A devastating disease had Barry Manilow looking at life differently. The beloved singer and songwriter was diagnosed with lung cancer in December. Barry had smoked cigarettes for about three decades as a youngster before kicking the habit.
How fragile life can be is something Barry says never came into his mind until he learned of his cancer. He underwent treatment to deal with the disease, which apparently was in its early stage. Barry opened up about how he’s doing since that news.
The singer spoke of how the diagnosis “really rocked” him
When Barry was told of his cancer, he admitted to People, “This really rocked me.” Barry says his diagnosis was like living through a “nightmare” at first. He adds that it made him realize just how fragile life can be.
After the shock of this news had worn off, Barry’s focus immediately shifted towards problem-solving. He shares that figuring out what to do about it was first and foremost in his quest to ge better. That led to him getting treatment.
Fortunately, it appears as though they may have caught his cancer in time before it got worse. In November, Barry says that his hips were bothering him, prompting him to get an MRI of his pelvis. After a couple of bouts of bronchitis, he got his lungs checked which is when his lung cancer diagnosis was revealed. Barry released a statement to fans following his December diagnosis.
Barry’s intuition may be partly to thank for his cancer being dealt with early and him being alive today. He says that there are no symptoms for what he had. Thus, seeing the doctor for bronchitis and hip pain led to them discovering his cancer.
These days, the 82-year-old is cancer-free and back to doing what he loves, singing and writing music. His 33rd studio album, What a Time, comes out June 5.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK BARRY MANILOW’S UPCOMING ALBUM WILL BE AS GOOD AS HIS PREVIOUS ONES?
