Renowned for his unforgettably powerful voice and catalog of beloved songs, BMI singer / songwriter Michael Bolton has achieved the type of career most music creators only dream about. But despite his status as a GRAMMY-winning hitmaker with over 65 million albums sold, Bolton's rise to the top was anything but quick and easy. In this exclusive interview for BMI, Bolton speaks candidly about his humble beginnings as a struggling songwriter, penning singles for other artists, and the perseverance and inspiration that eventually led him to find his own voice and realize his dream.
A longtime champion of social activism, Michael Bolton has tirelessly used his considerable platform as a means of giving back. In 1993, he formed the Michael Bolton Charities, a philanthropic organization that provides relief and opportunity to women and children grappling with poverty, homelessness and abuse. A major campaign for this organization has been the Beyond Trauma: Youth Music Therapy Program, a highly personalized initiative that strives to empower and improve the lives of victims of significant trauma through their own musical creations. It's a project very close to Bolton's heart, and its success has been truly encouraging.
More recently, inspired by efforts to rebuild and restore the city of Detroit, a city with a rich musical heritage that informed his own songwriting, Bolton spearheaded and executive produced the documentary, American Dream: Detroit, shining a light on the Motor City's hard-earned rejuvenation. Learn more about that project here.