Michael Bolton Shines a Light on Motor City in ‘American Dream: Detroit’

Beyond being a GRAMMY-winning, internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, Michael Bolton has long been a social activist, frequently utilizing his voice to support and advance humanitarian causes. Bolton has been a committed advocate of the practice of giving back, which is at the root of his latest creative endeavor, producing a full-length documentary film entitled “American Dream: Detroit.”

As a profound source of inspiration to Michael Bolton’s own career path, the city of Detroit’s rich musical heritage – from the seminal soul staples of Motown artists like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robison through to the hard-driving rock of Alice Cooper and Bob Seeger – nurtured Bolton’s muse, but its beleaguered history as a city beset by hardship prompted him to want to do something to help change the narrative. Initially blighted, a half-century ago, by economic decline in the wake of deindustrialization, Detroit continues to be saddled with a pervasive preconception of hardship. But a new day is rising in the Motor City. While the city still faces challenges, a new generation of young visionaries and entrepreneurs is reinventing, rebuilding and re-investing in Detroit. In tandem with this new momentum. Michael Bolton is doing his part to shine a light on the city, its cultural significance and its burgeoning renaissance.

Reaching out to tell Detroit’s story through the voices of its own, Bolton assembled some of the city’s creative luminaries, from fellow musicians Aretha Franklin and Alice Cooper through celebrated director Francis Ford Coppola, author Mitch Albom and fashion designer John Varvatos, to share their thoughts on Detroit’s past, present and future. The resulting documentary is an emotional comeback story and a heartfelt testament to the city’s enduring spirit that will inspire, inform and prompt viewers to want to visit and explore Detroit for themselves. “American Dream: Detroit” arrives in theaters on May 15 for one special screening. Don’t miss it.