Music Legend Barry Manilow Will Have an Operation for Lung Cancer.

Barry Manilow announced that he received a diagnosis with cancer of the lung and will be having a surgical procedure.

Spot Found in Initial Phase

The octogenarian performer, known for a string of beloved anthems from "I Write the Songs" has made him one of pop music’s enduringly popular showmen, will have a procedure to remove part of his lung in an effort to fight off the condition, which is detected early.

“For those who have been following, I recently endured six weeks of a severe cough followed by a return of another five weeks.

“Despite the fact that I was past the infection and returned to the spotlight in Las Vegas, my excellent physician ordered an MRI just to be certain that there were no issues.

“The MRI detected a cancerous spot on my lung that requires removed. It’s pure luck (and a fantastic physician) that it was discovered so early.”

Concert Delays

He has postponed a number of upcoming live performances, but suggested he would be on stage again by Valentine’s Day for his longstanding engagement in Las Vegas.

He added: “The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m having examinations to verify their assessment. So, that’s it. Chemo is not needed. No radiotherapy. Just home remedies and classic TV.

“I’m counting the days until I come back to my second home in Las Vegas for our special weekend performances.”

A Long Career and Personal Life

Manilow is currently in the 16th year of a concert series on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has spent decades in the public eye and publicly identified as gay in 2017, after tying the knot with his longtime partner and manager privately in 2014.

The duo were in a private romance for more than 35 years. Last year, Manilow discussed how crucial his partner had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.

“As my career exploded, it was just overwhelming. And, you know, coming home to an vacant room, you can get into a lot of problems if you, you know, you’re by yourself night after night,” he said.

“But I met Garry right around when it was taking off. And I no longer had to go back to those isolated suites. I had somebody to share sorrows with or to celebrate with.

“I hope that aspiring artists don’t have to go back to those hotel rooms by themselves, because you might succumb to pitfalls. I never did. But it was very solitary until I met Garry. And then it was joyful.”