Michael Bolton | |
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 Bolton in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Michael Bolotin (1953-02-26)February 26, 1953 (age 72) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Blackjack |
| Website | michaelbolton |
Michael Bolotin[4] (born February 26, 1953), known professionally asMichael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in thehard rock andheavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo albums and those he recorded as the frontman of the bandBlackjack. His early career also saw him as a successful songwriter, co-writing hits like "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" forLaura Branigan, which he later recorded as a solo single.
Bolton achieved peak recognition as apop ballad singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s with collaborations with songwriters likeDiane Warren andDesmond Child. During that time, hecovered such songs asOtis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" andPercy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman". Despite his commercial success in theadult contemporary genre, Bolton faced criticism for being derivative. In 2000, he faced a controversial legal battle with theIsley Brothers over plagiarism, which resulted in a substantial financial settlement.[5][6]
In later years, he ventured into various other media, including television and film, often appearing as himself. Bolton also participated inDancing with the Stars and produced the documentaryAmerican Dream: Detroit. His personal life includes a long-term relationship and broken engagement with the actressNicollette Sheridan and a 15-year marriage to Maureen McGuire, with whom he has three daughters. Bolton is also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly through The Michael Bolton Charities, although he has faced criticism over the way funds raised by the organization have been allocated. He has been recognized for his contributions to music and charity, including receiving a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.
Bolton has sold more than 75 million records, and recorded eight top 10 albums and two number-one singles on theBillboard charts, as well as winning sixAmerican Music Awards and twoGrammy Awards.[7] He has performed with artists includingLucia Aliberti,Patti LaBelle,José Carreras,Tony Cetinski,Ray Charles,Celine Dion,Plácido Domingo,Renée Fleming,Wynonna Judd,B.B. King,The Lonely Island,Luciano Pavarotti,Percy Sledge, andZucchero.
Bolton was born Michael Bolotin inNew Haven, Connecticut. His father, George, was a local official in theDemocratic Party, and his mother, Helen, was ahomemaker. He has a brother, Orrin, and a sister, Sandra. By age 7, Bolton was able to play thesaxophone. He began writing songs at age 9. At age 14, he formed a group, the Nomads, that were signed to a singles contract byEpic Records when Bolton was 16. With his parents' permission, hedropped out of high school and left home at age 15 to travel cross country alongU.S. Route 66 and pursue music full-time. He took odd jobs, including asPaula Abdul’s babysitter.[8][9]
Bolton began recording in 1975 atThe Church Studio inTulsa, Oklahoma. This first album was self-titled using his original family name of Bolotin. Early in his musical career, he focused onhard rock, with his bandBlackjack once opening forheavy metal artistOzzy Osbourne on tour. It was rumored that in 1983 Bolton auditioned for, but was denied, the lead vocalist position with Osbourne's former band,Black Sabbath.[10] Bolton later stated this was untrue, saying "That rumor about me auditioning for Black Sabbath was only a rumor, I don't know how on earth it started."[11][12] In 2004, Bolton's 1980 song "Maybe It's the Power of Love" with Blackjack was sampled by rapperKanye West for his song "Never Let Me Down".[13][14]
Afteranglicizing his family name to Bolton, he gained his first major hit as a songwriter, co-writing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" forLaura Branigan, previously best known for singing the pop hit "Gloria". Narrowly missing the Top 10 on theUS pop chart, Branigan took the song to number one on theAdult Contemporary chart for three weeks in 1983. The two sought to work with each other again, and their next collaboration was when Bolton co-wrote "I Found Someone" for Branigan in 1985. Her version was only a minor hit, but two years later,Cher resurrected the song, and with it her own singing career. Bolton co-wrote several other songs for both singers. Bolton recorded his own rendition of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" in 1988, which reached number one on the Hot 100.
Bolton achieved his greatest success as a pop singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He performed songs written by or co-written with major hit songwriters of the era includingDiane Warren andDesmond Child (as well as "Steel Bars" penned by Bolton andBob Dylan[15]), but also had several hits that wereremakes of 1960ssoul classics. One of his first major hits was his 1987 interpretation of theOtis Redding classic "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay". Redding's widow, Zelma Redding, said she was so moved by Bolton's performance "that it brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me so much of my husband that I know if he heard it, he would feel the same."[16] Always interested insoul music andMotown classics, Bolton had a 1989 hit with a version of "Georgia on My Mind", a song associated withRay Charles. In 1991, he released the albumTime, Love & Tenderness which featured hisGrammy Award-winning cover version of "When a Man Loves a Woman", first recorded byPercy Sledge.
From 1987 to 1995, Bolton had four top ten albums[17] and seven top ten songs in the U.S.[18] He had even greater success on theadult contemporary chart, where he had a string of 14 consecutive top ten hits, including eight number ones.[19]
Bolton also had 12 top ten songs in Canada,[20] but was less successful outside of North America with four top ten singles in the UK[21] and a few others in various other European countries.
