Barry Manilow Scheduled for a Procedure for a Lung Cancer Diagnosis.
Barry Manilow announced that he was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his lung and will undergo an operation.
Cancer Caught Early
The octogenarian performer, whose parade of beloved anthems from "Copacabana" cemented his status as one of pop music’s enduringly popular entertainers, will have surgery to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to combat the condition, which is in its early stages.
“As my fans are aware, I recently went through six weeks of a severe cough followed by a return of another five weeks.
“Even though I was over the bronchitis and returned to the spotlight for my residency, my wonderful doctor requested an MRI just to be certain 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 caught so early.”
Concert Delays
He has rescheduled a string of forthcoming live performances, but stated he would be on stage again by Valentine’s Day for his long-running engagement at his Vegas home.
He went on to say: “The medical team do not believe it has traveled and I’m undergoing further tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. Chemo is not needed. No radiotherapy. Just home remedies and classic TV.
“I’m looking forward to until I come back to my familiar venue for our Vegas run for our February love-themed shows.”
Professional and Personal Journey
Manilow is now in the 16th year of a residency at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has enjoyed a career spanning many years in the limelight and came out as gay in 2017, after wedding his partner of many years, Garry Kief confidentially in 2014.
The pair were in a discreet partnership for in excess of 35 years. Recently, Manilow spoke about how vital his husband had been to him during his ascent to stardom in the 1970s.
“When my fame skyrocketed, it was just crazy. And, you know, returning to an lonesome hotel suite, you can land in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re on your own evening after evening,” he said.
“But I met Garry right around when it was blowing up. And I was spared from having to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had somebody to cry with or to share joys with.
“I wish that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those rooms by themselves, because you might succumb to pitfalls. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was fun.”