Barry Manilow Scheduled for an Operation for Lung Cancer.
The singer has disclosed that he was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his lung and will be having an operation.
Early-Stage Diagnosis
The 82-year-old singer, whose parade of high-spirited hits from "I Write the Songs" has made him one of pop music’s cherished showmen, will have an operation to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to treat the illness, which is at an early phase.
“For those who have been following, I recently suffered from six weeks of a severe cough followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Although I was over the bronchitis and performing again in Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.
“The MRI identified a tumor on my lung that requires removed. It’s incredible chance (and a skilled doctor) that it was caught so early.”
Concert Delays
He has postponed a series of planned shows, but stated he would be returning to perform by Valentine’s Day for his longstanding engagement at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.
He continued: “The medical team do not believe it has traveled and I’m undergoing further tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. Chemo is not needed. No radiotherapy. Just home remedies and classic TV.
“I’m counting the days until I come back to my home away from home for our Vegas run for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”
Decades in the Spotlight
Manilow is presently in his 16th year of a show in Nevada. The singer has been in the public eye and publicly identified as gay in 2017, after wedding his longtime partner and manager privately in 2014.
The duo were in a clandestine relationship for over 35 years. Last year, Manilow reflected on how crucial his partner had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.
“When my fame skyrocketed, it was just hectic. And, you know, going back 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 was spared from having to go back to those isolated suites. I had a person to cry with or to enjoy success with.
“I hope that newcomers today don’t have to go back to those rooms by themselves, because you can make poor choices. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was fun.”
