

Manly Barrilow confirmed that rather than rerecord his back catalogue as woodwind instrumentals his next album will be one of lesser known 1930s swing standards including Fletcher Henderson’s Queer Notions.

“It’s particularly well suited to the oboe,” he explained.

“Unlike A Weekend in New England, which is frankly something I’d rather forget,” he shuddered.

Commenting on Mandlebrot’s decision in a 3am tweet, US president Donald Trump expressed his disappointment that a man so famed for tinkling the hearts of the nation’s grannies could suddenly switch to playing the oboe, and sought to place blame on his predecessor in the White House.

“Terrible decision. Tinkling is where it’s at, although personally I prefer younger tinklers. Yet another example of Obama blowing it bigtime and encouraging others to do likewise,” he tinkled.