Bolton's work during the period has been criticized for being derivative,[22] and in 1992,the Isley Brothers filed a lawsuit against Bolton, claiming his 1991 hit song "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" plagiarized their 1966 song of the same name. A fifteen-year legal battle resulted in a $4.2 million payment to the Isleys from Bolton, his co-writer and their publisher.[23] A previous similar lawsuit regarding "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" had been settled in Bolton's favor.[24]
Bolton's last Top 40 single in the US was the 1997 hit "Go the Distance" (from theDisney animated movieHercules), which peaked at No. 1 on the US adult contemporary chart. He hired conductor Larry Baird, the orchestral musical director, conductor, and arranger forThe Moody Blues,Three Dog Night, andAl Jarreau, for his 2001 tour.
Bolton's popularity declined in the late 1990s, but he continued to have adult contemporary hits through the mid-2000s.[19] He released albums every year or two through the mid-2010s. His albumOnly a Woman Like You was released in 2001 with the title song co-written byShania Twain.[25] In 2006, Bolton andNicollette Sheridan, his fiancée at the time, sang a duet, "The Second Time Around", for the albumBolton Swings Sinatra. ForOver the Rainbow, an album which was recorded in five days, Bolton recorded the song "New York, New York", which was also on hisBolton SwingsSinatra album. This was for an episode of the TV series,Challenge Anneka. The proceeds from the album went to children'shospices across the UK. Bolton released his albumOne World One Love in the UK on September 21, 2009. The first single, "Just One Love", was released one week earlier.[26] In June 2011, Bolton collaborated with Indian musicianA. R. Rahman for a song recorded forGems – The Duets Collection.[27] In 2013, Bolton released the albumAin't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A., which featured duets withKelly Rowland,Melanie Fiona andOrianthi.[28]
In addition to his recordings, Bolton has continued to perform publicly. In March 2007, he toured South Africa for the first time, where he was the headline act atJacaranda 94.2 FM's two-day concert. He performed a duet entitled "Il Mio Amico" with the Italian singerAnna Tatangelo at theSanremo Music Festival 2008. The song was originally sung by Tatangelo alone, but the duet version contained English lyrics as well.[29]
In May 2011, Bolton was featured as a guest vocalist inThe Lonely Island's song "Jack Sparrow" on theirTurtleneck & Chain album. His performance with the comedic hip-hop trio focused on his (intentionally) off-topic chorus and miscommunication with the group, and the video featured him dressed in costumes asJack Sparrow fromPirates of the Caribbean,Forrest Gump,Erin Brockovich, andTony Montana fromScarface.[30] He later appeared in the group's 2016 filmPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and appears on the film'ssoundtrack as a guest vocalist on the song "Incredible Thoughts."[31]
Bolton has also performed his music in other media. In August 2006, Bolton was one ofLucy Lawless's duet partners on theFox Broadcasting Company network's programCelebrity Duets, whichSimon Cowell'sSyco Productions Company produced for the network.[32] In late 2013 and early 2014, he appeared inHonda commercials in which he sings.[33] In 2015, he sang on an episode ofLast Week Tonight with John Oliver concerning theIRS.[34] In the same year, he performed in aPizza Hut commercial singingJingle Bells while a family opens up their pizza order.[35] Bolton contributed "Upbeat Inspirational Song About Life" and its reprise toTeen Titans Go! To the Movies, which was released on July 27, 2018. He also voices the Tiger that sings the song in the film.[36]
In 2021, he guest-starred inseason six ofThe Masked Singer where he sangMarvin Gaye &Tammi Terrell "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" withFaith Evans as "Skunk". In 2023, he competed inseason nine as "Wolf". After he was eliminated on "DC Superheroes Night", he took the time to promote his upcoming album and did an encore by performing "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You".[37]
Bolton competed in theAmerican Song Contest, representing Connecticut and performing the songBeautiful World, with his first performance in the first week, on March 21, 2022.[38] He made it to the finals, finishing in seventh place.[39]
Bolton has made severalcameo appearances in feature films and television, usually appearing as himself, such as inMeet Wally Sparks (1997),Two and a Half Men (2012),[40] andThe Nanny (1998).[41]
In September 2010, Bolton was a contestant on the11th season ofDancing with the Stars.[42] He and his dance partnerChelsie Hightower were the second couple to be eliminated, on September 28, 2010.[43]
On May 15, 2018,American Dream: Detroit, a documentary produced by Bolton, premiered in theRedford Theatre.[44] Bolton loves Detroit and wanted to highlight its economic comeback. The documentary features interviews with several business moguls, singers and other Detroit natives, includingChristopher Ilitch,Jerry Bruckheimer,Francis Ford Coppola,Aretha Franklin,Smokey Robinson, andAlice Cooper.[45][46]
Although he has been rumored to have appeared as anextra inDune (1984) as a "spice-eyed" drummer, Bolton has stated in interviews that it is not him.
