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

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

Cancer Caught Early

The 82-year-old singer, known for a string of beloved anthems from "Mandy" has made him one of pop music’s cherished performers, will have surgery to take out a section of lung tissue in an effort to fight off the illness, which is detected early.

“As my fans are aware, I recently went through six weeks of a bronchial infection followed by a recurrence of another five weeks.

“Even though I was over the bronchitis and returned to the spotlight in Las Vegas, my excellent physician insisted on an MRI just to be certain that there were no issues.

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

Rescheduled Shows

He has rescheduled a number of planned concerts, but stated he would be returning to perform by Valentine’s Day for his long-running residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

He went on to say: “The doctors do not believe it has metastasized and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. Radiation therapy is off the table. Just chicken soup and classic TV.

“I’m looking forward to until I come back to my familiar venue 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 been in the spotlight and revealed he is gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his partner of many years, Garry Kief privately in 2014.

The pair were in a discreet relationship for in excess of 35 years. In 2023, Manilow discussed how important his partner had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.

“As my career exploded, it was just crazy. And, you know, coming home to an empty hotel room, you can land in a lot of trouble if you, you know, you’re by yourself night after night,” he said.

“But I found my partner right around when it was taking off. And I no longer had to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had a person to share sorrows with or to share joys with.

“I hope that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those suites 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.”