Music Legend Barry Manilow to Undergo an Operation for Lung Cancer.
The singer has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his lung and will be having an operation.
Cancer Caught Early
The octogenarian performer, whose parade of upbeat chart-toppers from "I Write the Songs" cemented his status 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 disease, which is in its early stages.
“As many of you know, I recently suffered from six weeks of a bronchial infection followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Despite the fact that I was past the infection and returned to the spotlight at the Westgate Las Vegas, my excellent physician ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.
“The MRI identified a tumor on my left side that requires removed. It’s incredible chance (and a skilled doctor) that it was found so early.”
Rescheduled Shows
He has rescheduled a number of planned concerts, but stated he would be on stage again by mid-February for his enduring concert series in Las Vegas.
He went on to say: “The medical team do not believe it has metastasized and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is off the table. Just home remedies and favorite shows.
“I’m counting the days until I return 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 concert series 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 clandestine romance for in excess of 35 years. Last year, Manilow discussed how important his husband had been to him during his ascent to stardom in the 1970s.
“As my career exploded, it was just overwhelming. And, you know, coming home to an empty hotel room, you can land in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re by yourself night after night,” he said.
“But I found my partner right around when it was exploding. And I no longer had to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had somebody to share sorrows with or to celebrate with.
“I desire that newcomers today don’t have to go back to those rooms 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.”