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Barry Manilow has revealed that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will undergo surgery.
The 82-year-old singer, whose parade of high-spirited hits from Copacabana to Mandy has made him one of pop music’s most beloved showmen, will have surgery to remove part of his lung in an effort to fight off the disease, which is in its early stages.
He has postponed a string of upcoming live performances, but suggested he would be back on stage by Valentine’s Day for his longstanding residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.
In a statement on social media, Manilow said: “As many of you know, I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks.
“Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK.
“The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early.”
He continued: “The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.
“I’m counting the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine’s weekend concerts.”
Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a residency at the Westgate Las Vegas. The singer has spent decades in the spotlight and came out as gay in 2017, after marrying his manager and long-term partner Garry Kief in secret in 2014.
The pair were in a clandestine relationship for more than 35 years, and in 2023 Manilow told CNN Max how important Kieff had been to him during his rise to peak fame in the 1970s.
“As my career exploded, it was just crazy. And, you know, going back to an empty hotel room, you can get into a lot of trouble if you, you know, you’re alone night after night after night,” he said.
“But I met Garry right around when it was exploding. And I didn’t have to go back to those empty hotel rooms. I had somebody to cry with or to celebrate with.
“I wish that young people [today] don’t have to go back to those hotel rooms by themselves, because you get yourself in trouble. I never did. But it was pretty lonely until I met Garry. And then it was fun.”
