Michael Bolton opens up for 1st time about brain cancer battle
Singer Michael Bolton is opening up about his battle with brain cancer.
The Grammy-winning singer best known for his hit song, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," spoke to People in an exclusive interview about his fight with glioblastoma, which he was diagnosed with in 2023.
Glioblastoma is a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In the months after his diagnosis, he described it as, "You're reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought."
"Succumbing to the challenge is not an option. You're quickly drawn into a duel," Bolton told People for the latest issue, available on newsstands Friday. "I guess that's the way you find out what you're made of."
Bolton revealed that he had successful emergency brain surgery in a social media post in January 2024.
At the time, he didn't disclose if the brain tumor was cancerous or not, nor did he suggest a specific reason behind the urgency of the surgery. Bolton announced a break from touring at the time to recover.
His family said they first noticed something wasn't right when Bolton was experiencing nausea and balance issues while at a charity event on Richard Branson's Necker Island in November 2023. Then after Thanksgiving, Bolton unexpectedly fell from his chair.
"That was when we were like, 'Something's wrong with his brain,'" Bolton's daughter Taryn, 45, said. "Everything that happened was weird for him but not super alarming. When you look back at everything together… We missed so many things."
After his first surgery, he had a second surgery in January 2024 due to an infection, according to People. In October 2024, he finished radiation and chemotherapy treatment and has since undergone MRIs every two months.
According to People, his recent scan in April was clear.
Bolton said his family is what has helped him during this challenging time.
"It's unimaginable moving forward without my family being so on board," he said. "There's a certain amount of light they bring. I just feel better to have them there. This is a house of laughter, thankfully."
Bolton and his daughters said that this experience has also brought them closer together.
Bolton said that the questions he's faced recently concern his daughters.
"How do I give things that they can take forward? Life lessons, love, any kind of validation that I can give [them]," he said. "I want to be on the right side of that so they feel great about who they are."
He continued, "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?'"
In terms of music, cancer hasn't stopped him from creating, saying that songwriting "feeds me."
Bolton added that he hopes others can find comfort in his story and hopes that those who are facing a similar situation will know that "they're not alone."
"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," he said. "It actually helps people to know."
He added, "I want to keep going. I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side,” he says. “I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight.’ ”
