Barry Manilow has revealed that he was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his lung and will be having an operation.
Spot Found in Initial Phase
The 82-year-old singer, whose parade of upbeat chart-toppers from "Copacabana" established him as one of pop music’s cherished entertainers, will have an operation to extract a portion of his lung in an effort to fight off the illness, which is in its early stages.
“As many of you know, I recently suffered from six weeks of a severe cough followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Despite the fact that I was recovered from the illness and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to ensure that everything was OK.
“The MRI detected a cancerous spot on my left side that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was caught so early.”
Postponed Performances
He has postponed a string of planned concerts, but indicated he would be on stage again by the February holiday for his long-running engagement at his Vegas home.
He added: “The medical team do not believe it has metastasized and I’m taking tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiotherapy. Just rest and recuperation and I Love Lucy reruns.
“I’m looking forward to until I rejoin my second home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”
Professional and Personal Journey
Manilow is currently in the 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 tying the knot with his partner of many years, Garry Kief confidentially in 2014.
The pair were in a clandestine romance for in excess of 35 years. Recently, Manilow spoke about how crucial his husband had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.
“When my fame skyrocketed, it was just hectic. And, you know, returning to an lonesome hotel suite, you can get into a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re on your own repeatedly,” he said.
“But I found my partner right around when it was blowing up. And I no longer had to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had a partner to share sorrows with or to share joys with.
“I hope that young people 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 joyful.”