Bolton describes himself as a "rebel Jew". He was raised in a liberal family, and describes his childhood home as having been decorated with both aHanukkah menorah and aChristmas tree during the holidays. His grandparents kept akosher household. He left Hebrew school at age 12 when his rabbi forbade him from returning unless he stopped joking around. Nevertheless, Bolton became abar mitzvah at age 13 and has said he maintains some beliefs inJudaism.[47]
Bolton has been avegetarian since 1970.[48]
In January 2013, Bolton published an autobiography,The Soul of It All: My Music, My Life.[49][50]
In January 2024, Bolton announced he had undergone emergency surgery for a brain tumor before the December 2023 holidays, and would take a break from touring for the rest of the year. He also added that the surgery had been "a success".[51] In April 2025, Bolton revealed toPeople magazine in an exclusive interview that his specific diagnosis wasglioblastoma.[52] Although surgeons had removed the entire tumor during his emergency surgery, his "short-term memory, speech and mobility have been impacted by his treatments".[52] At over a year past the surgery, Bolton and his healthcare providers were in "monitoring" mode—as the recurrence rate for glioblastoma is around 90 percent—and in the meantime, he chose to remain hopeful, by purposely not receiving a prognosis.[52]
Bolton lives inWestport, Connecticut.[53]
Bolton was married to Maureen McGuire from 1975 to 1990. They have three daughters together, each born two years apart: Isa, Holly, and Taryn.[54] He became a grandfather for the first time in October 2010, through his daughter Taryn.[55] As of February 2019, he had six grandchildren.[56]
Bolton was introduced to actressNicollette Sheridan in 1992 by adult contemporary/jazz saxophonistKenny G. Bolton and Sheridan dated until breaking up in 1995. They reunited again in 2005 and became engaged in March 2006. However, it was confirmed in August 2008 that they had broken off their engagement.[57]
In 1993, Bolton established The Michael Bolton Foundation, later renamed The Michael Bolton Charities, to assist women and children at risk from the effects of poverty as well asemotional,physical, andsexual abuse.[58] In the late 1990s, the charity was heavily criticized for the low percentage of contributions that went towards charity work. In 1995 only 15% of the $2.6 million that the foundation raised went to charity, with most of the funds paying for a concert headlined by Bolton.[59]
Bolton and the foundation have had a long-running relationship with formerRepublican Connecticut GovernorJohn G. Rowland; Rowland steered state funding to Bolton’s charity. In 1995, Bolton performed at a fundraiser for Rowland after the foundation received a grant of $300,000 from the state.[60] In 2014, when Rowland was about to be sentenced for honest-services fraud, mail fraud and tax fraud, Bolton wrote a letter in support of Rowland to the judge who was assigned to sentence Rowland.[61] The foundation accepts grant proposals by invitation only.[62]
Bolton also serves as the honorary chairman of Prevent Child Abuse America and the national chairman for This Close for Cancer Research, and he is a member of the boards of the National Mentoring Partnership and the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
On July 25, 1993, Bolton played againstMichael Jordan in a televised charity softball game at theChicago White Sox stadium,Comiskey Park. Bolton's team, The Bolton Bombers, composed of Bolton and his band, won the game 7–1 against Jordan's team, Jordan's Air Force, which was composed of celebrities includingMagic Johnson,Chris Chelios,Ahmad Rashad,Evander Holyfield,Daniel Baldwin,William Baldwin,Mark Harmon,MC Hammer,Tom Selleck, andStacey King, withBo Jackson as coach.[63][64]
In March 2003, Bolton joined withLifetime Television,Verizon Wireless, and others to lobby on behalf of theNational Coalition Against Domestic Violence, promoting legislation to provide more assistance for victims of domestic violence, such as affordable housing options.[65]
Bolton has received the Lewis Hine Award from theNational Child Labor Committee, the Martin Luther King Award from theCongress of Racial Equality, and theEllis Island Medal of Honor from theNational Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.[66] The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce recognized Bolton with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his musical and charitable contributions.[67]
Since 1975, Bolton has released 24 studio albums and 35 singles. Nine of his singles have peaked at No. 1 on either theBillboard Hot 100 or theHot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts in the US.
He has achieved much, for sure, but never critical acclaim.
The jury found that Bolton and a co-author had infringed the older song, and set a damages award of $5.4 million, which was upheld on appeal. Many music experts doubted that there was any significant musical similarity between the two songs, and still point to Three Boys as a key case where a jury got it wrong.
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