Barry Manilow is on the mend after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
The 82-year-old singer revealed last month he was set to have part of his lung removed after a “cancerous spot” was detected but he has now shared a brief update with fans to offer some reassurance.
On Saturday, he posted a selfie from a hospital bed wearing a hospital gown, with the caption, “Better Today!”
One of his tour singers, Melanie Taylor, was among those to comment on the post, writing, “That’s my boss y’all! He’s making it through the rain! Love you B! [prayer emojis]”
In December, the “Copacabana” hitmaker revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer while cancelling his upcoming concerts.
“As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. “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.”
He continued, “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. That’s the good news.”
Manilow explained the doctors did not think the cancer has spread so he’s unlikely to require chemotherapy or radiation treatment following the operation.
“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.”
Manilow noted he would require a month to recover, meaning he’d have to cancel shows for the month of January. He added he hoped to be back on stage in February to resume his Las Vegas residency over Valentine’s Day weekend.
His message concluded, “Something tells me February is going to be one big party … I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and remember, if you even have the slightest symptom, get tested!”