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One of the music industry's most successful singer/songwriters, Michael Bolton
has also gained recognition as an author and human rights activist. Most
recently, he authored his first children's book (The Secret Of The Lost Kingdom,
published by Hyperion/Disney Press in the fall of 1997) and recorded "Go The
Distance" -- the theme song for the Disney animated film, Hercules. Michael
brings the same passion, devotion, and commitment to his other major projects
that have made him -- with sales of more than 40 million albums -- one of the
world's most popular singers.
His new album of pop songs, All That Matters, appeared in the fall of 1997, and
an album of opera arias, My Secret Passion, was released in 1998 (SK 63077).
In 1993, Michael established the Michael Bolton Foundation, which provides
assistance, through local and national charities and "safe house" shelters, to
children and women at risk from poverty, as well as from emotional, physical,
and sexual abuse. He's the honorary chairman of the National Committee To
Prevent Child Abuse and National Chairman for This Close For Cancer Research. In
1994, he received the prestigious Lewis Hine Award from the National Child Labor
Committee. In 1995, he was named a Hendon Fellow at Yale University. In January
1996, Michael became the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr./C.O.R.E.
Award. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors for One-To-One, a youth
mentoring program and the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Michael's predilection for good works dovetailed with his developing love of
opera recently when he joined Luciano Pavarotti on stage in Modena, Italy, at
the "Luciano & Friends Together For The Children of Bosnia" benefit concert.
"The experience was indescribable," he remembers.
"There's something incredibly fulfilling in singing beautiful classical music."
Michael Bolton, arguably America's premier pop singer and songwriter, grew up
idolizing such pioneers of R&B as Ray Charles and Otis Redding.
Blessed with an incomparable voice and a keen songwriting ability, he began
hitting radio playlists in 1983 with "Fool's Game," from his self-titled
Columbia Records album debut. After the release of The Hunger (1987), fans and
critics began to take notice of this fast-emerging talent, but it was 1989's
multi-platinum Soul Provider, with hit singles like the Grammy-winning "How Am I
Supposed To Live Without You" (which has been played more than four million
times on the radio) and the title track, that catapulted Michael to the upper
echelon of pop music luminaries.
With the release of #1 Time, Love & Tenderness in 1991, Michael Bolton became an
international superstar. The album sold more than 11 million copies worldwide
and earned him a second Best Pop Vocal, Male, Grammy for the #1 Pop/AC smash
"When A Man Loves A Woman." He also earned two American Music Awards, including
Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Male Album, and was named Best Pop Male
Vocalist at the New York Music Awards.
Michael followed Time, Love & Tenderness with the #1 Timeless (The Classics), a
collection of the singer's best-loved R&B and pop standards.
Then, in 1993, came the multi-platinum The One Thing, which included the
multi-platinum single, "Said I Loved You... But I Lied."
Having begun his career as a songwriter, it's no surprise that Bolton's songs
have been recorded by an astonishing array of artists. Michael has written songs
for Barbra Streisand ("We're Not Making Love Anymore"); KISS ("Forever"); Joe
Cocker ("Living Without Your Love"); Kenny Rogers ("Just The Thought Of Losing
You"); Cher ("I Found Someone"); and Kenny G and Peabo Bryson (the 1993 BMI Pop
Award-winning "By The Time This Night Is Over"). Other noted artists, such as
Patti LaBelle, the Pointer Sisters, Gregg Allman, Lee Greenwood and Conway
Twitty have also covered Bolton songs. Michael is among the scant handful of
songwriters to have collaborated with Bob Dylan; their song "Steel Bars" is a
highlight of both Time, Love & Tenderness and Bolton's Greatest Hits album.
The music industry honored Bolton's songwriting with the 1995 Hitmaker's Award,
from the National Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and the prestigious "Million
Performance Song Award" five times. (A "million performance" song is one which
has received at least 50,000 hours -- more than 5.7 years! -- of airplay.)
"Between writing, performing, recording, and everything else, far and away,
performing before my audience is the best," Michael says. From 1991 through
1995, Michael embarked on a series of international marathon concert tours
including the 1991-1992 Time, Love & Tenderness Tour and the 1994-1995 The One
Thing Tour. He has appeared at hundreds of concerts and performed for millions
of fans; Michael's many memorable concert experiences included several visits to
the White House at the invitation of President Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Despite his full plate of activities, Michael wouldn't have it any other way:
"I'm working on enjoying each moment a bit more. It feels like it's always time
to move onward and upward; at the same time, that means moving deeper into the
gift of music. That will always take me where I want to go."
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