Michael Bolton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Bolton
Bolton in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Michael Bolotin
Born	(1953-02-26) February 26, 1953 (age 72) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock soft rock blue-eyed soul hard rock (early)
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1975–present
Labels	RCA Columbia Jive Concord Universal Motown

Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. He started his music career in the mid-1970s. At first, he sang hard rock and heavy metal music. He performed on his own albums and as the lead singer for the band Blackjack.

Michael Bolton also became a successful songwriter early on. He helped write popular songs like "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" for Laura Branigan. He later recorded his own version of this song.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bolton became very famous for singing pop ballads. He worked with well-known songwriters like Diane Warren. He also sang his own versions of classic songs, such as Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman".

Bolton has sold over 75 million records worldwide. He has had eight albums reach the top 10 and two songs become number one hits on the Billboard charts. He has also won six American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards. He has performed with many famous artists, including Ray Charles and Celine Dion.

Michael Bolton's Early Life

Michael Bolotin was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, George, was involved in local politics. His mother, Helen, took care of their home. He has an older brother, Orrin, and a sister, Sandra.

Michael started playing the saxophone when he was 7 years old. He began writing songs at age 9. When he was 14, he formed a band called the Nomads. By age 16, his band signed a contract with Epic Records. With his parents' permission, he left high school at 15 to focus on music. He traveled across the country and took different jobs to support himself.

Michael Bolton's Music Journey

Starting with Hard Rock and Songwriting

Michael Bolton began recording music in 1975. His first album was called Michael Bolotin, using his original family name. In his early career, he focused on hard rock music. His band, Blackjack, even opened for the famous heavy metal artist Ozzy Osbourne.

Later, Michael changed his family name to Bolton. He then had his first big success as a songwriter. He helped write "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" for singer Laura Branigan. This song became a number one hit on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1983. Michael and Laura worked together again, and he co-wrote "I Found Someone" for her. Two years later, Cher sang her own version of "I Found Someone," which helped her singing career. In 1988, Michael Bolton recorded his own version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," and it became a number one hit.

Becoming a Pop Star

Bolton at the 1990 Grammy Awards

Michael Bolton became very popular as a pop singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He sang songs written by famous songwriters like Diane Warren. He also had many hits that were new versions of classic soul songs from the 1960s.

One of his first big hits was his 1987 version of the Otis Redding song "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay". Otis Redding's wife, Zelma Redding, was very touched by Bolton's performance. In 1989, Bolton had another hit with "Georgia on My Mind", a song known for Ray Charles's version. In 1991, he released the album Time, Love & Tenderness. This album included his Grammy Award-winning version of "When a Man Loves a Woman", first sung by Percy Sledge.

From 1987 to 1995, Michael Bolton had four albums in the top ten and seven songs in the top ten in the U.S. He was even more successful on the adult contemporary chart, where he had 14 top ten hits in a row, with eight of them reaching number one.

In 1992, there was a legal disagreement about his 1991 song "Love Is a Wonderful Thing". After a long legal process, a payment was made to the original artists.

Bolton in 1997

Bolton's last song to reach the Top 40 in the U.S. was "Go the Distance" in 1997. This song was from the Disney animated movie Hercules. It reached number one on the U.S. adult contemporary chart.

Recent Music and Performances

Michael Bolton continued to release albums and have adult contemporary hits into the 2000s. In 2001, he released Only a Woman Like You, with the title song co-written by Shania Twain. He also recorded an album called Bolton Swings Sinatra in 2006, where he sang classic songs by Frank Sinatra.

Bolton in Barcelona, Spain, January 2010

In 2011, Bolton worked with Indian musician A. R. Rahman for a song on his album Gems – The Duets Collection. In 2013, he released Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A., which featured duets with singers like Kelly Rowland.

Michael Bolton has also appeared in fun music videos. In 2011, he was a guest singer in The Lonely Island's song "Jack Sparrow". In the video, he dressed up as characters like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and Forrest Gump. He also appeared in their 2016 movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

In 2021 and 2023, he appeared on The Masked Singer TV show. In 2022, he represented Connecticut in the American Song Contest with his song Beautiful World, reaching the finals.

Michael Bolton's Film and TV Appearances

Michael Bolton has made several guest appearances in movies and TV shows. He often plays himself, like in Meet Wally Sparks (1997) and Two and a Half Men (2012).

In September 2010, Bolton was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He and his dance partner were the second couple to be eliminated.

In 2018, a documentary produced by Bolton called American Dream: Detroit was shown. Bolton wanted to show how the city of Detroit was making a comeback. The documentary included interviews with famous people from Detroit, like Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson.

Michael Bolton's Personal Life

Michael Bolton describes himself as a "rebel Jew." He grew up in a family that celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. He became a bar mitzvah at age 13 and still holds some beliefs in Judaism. He has been a vegetarian since 1970.

In January 2013, Bolton released his autobiography, The Soul of It All: My Music, My Life.

In January 2024, Bolton shared that he had surgery for a brain tumor in late 2023. He said the surgery was successful and he was taking a break from touring to recover. In April 2025, he shared more details about his health journey, focusing on his recovery and hopeful outlook.

Michael Bolton lives in Westport, Connecticut.

Family and Relationships

Michael Bolton was married to Maureen McGuire from 1975 to 1990. They have three daughters: Isa, Holly, and Taryn. He became a grandfather for the first time in 2010. By February 2019, he had six grandchildren.

Bolton also had a relationship with actress Nicollette Sheridan. They dated in the 1990s and later got engaged in 2006, but they ended their engagement in 2008.

Michael Bolton's Charity Work

In 1993, Michael Bolton started The Michael Bolton Foundation, which is now called The Michael Bolton Charities. This organization helps women and children who are facing difficulties like poverty or abuse.

Bolton is also an honorary chairman for Prevent Child Abuse America. He is involved with other groups that help children and fight cancer.

In 1993, Michael Bolton played in a charity softball game against Michael Jordan's team. Bolton's team, The Bolton Bombers, won the game.

In 2003, Bolton worked with other organizations to support laws that help victims of domestic violence.

Michael Bolton has received several awards for his music and his charity work. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to recognize his contributions.

Michael Bolton's Music Albums

Since 1975, Michael Bolton has released 24 studio albums and 35 singles. Nine of his songs have reached number one on the Billboard charts in the U.S.

Awards and Recognitions

Filmography

As an Actor

• 1994: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as himself
• 1997: Meet Wally Sparks
• 1998: The Nanny as himself
• 2002: Snow Dogs
• 2002: High Voltage
• 2008: The Onion Movie
• 2012/14: Two and a Half Men as himself (4 episodes)
• 2015: Glee as himself
• 2016: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
• 2017: Michael Bolton's Big, ... Valentine's Day Special
• 2017: Fresh Off the Boat as himself (3 episodes)
• 2018: Teen Titans Go! to the Movies as Tiger
• 2018: Little Big Awesome as himself
• 2023: The Masked Singer as Himself/Wolf
• 2023: Clone High as himself
• 2023: Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens as Kevin (2 episodes)
• 2024: Knuckles as Wade's singing voice

As an Executive Producer

• 2001: Offside (short film)
• 2001: Good Advice
• 2005: Terror at Home: Domestic Violence in America (TV)
• 2008: The Other Side of the Tracks
• 2018: American Dream: Detroit

More to Explore

• List of best selling music artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

See also

In Spanish: Michael Bolton para niños