Michael Bolton, the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and social activist who sold more than 53 million albums and singles worldwide, continued to tour the world every year while writing, recording and taping projects spanning music, film, television and theater. Bolton remained committed to humanitarian causes, especially through the Michael Bolton Charities and other social and political organizations.
Known for his soulful voice and poignant lyrics, his timeless style and charm also earned him a place in several People magazine “Sexiest Man” issues, including 2012’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” He became a viral sensation after appearing in The Lonely Island’s “Captain Jack Sparrow” video, launched on Saturday Night Live and performed live at the Emmy Awards. The Emmy-nominated video accumulated more than 95 million YouTube views and was the third-most-viewed video of 2011. Bolton credited his fans as “the best in the world” and loved bringing his timeless hits to audiences around the globe.
In recognition of his artistic achievements, Bolton won two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance, received four nominations in the category, earned six American Music Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a songwriter, he earned more than 24 BMI and ASCAP Awards, including Songwriter of the Year, nine Million-Air Awards and the Hitmakers Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Internationally renowned, Bolton recorded and performed with musical icons who inspired and influenced his career. He joined Luciano Pavarotti onstage for a praised rendition of “Vesti la Giubba” and paid homage to the Italian tenor by performing the aria “Nessun Dorma” in concert. He sang with Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Renée Fleming and played guitar with B. B. King. Bolton earned a Grammy nomination for “Georgia on My Mind” and was invited to sing the classic to Ray Charles when Charles was honored at the International Jazz Hall of Fame Awards in 1997. In March 2011, Bolton performed duets with Seal and Lara Fabian for the David Foster and Friends PBS special.
A diverse and prolific songwriter, Bolton collaborated with many prominent songwriters and producers, including Lady Gaga, Diane Warren, Desmond Child, David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, John “Mutt” Lange, Dann Huff, A. R. Rahman, Phil Ramone, Ne-Yo and Billy Mann. He was among the few artists to co-write with Bob Dylan, resulting in the hit “Steel Bars.”
Bolton wrote songs recorded and performed by more than 100 artists, ranging from country legend Conway Twitty to Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and John Legend. Other artists who performed Bolton’s songs included Marc Anthony, Wynonna Judd, Joe Cocker, Peabo Bryson, Kenny Rogers and Patti LaBelle. His number-one songs contributed to the careers of Laura Branigan (“How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”), KISS (“Forever”), Barbra Streisand (“We’re Not Making Love Anymore”), Cher (“I Found Someone”) and Kenny G (“By the Time This Night Is Over”).
Bolton balanced his love for writing new songs with a passion for covering classics. On his breakthrough album The Hunger, he wrote the number-one single “That’s What Love Is All About” and recorded a chart-topping version of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” which became a hit across four radio formats. The album was certified double platinum and shipped four million copies worldwide.
Eight of Bolton’s studio albums reached the Top 10, together producing nine number-one singles. His signature success came with Soul Provider, which sold more than 12.5 million copies worldwide. It featured the number-one hit “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” earning Bolton his first Grammy, as well as “When I’m Back on My Feet Again,” “How Can We Be Lovers,” “Soul Provider” and the Grammy-nominated “Georgia on My Mind.”
Bolton followed with the number-one album Time, Love & Tenderness, which sold more than 16 million copies worldwide and featured his Grammy Award-winning performance of the number-one hit “When a Man Loves a Woman.” The album also produced “Love Is a Wonderful Thing,” “Time, Love and Tenderness,” “Missing You Now” and the Bob Dylan collaboration “Steel Bars.”
He then released the soulful classics collection Timeless, which included “To Love Somebody” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” and sold more than seven million copies worldwide. His next album, The One Thing, produced the major single “Said I Loved You… But I Lied,” which spent 12 weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary charts and earned another Grammy nomination.
Bolton explored a wide range of musical styles, from Sinatra favorites on Bolton Swings Sinatra to classical arias on My Secret Passion, which held the number-one position on the classical charts for six consecutive weeks. His later studio work brought an authentic approach to Motown and soul classics, alongside original songs written in the same tradition.
His songs and performances appeared in numerous television and film soundtracks, including the Oscar-nominated “Go the Distance” from Walt Disney’s animated film Hercules. Bolton executive-produced the documentary Terror at Home, addressing domestic violence in America, and received an Emmy nomination for writing its title song, “Tears of the Angels.” He also appeared as an actor and singer in the season premiere of NBC’s Two and a Half Men and developed a comedic television project with ABC.
For his dedication to social activism, Bolton received humanitarian distinctions including the Martin Luther King Award from the Congress of Racial Equality, the Lewis Hine Award from the National Child Labor Committee, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and the Frances Preston Lifetime Achievement Award. He was especially proud of initiatives carried out by the Michael Bolton Charities, then in its twentieth year of advocating for women and children at risk.
This biography and photograph were reproduced from the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Media Press Kit.