Michael Bolton Opens Up For First Time About Aggressive Brain Cancer Battle

Michael Bolton is opening up about his battle with cancer.

Early last year, the legendary singer revealed he concluded 2023 with a shocking brain tumor diagnosis which required “immediate” surgical intervention:

“Just before the holidays, it was discovered that I had a brain tumor, which required immediate surgery. Thanks to my incredible medical team, the surgery was a success.”

He told fans that in order to focus on healing he needed to take a step back from touring, which was the “hardest thing” for him to do. The Grammy winner added:

“But have no doubt I am working hard to accelerate my recovery and get back to performing soon.”

You can read his full announcement (below):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Bolton (@michaelbolton)

It’s now been over a year since the unexpected health announcement and Michael is sharing more updates.

In an interview with People published on Wednesday, the When a Man Loves a Woman singer’s daughter Holly recalled what his early recovery from surgery looked like:

“He was in recovery in the hospital room singing within minutes. I remember one of the nurses [at the hospital] had no idea who he was, and she’s like, ‘Do you know he sings like this?’”

HA! The memory serves as a glimmer of positivity in what’s since been a tough year for the Bolton family as Michael battles glioblastoma: “a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue. Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

According to the singer, his short-term memory, speech, and mobility have all been affected by his treatments for the aggressive brain cancer. But he’s not giving up. Michael told the outlet:

“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 really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of.”

The Love Is a Wonderful Thing singer revealed that after his December 2023 brain surgery, he had to undergo ANOTHER one the following month due to an infection. Since then, he’s persevered through both radiation and chemotherapy. He also has MRIs every two months to make sure the tumor has not returned. As of this month, he’s tumor free — but continuing to monitor it is a must as glioblastoma has a 90 percent recurrence rate, according to the Glioblastoma Foundation.

Michael told the outlet:

“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. It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they’re not alone.”

The Soul Provider revealed he’s chosen to not receive a prognosis to maintain hope. His daughter Taryn added:

“We’re in this together, and that’s it.”

He’s since settled down in Westport, Connecticut, where he lives a slower life with meditation, golf, and voice coaching. He said:

“I find comfort in general more easily. [The whole experience] gives me a heightened sense of appreciation. It’s unthinkable for it to be okay not to make the most of your life. I think we develop capabilities and problem management, and we learn how to make the best out of a bad situation. You have to be a cheerleader for yourself.”

Moving forward, he just wants to ensure his daughters, which includes a third named Isa, and six grandchildren are taken care of:

“How do I give things that they can take forward? Life lessons, love, any kind of validation that I can give [them] — I want to be on the right side of that so they feel great about who they are. 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?’”

But Michael hopes time is something he still has a lot of: