Michael Bolton, singer and longtime Detroit supporter, opens up about brain cancer
Michael Bolton is sharing a deeply personal chapter in his life: a battle with brain cancer that led to two surgeries in the span of just weeks.
The 72-year-old Grammy winner and Detroit aficionado was diagnosed with glioblastoma — a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer— in December 2023.
Bolton underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor in December 2023 and underwent another brain surgery in January 2024 due to an infection, according to an April 30 People magazine interview where the singer opened up about his diagnosis.
He told the magazine he finished radiation and chemotherapy treatment in October, and his most recent scan was clear in early April. Bolton said he has intentionally not received a prognosis, and People noted that glioblastoma has a roughly 90% recurrence rate.
According to People, Bolton's treatments have impacted his "short-term memory, speech, and mobility."
'You're reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought,' Bolton told People. 'Succumbing to the challenge is not an option. You're really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that's the way you find out what you're made of.'
The prolific singer's body of work spans five decades, and he has won two Grammys for the songs "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" and "When a Man Loves a Woman." In 2023, Bolton released his first new album of original songs in 14 years, "Spark of Light," which he followed up with the holiday album "Christmas Time." He was a contestant on "The Masked Singer" earlier that same year.
Bolton's 2013 album, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville USA," deepened his connection to the City of Detroit through its focus on Motown hits and eventually inspired his 2018 documentary, "American Dream: Detroit." The film, a personal passion project, pays tribute to the Motor City's cultural and musical history while spotlighting the entrepreneurs, artists and innovators driving its revival.
More: Michael Bolton's film about Detroit coming to theaters for one-night screening
The documentary features Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Alice Cooper, Mayor Mike Duggan, John Varvatos, developer Dan Gilbert, and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom.
Bolton previously shared in January 2024 that he would take a step back from touring after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. At the time, he said he was "recuperating at home and surrounded by the tremendous love and support of my family," adding that he would devote his time and energy to his recovery over the following months. The announcement came after Bolton rescheduled a show in his home state of Connecticut in December 2023 due to illness.
In March 2024, Bolton shared in an update that he was "healing well and doing better every day" while "enjoying the company of my daughters and grandkids" at home.
In December, Bolton posted a photo of himself celebrating the holidays with his family. "Sending warm wishes for a holiday season filled with peace, love, and joy," he wrote. "May the New Year bring health, happiness, and countless moments to cherish. Here's to fresh starts and beautiful moments in 2025!"
Despite the physical toll of treatment, the star said he's found strength in being open about his experience.
'Whenever you find yourself in any kind of challenging position, just to know that you're not alone going through it is a big deal,' Bolton told People. 'It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they're not alone.'
Bolton has been spending more time at home in Westport, Connecticut, where he's lived for over three decades, according to People. These days, much of his focus is on family, including his daughters and six grandchildren — Amelia, 14; Olivia, 13; Dylan, 11; Grayson, 10; River, 9; and Jack, 8.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, glioblastoma is a "devastating" type of cancer that "can result in death in fewer than six months without treatment." It begins as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord and "grows quickly," and symptoms can include headaches, decline in brain functions and memory loss, per the Mayo Clinic
More: Founder of Detroit-style Pizza Company, Shawn Randazzo, dies at 44
The National Brain Tumor Society describes glioblastoma as "one of the most complex, deadly, and treatment-resistant cancers," with a five-year survival rate of 6.9%. In 2018, Sen. John McCain died from glioblastoma after being diagnosed the previous year.
