Barry Manilow Scheduled for a Procedure for Lung Cancer.
Barry Manilow has revealed that he received a diagnosis with cancer of the lung and will be having an operation.
Cancer Caught Early
The 82-year-old singer, famous for his series of high-spirited hits from "Mandy" established him as one of pop music’s most beloved showmen, will have a procedure to remove part of his lung in an effort to fight off the illness, which is detected early.
“For those who have been following, I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Even though I was recovered from the illness and returned to the spotlight in Las Vegas, my attentive medical team insisted on an MRI just to make sure that there were no issues.
“The MRI identified a malignant lesion on my lung that must be removed. It’s incredible chance (and a fantastic physician) that it was discovered so early.”
Rescheduled Shows
He has postponed a string of upcoming shows, but suggested he would be returning to perform by mid-February for his long-running concert series in Las Vegas.
He went on to say: “The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. Chemo is not needed. No radiotherapy. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.
“I’m counting the days until I come back to my familiar venue for our Vegas run for our special weekend performances.”
A Long Career and Personal Life
Manilow is now in the 16th year of a concert series at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has enjoyed a career spanning many years in the spotlight and came out as gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his manager and long-term partner privately in 2014.
The couple were in a private romance for more than 35 years. Last year, Manilow reflected on how important his husband had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.
“During my rapid rise to fame, it was just hectic. And, you know, returning to an vacant room, you can get into a lot of problems if you, you know, you’re on your own night after night,” he said.
“But I encountered my future husband right around when it was blowing up. And I no longer had to go back to those isolated suites. I had somebody to cry with or to celebrate with.
“I wish that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those suites by themselves, because you might succumb to pitfalls. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was joyful.”
