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

Barry Manilow announced that he was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and will be having surgery.

Cancer Caught Early

The 82-year-old singer, whose parade of high-spirited hits from "Copacabana" has made him one of pop music’s enduringly popular entertainers, will have surgery to extract a portion of his lung in an effort to combat the disease, which is detected early.

“For those who have been following, I recently went through six weeks of a bronchial infection followed by a relapse of another five weeks.

“Although I was over the bronchitis and back on stage in Las Vegas, my attentive medical team requested an MRI just to ensure that all was clear.

“The MRI identified a cancerous spot on my lung that requires removed. It’s incredible chance (and a great doctor) that it was found so early.”

Postponed Performances

He has rescheduled a series of planned live performances, but suggested he would be returning to perform by Valentine’s Day for his enduring engagement at his Vegas home.

He continued: “The medical team do not believe it has metastasized and I’m having examinations to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiotherapy. Just chicken soup and favorite shows.

“I’m eagerly awaiting until I rejoin my familiar venue in Las Vegas for our February love-themed shows.”

A Long Career and Personal Life

Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a concert series at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has been in the spotlight and came out as gay in 2017, after marrying his longtime partner and manager in secret in 2014.

The pair were in a clandestine partnership for more than 35 years. In 2023, Manilow discussed how vital 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, coming home to an empty hotel room, you can get into a lot of trouble 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 isolated suites. I had a person to cry 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 quite isolating until I met Garry. And then it was a shared adventure.”