Iconic Singer Barry Manilow Will Have Surgery for Cancer in His Lung.
Barry Manilow announced that he was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and will undergo surgery.
Cancer Caught Early
The legendary 82-year-old artist, famous for his series of upbeat chart-toppers from "Copacabana" has made him one of pop music’s most beloved entertainers, will have a procedure to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to combat the illness, which is in its early stages.
“For those who have been following, I recently suffered from six weeks of a severe cough followed by a recurrence of another five weeks.
“Despite the fact that I was past the infection and back on stage for my residency, my attentive medical team insisted on an MRI just to make sure that all was clear.
“The MRI identified a tumor on my left side that needs to be removed. It’s incredible chance (and a great doctor) that it was caught so early.”
Postponed Performances
He has delayed a number of upcoming shows, but suggested he would be on stage again by the February holiday for his long-running concert series at his Vegas home.
He added: “The physicians do not believe it has metastasized and I’m undergoing further tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. Radiation therapy is off the table. Just home remedies and I Love Lucy reruns.
“I’m eagerly awaiting until I come back to my familiar venue in Las Vegas for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”
Professional and Personal Journey
Manilow is presently in his 16th year of a residency at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has been in the public eye and came out as gay in 2017, after marrying his longtime partner and manager confidentially in 2014.
The duo were in a clandestine romance for more than 35 years. Recently, Manilow spoke about how crucial his partner 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 vacant room, you can get into a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re by yourself night after night,” he said.
“But I met Garry right around when it was exploding. And I was spared from having to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had somebody to share sorrows with or to celebrate 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 very solitary until I met Garry. And then it was a shared adventure.”
