MICHAEL Bolton is best known for his powerful ballads, which influenced music in the late 80s and early 90s.
He made a name for himself with one of his first top hits, (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay, which was released in 1987.
Who is Michael Bolton?
Michael Bolton was born on February 26, 1953, and originally sang heavy metal songs from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s - both on his early solo albums and those he recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack.
But in the late 80s, he made the switch to power ballads becoming known instead for his powerful love songs.
During his career, Bolton has won six American Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, and sold more than 75 million records. He has had eight top 10 albums, and two number-one singles on the Billboard charts.
Bolton went viral in 2011 when he appeared in The Lonely Island video, Jack Sparrow, which has garnered more than 200 million views.
He has co-hosted ABC's The Celebrity Dating Game where he sang parodies of love songs that contained clues to determine who the celebrity identities were.
Bolton was married to Maureen McGuire from 1975 to 1990 and they had three daughters, Isa, Holly, and Taryn.
Bolton told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2019 that he and McGuire were far too young when they got married, and he didn't know who he was as a person.
“By my late 20s, I was already married and had three daughters," Bolton said. "Guys in their 20s don’t have a clue who they are as human beings.
“They know what they want to become — a doctor, a lawyer, a politician — but the proper study of one’s own self?
“Men don’t get around to that until their 30s or 40s, which is roughly 10 years later than most women, who seem to know exactly who they are.”
Two years after their divorce, Bolton started dating Desperate Housewives star, Nicollette Sheridan. Their relationship lasted until 1995, but in 2005 they got back together and got engaged in March 2006.
However, it was confirmed they had broken off their engagement in August 2008.
What is Michael Bolton’s net worth?
Michael Bolton is estimated to have a net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and the majority of his income has come from his career as a singer and songwriter.
Over the years he has pursued acting and appeared in the shows Meet Wally Sparks, Two and a Half Men, and was a contestant on Season 11 of Dancing with the Stars.
Bolton was also a co-director of the 2018 documentary American Dream: Detroit, which highlighted the economic comeback of Detroit.
However, despite his success, Bolton's finances took a hit in 1992 when he was sued by the R&B band the Isley Brothers, who claimed Bolton stole their song with his release of Love is a Wonderful Thing.
The brothers had released the same song with the same title in 1966.
In 1994, a Los Angeles court ruled in favor of the Isley Brothers and Bolton had to pay $5 million.
After appealing the verdict, in 2001, the matter was finally settled for good and instead of Bolton having to pay $5 million himself, the brothers received $4.2 million from Sony Music, $932,924 from Bolton, and $220,785 from Bolton's songwriter.
How is Michael Bolton doing?
On Friday, January 5, 2024, Michael gave a heartfelt note to his fans that he would be taking a break from touring to focus on his recovery.
He made the announcement on his Facebook page stating: "Just before the holidays, it was discovered that I had a brain tumor, which required immediate surgery. Thanks to my incredible medical team, the surgery was a success."
The 70-year-old Grammy winner added: "It is always the hardest thing for me to ever disappoint my fans or postpone a show, but have no doubt I am working hard to accelerate my recovery and get back to performing soon."
He concluded: "Know that I'm keeping your positive messages in my heart, and I'll give you more updates as soon as I can.
"Much love always, MB."
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