Michael Bolton

Michael Bolton Bio

Michael Bolton (born Michael Bolotin on 26 February 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who first rose to attention in the mid-1970s as a hard rock and heavy metal performer, including time as frontman of the band Blackjack. After shifting toward adult contemporary pop, he became one of the most successful balladeers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for his recording of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and his acclaimed cover of “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Over the course of his career, Bolton has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and earned recognition including two Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is also known for philanthropy through The Michael Bolton Charities and for occasional appearances on television and in film.

Early Life and Background

Michael Bolton was born Michael Bolotin in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of George, a local official in the Democratic Party, and Helen, a homemaker. He grew up with a brother, Orrin, and a sister, Sandra, in a liberal household that he has described as being decorated with both a Hanukkah menorah and a Christmas tree during the holidays. His grandparents kept a kosher household, and Bolton has spoken about being raised in a Jewish tradition; he became a bar mitzvah at age 13 and has described himself as a “rebel Jew.”

Music entered his life early. By age seven, Bolton could play the saxophone, and he began writing songs at age nine. At 14, he formed a group called the Nomads, which was signed to a singles contract by Epic Records when he was 16. With his parents’ permission, he dropped out of high school at 15 and left home to travel along U.S. Route 66, taking odd jobs to support his music career, including working as Paula Abdul’s babysitter.

Path to Music

Bolton began recording in 1975 at The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, releasing his debut album under his original family name of Bolotin. Early in his career he focused on hard rock, and his band Blackjack opened for Ozzy Osbourne on tour. He anglicized his name to Bolton as his solo profile grew, and he gained his first major hit as a songwriter by co-writing “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” for Laura Branigan, which reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks in 1983.

Bolton continued writing for other artists, including a collaboration with Branigan on “I Found Someone,” later revived by Cher to relaunch her career. He also recorded his own version of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” in 1988, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking his breakthrough as a performer.

Michael Bolton Career

Early Career (1975–1986)

During his early years in music, Bolton built a foundation as both a hard rock artist and a behind-the-scenes songwriter. With Blackjack, he toured in support of major heavy metal acts and released material through the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the song “Maybe It’s the Power of Love,” later sampled by Kanye West in 2004. His work as a songwriter for Laura Branigan and others gave him important connections in the industry.

His songwriting success set the stage for his pivot toward pop and adult contemporary music. After rebranding under the surname Bolton, he gradually moved away from hard rock and toward the ballad-driven sound that would define his career.

Breakthrough (1987–1997)

Bolton achieved his greatest recognition as a pop balladeer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He collaborated with prominent songwriters of the era including Diane Warren and Desmond Child, and he released a series of remakes of 1960s soul classics, including Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” in 1987 and Ray Charles’s “Georgia on My Mind” in 1989. In 1991, he released the album Time, Love & Tenderness, which featured his Grammy Award-winning cover of Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.”

From 1987 to 1995, Bolton placed four albums and seven songs in the U.S. top ten, and he enjoyed even greater success on the adult contemporary chart with 14 consecutive top ten hits, including eight number ones. He also charted 12 top ten songs in Canada and had four top ten singles in the United Kingdom. His last major U.S. Top 40 single was “Go the Distance,” recorded for the 1997 Disney animated film Hercules, which reached number one on the adult contemporary chart.

Notable Works and Milestones

Signature works include Time, Love & Tenderness (1991), “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” (1988), “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1991), and “Go the Distance” (1997). Bolton has released 24 studio albums and 35 singles since 1975, with nine singles reaching number one on either the Billboard Hot 100 or the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. He has performed alongside artists including Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Plácido Domingo, Percy Sledge, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Luciano Pavarotti, and José Carreras.

Michael Bolton Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Michael Bolton has received recognition from major music industry bodies, including nominations and wins from the Grammy Awards and the American Music Awards. He has also been nominated and honored for his songwriting contributions and his charitable work through various organizations.

Michael Bolton Awards Won

Michael Bolton has won six American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards, and he has been recognized with the Lewis Hine Award from the National Child Labor Committee, the Martin Luther King Award from the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his musical and charitable contributions.

Michael Bolton Family

Bolton was married to Maureen McGuire from 1975 to 1990, and together they have three daughters: Isa, Holly, and Taryn, each born two years apart. He became a grandfather for the first time in October 2010 through his daughter Taryn, and as of February 2019, he had six grandchildren.

Bolton was introduced to actress Nicollette Sheridan in 1992 by saxophonist Kenny G. They dated until 1995, reunited in 2005, and became engaged in March 2006, though their engagement ended in August 2008.

Personal Life

Bolton has been a vegetarian since 1970 and lives in Westport, Connecticut. In January 2013, he published an autobiography titled The Soul of It All: My Music, My Life. In January 2024, he announced that he had undergone emergency surgery for a brain tumor before the December 2023 holidays, with the surgery described as a success, and he revealed in April 2025 that his specific diagnosis was glioblastoma.

Beyond music, Bolton has built a notable philanthropic presence. In 1993 he established The Michael Bolton Charities to assist women and children at risk, and he serves as honorary chairman of Prevent Child Abuse America and national chairman for This Close for Cancer Research, while also supporting the National Mentoring Partnership and the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.