USA TODAY's KiMi Robinson contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michael Bolton opens up about his brain cancer battle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Paddy McGuinness reveals secret celebrity crush confession on new Channel 4 show
Bolton TV superstar Paddy McGuinness has shocked fans after revealing his unexpected celebrity crush on television. The revelation came on Friday (June 6) night's special episode of Channel 4's Gogglebox, featuring Paddy McGuinness and fellow star-studded Boltonian and Radio 2 presnter, Vernon Kay. The pair were watching when Countdown star Rachel Riley appeared on screen and Paddy couldn't help but make a cheeky confession. He said to Vernon: 'There's something about Rachel Riley, I don't know what it is. 'You know when you have like a celebrity crush that you're not supposed to have.' Paddy, meanwhile, was previously married to model and TV personality Christine McGuinness. READ MORE: The TV personality and Bolton's Paddy McGuinness announced in 2022 they had split after more than a decade of marriage, and earlier this year she quit Channel 4 programme Celebs Go Dating because 'the attention that brings is just too soon for me'. The couple shares three children together, 10-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and seven-year-old Felicity. Celebrity Gogglebox is back for its seventh season, with the first new episode available to watch on Channel 4 – each Celebrity Gogglebox season so far has had six episodes.
Cosmopolitan
5 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Ranking all the best bits you missed from Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter London tour dates
Beyoncé is in town, people! Queen Bey is currently halfway through her London leg of the Cowboy Carter Tour, and those who managed to secure tickets have witnessed music royalty in real-time. For those who didn't - or won't - be making it to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we've resorted to catching the best bits through our phone screens. So, as Beyoncé takes it easy for a couple of days before taking back to the stage on 10th June, we thought now might be the perfect time to look back on the epic performances so far. Because honestly, there have been some pretty iconic moments. For all the Beyoncé sleuths out there, you'll likely have checked out the setlist way ahead of time. Of course, the tour is in support of her Grammy-winning album, Cowboy Carter, meaning the show revolves mostly around this era. However, that doesn't mean that plenty of her other hit songs are out of the question. Despite this, many were gutted when her 2022 Renaissance hit 'Break My Soul' was nowhere to be seen on lists... Until now. Thankfully, on 7th June, she performed it as a surprise song. And as you can hear from the crowd's screams, it was the correct artistic decision to make. During the opening London show, Beyoncé also performed her Renaissance track, 'Energy.' With that, she prompted fans to reenact the Renaissance World Tour staple, the "mute challenge." To recap, this is where fans go silent when she sings the lyrics "look around everybody on mute." In 2022, it made its way onto social media and became a viral TikTok sensation. "We got Donatella Versace in the house," Beyoncé told the crowd towards the end of the show on night two. Which is perhaps the reason fans were treated to some new looks. Continuing with her cowboy couture theme, she donned cowboy hats, boots and plenty of fringe. During 'Alliigator Tears,' she served a fresh fit consisting of a white top, white skirt, thigh-high boots and fringe gloves. Later, she donned a Versace ensemble complete with a ruffled dress with matching boots and gloves. It's the UK. Rain doesn't spare anyone, even Sasha Fierce. On night one, the heavens opened, but rather than fuming at the weather, fans seemed to embrace it. Many even called it iconic. One person said that the downpour during 'Bodyguard' was a vibe, while others said that the rain made Honey Balenciaga's section of the show "all the more iconic." It didn't seem to bother Queen Bey, either, as she told the crowd: "We won't let the rain stop us." Unfortunately, even during a Beyoncé show, things can't always be guaranteed to go 100% smoothly. It's how you deal with unprecedented mishaps that separates amateurs from pros. On the first night, while performing 'I'm That Girl,' Bey encountered a wardrobe malfunction during a choreographed moment. Her gold chaps literally fell down around her ankles, but rather than freaking out, she continued. Her expression didn't change, nor did she try and fix the problem. Rather, one of her dancers subtly slipped them back up, fastened them, and carried on with the performance. It wasn't until after the chaps were firmly back up that Beyoncé hilariously acknowledged the slick moment: she just laughed as if to say, "s**t happens." And finally, how could we leave out the sweetest moment of all? Beyoncé literally hyped up her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who has been a major part of the Cowboy Carter Tour, as she left the stage. Just look at how proud she is of her! Mother-daughter goals right there. There's a reason she's called Queen Bey.
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Former Disney star Christy Carlson Romano reveals shocking details about nearly losing her eye after being shot in face
Christy Carlson Romano is speaking out about nearly losing an eye after she was shot in the face four months ago. During an appearance on the upcoming June 10 episode of the 'Not a Damn Chance!' podcast, via a sneak peek by People magazine, the 41-year-old former Disney star recalled the terrifying incident while she was shooting clay pigeons with her husband, Brendan Rooney, for his birthday. Asked how it happened, Romano explained she was not 'at liberty to say specifics,' according to People. The actress previously revealed on Instagram that she was 'hit in five places,' including below her eye. Romano shared details for the first time about what transpired. 'It's a birdshot that got sprayed in my direction by another party, and essentially it was within 200 feet, which means really fast and hot,' she told hosts Neen Williams and Frankland Lee. 'They weren't malicious,' Romano clarified. 'It wasn't aggravated assault. It's what happened.' The 'Even Stevens' star then emphasized the importance of gun safety and described her initial response. 4 Christy Carlson Romano sits in the hospital after being shot in the face at a party in February, 2025. 'I feel very out of body about it. … It's pretty wild,' she said. 'I'm shocked, and what goes through my head immediately is, 'Oh that's dope, I just got shot.' And then I go, 'Oh now I'm gonna die,'' she said. 'I take a knee. My husband witnessed it and was like, 'Hey are you hit?' because I didn't scream. I didn't do anything. I was just out of body.' Romano recalled she had a knee-jerk reaction upon being shot that stemmed from her time on the third season of the FOX reality TV series 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.' 4 The actress previously revealed on Instagram that she was 'hit in five places,' including below her eye. Christy Carlson Romano/Instagram In the show, celebrity contestants take on grueling military exercises and challenges under the direction of ex-Special Forces operatives. Romano explained that the contestants were trained to give a thumbs-up to let their fellow cast members know that they were OK during the series' perilous challenges. The 'Kim Possible' alum recalled that, out of habit, she gave Rooney a thumbs-up immediately after she was shot. 'He was like, 'Oh, you're good.' And I was like, 'No I'm hit.' He goes, 'Oh s—,'' Romano recalled of her husband's reaction. She remembered that Rooney rushed to her aid and had to restrain himself from retaliating against the other party. 4 Christy Carlson Romano and Hillary Duff in a scene from 'Cadet Kelly.' ©Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection 'So, he's running to me and making sure I'm OK, and he's fighting the urge to hurt the person … but he's been practicing stoicism recently, and there was something in him,' Romano recalled. 'He was immediately into action mode, evaluating me and ran to get the car. 'I felt this huge rush that I'd never felt before where I was starting to get really woozy. I think it was shock.' Romano told the hosts she didn't experience any pain initially and described the thoughts that were running through her head, including her fears her children might be affected. The actress shares daughters Isabella, 7, and Sofia, 5, with Rooney. 'I was covered in blood from my forehead … and I said three things. I was like, 'Am I gonna die? Who's gonna take care of the girls? Is my career over?'' she recalled. Romano explained that she came close to being blinded or killed. 'If my head would've been tilted in any other direction, I would have been blind in my right eye. Or if I had turned my head, I could have gotten hit in a softer side of my skull, and I would have potentially been dead,' Romano said. 'It's still in my eye,' she said of the pellets from the shotgun. 'I have a fragment still in my forehead, and I have a fragment still behind my eye, which is 1 millimeter away from blinding me.' Romano previously explained on Instagram that the lead fragment behind her eye had to remain in her face because removing it could leave her blind. 4 Christy Carlson Roman poses for a picture during a family trip to Disneyland in May 2025. Christy Carlson Romano/Instagram The shot fragment lodged in her skull will also remain in place because doctors said it will expedite her healing process. During her podcast interview, Romano told hosts she put on a brave face at first and was making jokes about her medical crisis after she arrived at the hospital. 'In retrospect, I was trying to be funny and not cry because I wanted the people around me to feel more calm so that they could take better care of me,' Romano said. The former Broadway star admitted that it has been difficult to accept she is a 'gunshot survivor.' Clay pigeon shooting is an outdoor sport in which upside-down circular disks made of limestone and pitch used as targets are propelled into the air by machines called traps. Shooters use shotguns, with each shot projecting hundreds of small lead balls to hit the clay pigeons. The sport is typically not considered dangerous as long as safety measures are follow.
