Iconic Singer Barry Manilow Scheduled for an Operation for Cancer in His Lung.
Barry Manilow announced that he was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and will undergo an operation.
Early-Stage Diagnosis
The octogenarian performer, whose parade of upbeat chart-toppers from "I Write the Songs" has made him one of pop music’s most beloved performers, will have surgery to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to fight off the illness, which is detected early.
“As many of you know, I recently endured six weeks of bronchitis followed by a return of another five weeks.
“Even though I was past the infection and returned to the spotlight for my residency, my excellent physician ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.
“The MRI identified a malignant lesion on my left side that requires removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early.”
Rescheduled Shows
He has postponed a string of upcoming concerts, but indicated he would be returning to perform by mid-February for his long-running residency in Las Vegas.
He added: “The physicians 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 in Las Vegas for our February love-themed shows.”
Decades in the Spotlight
Manilow is now in the 16th year of a residency in Nevada. The singer has enjoyed a career spanning many years in the public eye and revealed he is gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his partner of many years, Garry Kief confidentially in 2014.
The couple were in a private romance for more than 35 years. In 2023, Manilow spoke about how crucial his husband had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.
“As my career exploded, it was just crazy. And, you know, returning to an lonesome hotel suite, you can find yourself in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re alone night after night,” he said.
“But I met Garry right around when it was taking off. And I was spared from having to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had somebody to share sorrows with or to celebrate with.
“I desire that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those hotel rooms by themselves, because you get yourself in trouble. I never did. But it was quite isolating until I met Garry. And then it was a shared adventure.”
