Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton (born February 26, 1953 in New Haven , Connecticut ; actually Michael Bolotin ) is an American pop musician . He received two Grammy Awards (1990 and 1992) and six American Music Awards . According to the sources, he has sold more than 38 million records in his career. The most successful release by Michael Bolton is the album Time, Love and Tenderness with around 10.1 million units sold.
Musical career
Bolton has achieved his success as a solo singer in the Adult Contemporary genre . In the United States, his way of interpreting rock ballads is called Blue-Eyed Soul . In the mid-1970s, he released two little-noticed albums under his birth name. By the end of the decade he was a member of the heavy metal band Blackjack, which also included guitarist Bruce Kulick , who later played for Kiss . From 1983 he made recordings as Michael Bolton. In 1987 he had his national breakthrough and in 1988 his international breakthrough. He has performed with Plácido Domingo , Luciano Pavarotti , Renée Fleming , Patti Labelle , Ray Charles , Percy Sledge , Wynonna Judd , BB King and Helene Fischer , among others .
His biggest hits were his two US number one hits How Am I Supposed to Live Without You (1989) as well as his version of When a Man Loves a Woman (1991) and the gold single Said I Loved You… But I Lied (1993).
In 1997 he sang for the Disney - Cartoons Hercules the theme song I Can Go the Distance , which for an Oscar nomination.
Bolton has covered numerous songs and worked as a songwriter for other artists, including writing for Barbra Streisand , KISS , Kenny Rogers , Kenny G , Cher , Peabo Bryson and Patti Labelle . As a co-author he worked with Bob Dylan , Babyface and Diane Warren, among others .
Plagiarism process
One of his greatest successes was Love Is a Wonderful Thing , which was released in April 1991 and allegedly composed by him in collaboration with Andrew Goldmark. In a plagiarism lawsuit on February 24, 1992, the Isley Brothers claimed to have obtained the copyright for this song on February 6, 1964.
The process dragged on through several instances until the US Supreme Court ruled in January 2001 that Bolton had taken over significant parts of the Isley Brothers composition and thus infringed copyright. Bolton and his record company then had to pay $ 5.4 million in damages to the Isley Brothers. This sum was calculated from the single sales and 28% of the LP revenues. The song was also on the ten million-selling LP Time, Love & Tenderness .
Life
Until 2008 Bolton was in a relationship with the English actress Nicollette Sheridan ( Desperate Housewives ) . On August 26, 2008, a spokeswoman for the actress announced to the US magazine “ People ” that the singer and actress had broken off their engagement, which had existed since 2005, by mutual agreement. They have been a couple for five years since 1992.
Bolton is the father of three daughters and the grandfather of two granddaughters and one grandson.
On September 27, 2012, Bolton had a guest appearance in the premiere of the 10th season of the sitcom Two and a Half Men as himself, as well as in the 2nd, 13th and 14th episodes of the 12th season.
Charity work
In 1993 he founded the Michael Bolton Foundation (now the Michael Bolton Charities Inc.) to support poor women and children and victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. The organization has raised over $ 3.7 million to date on local and national projects.
Bolton is also the chairman and member of several other organizations.
For his charitable work he was honored with the Lewis Hine Award , the Martin Luther King Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor .
He was also honored with a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood for his musical and charitable achievements .
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1983 | Michael Bolton | - | - | - | - |
US89  (13 weeks)US |
|
| 1987 | The hunger | - | - | - |
UK44 (5 weeks) UK |
US46  × 2
(41 weeks)US |
|
| 1989 | Soul provider |
DE22 (20 weeks) DE |
AT25 (1 week) AT |
CH25 (6 weeks) CH |
UK4th × 4
(72 weeks)UK |
US3 × 6
(202 weeks)US |
|
| 1991 | Time, Love and Tenderness |
DE18 (23 weeks) DE |
AT4 (13 weeks) AT |
CH8th (19 weeks)CH |
UK2 × 4
(57 weeks)UK |
US1 × 8
(149 weeks)US |
|
| 1992 | Timeless: The Classics |
DE42 (11 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK3 × 3
(31 weeks)UK |
US1 × 4
(47 weeks)US |
|
| 1993 | The One Thing |
DE5 (33 weeks)DE |
AT28 (4 weeks) AT |
CH13 (20 weeks)CH |
UK4th (29 weeks)UK |
US3 × 3
(45 weeks)US |
