Iconic Singer Barry Manilow Scheduled for a Procedure for Cancer in His Lung.
Barry Manilow announced that he was diagnosed with lung cancer and will be having surgery.
Spot Found in Initial Phase
The 82-year-old singer, whose parade of upbeat chart-toppers from "I Write the Songs" cemented his status as one of pop music’s enduringly popular showmen, will have surgery to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to combat the disease, which is in its early stages.
“As many of you know, I recently endured six weeks of a bronchial infection followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Even though I was recovered from the illness and performing again for my residency, my wonderful doctor insisted on an MRI just to be certain that everything was OK.
“The MRI identified a malignant lesion on my left side that needs to be removed. It’s sheer fortune (and a fantastic physician) that it was discovered so early.”
Rescheduled Shows
He has delayed a series of planned shows, but stated he would be returning to perform by Valentine’s Day for his longstanding concert series in Las Vegas.
He went on to say: “The physicians do not believe it has traveled and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemotherapy. No radiotherapy. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.
“I’m eagerly awaiting until I return to my familiar venue for our Vegas run for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”
Decades in the Spotlight
Manilow is presently in his 16th year of a residency on the Las Vegas Strip. 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 longtime partner and manager in secret in 2014.
The pair were in a clandestine partnership for in excess of 35 years. Last year, Manilow reflected on how vital his husband had been to him during his ascent to stardom in the 1970s.
“As my career exploded, it was just hectic. And, you know, returning to an lonesome hotel suite, you can land in a lot of problems if you, you know, you’re alone evening after evening,” he said.
“But I encountered my future husband right around when it was exploding. And I was spared from having to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had a partner to cry with or to share joys with.
“I desire that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those 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 fun.”
