Barry Manilow Scheduled for Surgery for Cancer in His Lung.

Barry Manilow has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and is set to have surgery.

Cancer Caught Early

The legendary 82-year-old artist, famous for his series of upbeat chart-toppers from "Mandy" cemented his status as one of pop music’s enduringly popular showmen, 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 my fans are aware, I recently suffered from six weeks of bronchitis followed by a return of another five weeks.

“Although I was recovered from the illness and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my attentive medical team ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.

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

Rescheduled Shows

He has rescheduled a series of forthcoming live performances, but indicated he would be back on stage by the February holiday for his longstanding engagement in Las Vegas.

He went on to say: “The medical team do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to support their conclusion. So, that’s it. No chemo. Radiation therapy is off the table. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.

“I’m eagerly awaiting until I return to my second home for our Vegas run for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”

Professional and Personal Journey

Manilow is now in the 16th year of a show on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has spent decades in the spotlight and publicly identified as gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his manager and long-term partner in secret in 2014.

The pair were in a clandestine romance for over 35 years. In 2023, Manilow discussed how vital his partner had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.

“When my fame skyrocketed, it was just hectic. And, you know, going back to an lonesome hotel suite, you can land in a lot of problems if you, you know, you’re alone evening after evening,” he said.

“But I found my partner right around when it was exploding. And I didn’t have to go back to those isolated suites. I had a person to be vulnerable with or to enjoy success with.

“I hope that newcomers today don’t have to go back to those suites by themselves, because you can make poor choices. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was a shared adventure.”