|
| 1996 | This Is the Time - The Christmas Album | - | - | - |
UK93 (1 week) UK |
US11 (15 weeks)US |
|
| 1997 | All that matters |
DE70 (4 weeks) DE |
AT30 (6 weeks) AT |
CH42 (4 weeks) CH |
UK20th (7 weeks)UK |
US39 (17 weeks)US |
|
| Christmas in Vienna IV / Merry Christmas from Vienna (US) |
DE61 (4 weeks) DE |
AT16 (4 weeks) AT |
- | - |
US192 (2 weeks) US |
with Plácido Domingo and Ying Huang
|
|
| 1998 | My Secret Passion - The Arias |
DE44 (12 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK25 (8 weeks) UK |
US112 (8 weeks) US |
|
| 1999 | Timeless - The Classics Vol. 2 |
DE85 (3 weeks) DE |
AT25 (4 weeks) AT |
CH80 (1 week) CH |
UK50 (3 weeks) UK |
- | |
| 2002 | Only a woman like you |
DE96 (1 week) DE |
- |
CH51 (3 weeks) CH |
UK19 (3 weeks) UK |
US36 (6 weeks) US |
|
| 2003 | Vintage | - | - | - |
UK23 (2 weeks) UK |
US76 (5 weeks) US |
|
| 2005 | Til the end of forever | - | - | - | - |
US128 (1 week) US |
|
| 2006 | Bolton Swings Sinatra: The Second Time Around |
- | - | - |
UK54 (2 weeks) UK |
US51 (12 weeks) US |
|
| 2009 | One World One Love | - | - | - |
UK19 (3 weeks) UK |
US166 (2 weeks) US |
|
| 2011 | Gems: The Duets Collection |
DE60 (2 weeks) DE |
AT75 (1 week) AT |
- | - |
US128 (1 week) US |
|
| 2014 | Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville USA |
- | - | - |
UK19 (4 weeks) UK |
US38 (1 week) US |
|
| 2017 | Songs of Cinema |
DE90 (1 week) DE |
- | - |
UK46 (1 week) UK |
US177 (1 week) US |
|
| 2019 | A symphony of hits | - | - | - | - |
US156 (1 week) US |
|
More albums
- 1975: Michael Bolotin (as Michael Bolotin)
- 1976: Every Day of My Life (as Michael Bolotin)
- 1985: Everybody's Crazy
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1995 | Greatest Hits: 1985-1995 |
DE8 (19 weeks) DE |
AT13 (11 weeks) AT |
CH16 (14 weeks)CH |
UK2 (32 weeks)UK |
US5 × 3
(42 weeks)US |
|
| 2005 | The Very Best of Michael Bolton | - | - | - |
UK18th (12 weeks)UK |
- | |
| 2009 | The Ultimate | - | - | - |
UK20 (4 weeks) UK |
- | |
| 2011 | Gems - The Very Best Of | - | - | - |
UK11  (7 weeks)UK |
- | |
| 2019 | gold | - | - | - |
UK41 (3 weeks) UK |
- | |
More compilations
|
|
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | [↑]: treated together with the previous entry; [←]: placed in both charts |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
||||
| 1983 | Fool's Game Michael Bolton |
- | - | - | - |
US82 (3 weeks) US |
||
| 1987 | That's What Love Is All About The Hunger |
- | - | - | - |
US19 (25 weeks) US |
Authors: Eric Katz, Michael Bolton
|
|
| 1988 |
(Sittin 'On) The Dock of the Bay The Hunger |
- | - | - |
UK77 (4 weeks) UK |
US11 (17 weeks) US |
||
| Wait On Love The Hunger |
- | - | - | - |
US79 (6 weeks) US |
Authors: Michael Bolton, Jonathan Cain
|
||
| 1989 | Soul Provider Soul Provider |
- | - | - |
UK35 (8 weeks) UK |
US17 (17 weeks) US |
initially UK place 77 (3 weeks), re-entry 1996 place 35
Authors: Andy Goldmark, Michael Bolton |
|
|
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You Soul Provider |
DE15 (18 weeks) DE |
AT17 (12 weeks) AT |
- |
UK3 (10 weeks) UK |
US1 (23 weeks) US |
Authors: Michael Bolton, Doug James
Original: Laura Branigan , 1983 |
||
| 1990 | How Can We Be Lovers Soul Provider |
- | - | - |
UK10 (10 weeks) UK |
US3 (18 weeks) US |
||
| When I'm Back on My Feet Again Soul Provider |
- | - | - |
UK44 (5 weeks) UK |
US7 (19 weeks) US |
Author: Diane Warren
|
||
|
Georgia on My Mind Soul Provider |
- | - | - |
UK94 (3 weeks) UK |
US36 (10 weeks) US |
Composer: Hoagy Carmichael
Original: Hoagy Carmichael & Orchestra, 1930 |
||
| 1991 | Love Is a Wonderful Thing Time, Love & Tenderness |
DE40 (20 weeks) DE |
AT26 (3 weeks) AT |
CH28 (1 week) CH |
UK23 (8 weeks) UK |
US4 (17 weeks) US |
Authors: Andy Goldmark, Michael Bolton
|
|
| Time, Love & Tenderness Time, Love & Tenderness |
DE74 (4 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK28 (7 weeks) UK |
US7 (18 weeks) US |
Author: Diane Warren
|
||
|
When a Man Loves a Woman Time, Love & Tenderness |
DE52 (12 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK8 (9 weeks) UK |
US1 (18 weeks) US |
Author and original: Percy Sledge , 1966
|
||
| 1992 | Missing You Now Time, Love & Tenderness |
- | - | - |
UK28 (4 weeks) UK |
US12 (20 weeks) US |
||
| Steel Bars Time, Love & Tenderness |
DE57 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK17 (6 weeks) UK |
- |
Authors: Bob Dylan , Michael Bolton
|
||
| To Love Somebody Timeless: The Classics |
DE61 (11 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK16 (6 weeks) UK |
US11 (20 weeks) US |
|||
