30-04-2025
Michael Bolton Breaks Silence on Aggressive Brain Cancer
Singer and songwriter Michael Bolton, the distinct voice behind smash hit songs like Time, Love and Tenderness and How Am I Supposed To Live Without You? underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor back in Dec. 2023.
Amazingly, Bolton, who was 70-years-old at the time, experienced a remarkable recovery, as described by his daughter Holly.
"He was in recovery in the hospital room singing within minutes," his daughter explained in an exclusive with People. "I remember one of the nurses had no idea who he was, and she's like, 'Do you know he sings like this?'"
But the iconic singer, who sold more than 75 million records over the course of his highly-decorated, 50-year career in music, has since been facing a daunting battle with glioblastoma, the most aggressive and most common type of brain cancer in adults.
The initial diagnosis of glioblastoma came following the aforementioned emergency surgery in 2023 and, a little over year later in Jan. 2024, the 72-year-old Bolton had to undergo a second brain surgery due to an infection.
Despite the circumstances and the known aggressive nature of glioblastoma, the resilient Bolton seems to have maintained a truly positive outlook:
"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," said Bolton. "It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they're not alone."
According to the report by People, Bolton has purposely not been given a prognosis, instead taking the path of positivity, "choosing to remain hopeful."
It also certainly sounds like his perspective has changed given the severity of what he's been through in a relatively short timeframe, with a significant focus on his three daughters—Holly, Isa, and Taryn.
"How do I give things that they [his daughters] can take forward? Life lessons, love, any kind of validation that I can give — I want to be on the right side of that so they feel great about who they are," Bolton explained.
"It's a reality of mortality. Suddenly a new light has gone on that raises questions, including 'Am I doing the best that I can do with my time?' I want to keep going. I feel there's still a lot to do on the fight side."
Bolton finished that thought in what felt like signature fashion for the beloved singer, saying, "I got a title for a song: 'Ain't Going Down Without a Fight.'"
Throughout all of this, Bolton still makes time to practice meditation daily and somehow still reportedly "golfs as much as he can," in addition to working with a personal trainer and taking voice lessons which, again, is all just pretty remarkable for someone who finished radiation and chemotherapy treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer in October.
With the uplifting news that his latest MRI scan in April was clear, Bolton shared some inspiring words regarding his notably fearless approach as he continues to push forward, along with his general outlook in facing this ongoing battle.
"You're reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought," the two-time Grammy winner said. "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."
