Barry Manilow Scheduled for an Operation for Cancer in His Lung.

Barry Manilow announced that he has been diagnosed with cancer of the lung and will undergo an operation.

Spot Found in Initial Phase

The legendary 82-year-old artist, whose parade of upbeat chart-toppers from "I Write the Songs" has made him one of pop music’s cherished showmen, will have an operation to remove part of his lung in an effort to fight off the illness, which is detected early.

“As many of you know, I recently suffered from six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks.

“Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage in Las Vegas, my excellent physician ordered an MRI just to make sure that there were no issues.

“The MRI identified a malignant lesion on my left side that must be removed. It’s pure luck (and a fantastic physician) that it was caught so early.”

Concert Delays

He has rescheduled a string of planned live performances, but indicated he would be on stage again by the February holiday for his enduring engagement in Las Vegas.

He added: “The medical team do not believe it has spread and I’m having examinations to support their conclusion. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiotherapy. Just rest and recuperation and I Love Lucy reruns.

“I’m eagerly awaiting until I come back to my familiar venue for our Vegas run for our special weekend performances.”

Decades in the Spotlight

Manilow is now in the 16th year of a residency on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has spent decades in the limelight and revealed he is gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his manager and long-term partner privately in 2014.

The couple were in a discreet romance for over 35 years. In 2023, Manilow spoke about how important Kief had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.

“As my career exploded, it was just hectic. And, you know, going back to an empty hotel room, you can find yourself in a lot of trouble if you, you know, you’re on your own repeatedly,” he said.

“But I encountered my future husband right around when it was blowing up. And I didn’t have to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had a person to cry with or to enjoy success with.

“I wish that newcomers today don’t have to go back to those suites 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.”