| Drift Away Timeless: The Classics |
- | - | - |
UK18 (5 weeks) UK |
- |
Author: Mentor Williams
Original: Narvel Felts , 1972 |
||
| 1993 |
Reach Out I'll Be There Timeless: The Classics |
DE57 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK37 (4 weeks) UK |
- | ||
| Said I Loved You… But I Lied The One Thing |
DE51 (18 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK15 (8 weeks) UK |
US6th (24 weeks)US |
Author: Robert John Lange
|
||
| 1994 | Soul of My Soul The One Thing |
DE53 (13 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK32 (5 weeks) UK |
- |
Authors: M. Bolton, D. Warren, Walter Afanasieff
|
|
| Completely The One Thing |
- | - | - | - |
US32 (15 weeks) US |
Author: Diane Warren
|
||
|
Lean on Me The One Thing |
DE51 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK14 (8 weeks) UK |
- |
Author and original: Bill Withers , 1972
|
||
| 1995 | Ain't Got Nothing If You Ain't Got Love The One Thing |
DE98 (1 week) DE |
- | - | - | - |
Authors: Michael Bolton, Robert John Lange
|
|
| Can I Touch You… There? Greatest Hits: 1985-1995 |
DE57 (10 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK6 (9 weeks) UK |
US27 (14 weeks) US |
Authors: Michael Bolton, Robert John Lange
|
||
| A Love so Beautiful Greatest Hits: 1985–1995 |
- | - | - |
UK27 (6 weeks) UK |
- | |||
| 1996 | I Found Someone Greatest Hits: 1985-1995 |
DE93 (2 weeks) DE |
- | - | - | - |
Authors: Mark Mangold, Michael Bolton
Original: Laura Branigan , 1986 |
|
| 1997 |
Go the Distance All That Matters |
- | - | - |
UK14 (6 weeks) UK |
US24 (20 weeks)US |
||
| The Best of Love All That Matters |
- | - | -[UK: ↑] | - |
Authors: Babyface , Michael Bolton
|
|||
| 2011 | Jack Sparrow Turtleneck & Chain |
- | - | - | - |
US69 (2 weeks) US |
The Lonely Island feat. Michael Bolton
|
|
More singles
|
|
Video albums
- 1990: Soul Provider - The Videos (US:gold)
- 1992: Soul and Passion (US:platinum)
- 1992: This Is Michael Bolton (US:platinum)
- 1995: Greatest Hits: The Videos 1985–1995
- 2005: The Essential
- 2005: Best of Michael Bolton Live
- 2010: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
statistics
Chart evaluation
The following list contains an overview of Michael Bolton's chart successes in the album and single charts.
|
|
Awards for music sales
| Country / Region |
silver |
gold |
platinum
|
Sales | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
|||||
 Australia (ARIA)
|
- |
2 × gold2
|
5 × platinum5
|
420,000 | aria.com.au |
 Denmark (IFPI)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | - | ifpi.dk |
|
Germany (BVMI)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 250,000 | musikindustrie.de |
 Europe (IFPI)
|
- | - |
platinum1
|
(1,000,000) | ifpi.org ( Memento from January 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) |
 France (SNEP)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 100,000 | infodisc.fr snepmusique.com |
 Italy (FIMI)
|
- | - |
3 × platinum3
|
300,000 | Individual evidence |
 Japan (RIAJ)
|
- |
3 × gold3
|
- | 300,000 | riaj.or.jp |
 Canada (MC)
|
- | - |
25 × platinum25th
|
2,500,000 | musiccanada.com |
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
|
- |
2 × gold2
|
2 × platinum2
|
45,000 | nztop40.co.nz |
 Netherlands (NVPI)
|
- |
2 × gold2
|
- | 100,000 | nvpi.nl |
 Norway (IFPI)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 25,000 | ifpi.no |
 Sweden (IFPI)
|
- |
3 × gold3
|
3 × platinum3
|
330,000 | sverigetopplistan.se |
|
Switzerland (IFPI)
|
- |
3 × gold3
|
- | 75,000 | hitparade.ch |
 Spain (Promusicae)
|
- |
5 × gold5
|
platinum1
|
350,000 | mediafire.com ES2 ES3 |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
- |
5 × gold5
|
29 × platinum29
|
29,250,000 | riaa.com |
|
United Kingdom (BPI)
|
silver1
|
2 × gold2
|
13 × platinum13
|
4,160,000 | bpi.co.uk |
| All in all |
silver1
|
31 × gold31
|
82 × platinum82
|
||
literature
- Dave di Martino: Singer-Songwriters. Pop Music's Performer-Composers. From A to Zevon . Billboard Books, New York 1994.
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Michael Bolton in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Michael Bolton at Allmusic (English)
- Michael Bolton at Discogs (English)
- Website of Michael Bolton Charities, Inc. (English)
- Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bolton, Michael |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bolotin, Michael (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pop singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 26, 1953 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Haven , Connecticut , USA |