Barry Manilow to Undergo Surgery for a Lung Cancer Diagnosis.
The singer has disclosed that he was diagnosed with lung cancer and will be having surgery.
Cancer Caught Early
The legendary 82-year-old artist, whose parade of beloved anthems from "Copacabana" cemented his status as one of pop music’s enduringly popular entertainers, will have surgery to extract a portion of his lung in an effort to fight off the condition, which is detected early.
“As many of you know, I recently endured six weeks of a bronchial infection followed by a recurrence of another five weeks.
“Although I was over the bronchitis and returned to the spotlight for my residency, my attentive medical team requested an MRI just to make sure that there were no issues.
“The MRI detected a malignant lesion on my left side that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a skilled doctor) that it was found so early.”
Concert Delays
He has postponed a string of upcoming concerts, but stated he would be returning to perform by mid-February for his long-running residency at his Vegas home.
He went on to say: “The physicians do not believe it has traveled and I’m undergoing further tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiotherapy. Just chicken soup and classic TV.
“I’m eagerly awaiting until I rejoin my familiar venue in Las Vegas for our special weekend performances.”
Professional and Personal Journey
Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a residency on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has been in the limelight and publicly identified as gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his manager and long-term partner in secret in 2014.
The couple were in a discreet relationship for over 35 years. Recently, Manilow spoke about how crucial Kief had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.
“During my rapid rise to fame, it was just hectic. And, you know, coming home to an lonesome hotel suite, you can land in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re on your own repeatedly,” he said.
“But I found my partner right around when it was blowing up. And I was spared from having to go back to those isolated suites. I had a partner to cry with or to enjoy success with.
“I desire that aspiring artists 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 joyful.”
