Barry Manilow Will Have Surgery for Cancer in His Lung.

Barry Manilow announced that he has been diagnosed with cancer of the lung and is set to have a surgical procedure.

Cancer Caught Early

The legendary 82-year-old artist, known for a string of high-spirited hits from "I Write the Songs" established him as one of pop music’s enduringly popular performers, will have an operation to extract a portion of his lung in an effort to combat the disease, which is in its early stages.

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

“Despite the fact that I was over the bronchitis and back on stage for my residency, my wonderful doctor requested an MRI just to be certain that all was clear.

“The MRI detected a malignant lesion on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s sheer fortune (and a great doctor) that it was caught so early.”

Concert Delays

He has delayed a number of planned live performances, but suggested he would be on stage again by mid-February for his enduring engagement in Las Vegas.

He continued: “The medical team do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just home remedies and favorite shows.

“I’m counting the days until I come back to my familiar venue at the Westgate Las Vegas for our February love-themed shows.”

Decades in the Spotlight

Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a residency at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has been in the spotlight and came out as gay in 2017, after wedding his partner of many years, Garry Kief privately in 2014.

The couple were in a discreet partnership for more than 35 years. Recently, Manilow reflected on how crucial Kief had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.

“As my career exploded, it was just hectic. And, you know, going back to an vacant room, you can land in a lot of trouble if you, you know, you’re on your own evening after evening,” he said.

“But I encountered my future husband right around when it was exploding. And I was spared from having to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had a person to be vulnerable with or to enjoy success with.

“I hope that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those rooms by themselves, because you get yourself in trouble. I never did. But it was quite isolating until I met Garry. And then it was joyful.”