Iconic Singer Barry Manilow Scheduled for an Operation for a Lung Cancer Diagnosis.

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

Early-Stage Diagnosis

The 82-year-old singer, famous for his series of beloved anthems from "I Write the Songs" cemented his status as one of pop music’s enduringly popular entertainers, will have an operation to remove part of his lung in an effort to treat the condition, which is in its early stages.

“As my fans are aware, I recently endured six weeks of a severe cough followed by a recurrence of another five weeks.

“Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage in Las Vegas, my attentive medical team ordered an MRI just to make sure that all was clear.

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

Rescheduled Shows

He has delayed a string of forthcoming live performances, but suggested he would be returning to perform by mid-February for his long-running residency in Las Vegas.

He went on to say: “The physicians do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. Chemo is not needed. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.

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

Decades in the Spotlight

Manilow is now in the 16th year of a show on the Las Vegas Strip. The singer has spent decades in the spotlight and revealed he is gay in 2017, after marrying his longtime partner and manager confidentially in 2014.

The duo were in a discreet relationship for over 35 years. Recently, Manilow discussed how vital his husband had been to him during his explosion in popularity in the 1970s.

“As my career exploded, it was just hectic. And, you know, returning to an lonesome hotel suite, you can land in a lot of difficulty if you, you know, you’re on your own night after night,” he said.

“But I encountered my future husband right around when it was blowing up. And I was spared from having to go back to those lonesome rooms. I had a person to share sorrows with or to share joys with.

“I desire that young people don’t have to go back to those 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 a shared adventure.”