Barry Manilow to Undergo Surgery for Cancer in His Lung.

Barry Manilow announced that he received a diagnosis with cancer of the lung and will undergo an operation.

Early-Stage Diagnosis

The legendary 82-year-old artist, famous for his series of beloved anthems from "I Write the Songs" cemented his status as one of pop music’s cherished showmen, will have an operation to extract a portion of his lung in an effort to combat the condition, which is detected early.

“For those who have been following, I recently endured six weeks of a severe cough followed by a recurrence of another five weeks.

“Even though I was past the infection and returned to the spotlight at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor requested an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.

“The MRI detected a cancerous spot on my left side that must be removed. It’s incredible chance (and a skilled doctor) that it was caught so early.”

Concert Delays

He has delayed a string of planned live performances, but suggested he would be back on stage by mid-February for his long-running concert series at his Vegas home.

He went on to say: “The medical team do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. No chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is off the table. Just home remedies and I Love Lucy reruns.

“I’m eagerly awaiting until I rejoin my home away from home in Las Vegas for our special weekend performances.”

Professional and Personal Journey

Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a show on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has enjoyed a career spanning many years in the limelight and came out as gay in 2017, after wedding his longtime partner and manager privately in 2014.

The pair were in a clandestine relationship 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.

“When my fame skyrocketed, it was just overwhelming. And, you know, going back to an lonesome hotel suite, you can find yourself in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re by yourself evening after evening,” 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 empty hotel rooms. I had a partner to be vulnerable with or to celebrate with.

“I hope that newcomers today don’t have to go back to those rooms by themselves, because you get yourself in trouble. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was joyful.”