Michael Bolton Rock ballad singer Date of Birth: 26.02.1953 Country: USA

1. Michael Bolton: The Successful Rock Ballad Performer
2. Joining Blackjack and Solo Career
3. Chart-Topping Success

Michael Bolton: The Successful Rock Ballad Performer

Michael Bolton is considered one of the most commercially successful rock ballad artists. He was influenced by soul and blues musicians such as Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye. His first single was recorded on the Epic label in 1968, but his debut album was not released until 1975. The album featured renowned musicians such as Bernard Purdie, David Sanborn, and session musician Wayne Perkins. Reviews of the album were mixed, although critics noted the clear similarity between Bolton's voice and Joe Cocker's.

Joining Blackjack and Solo Career

In the late 1970s, Michael Bolton accepted an invitation to join the hard rock band Blackjack and became the lead vocalist for the group. Despite being produced by experienced Tom Dowd, who had worked with David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and The Allman Brothers Band, and master musician Eddie Offord, the band's two albums went largely unnoticed. After the breakup of Blackjack, guitarist Bruce Kulick joined Billy Squier, drummer Sandy Gennaro joined the Pat Travers Band, and bassist Jim Hesslip became a session musician.

Michael Bolton signed a contract with Columbia Records and returned to his solo career. Initially, Bolton found success as a composer, with his song "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You," co-written with Doug James, becoming a hit for Laura Branigan in 1983. In his solo work, Bolton focused on melodic hard rock, and his first major success came in 1987 with the release of the album "The Hunger," which featured the powerful soul ballad "That's What Love Is All About," immediately entering the American Top 20.

Chart-Topping Success

From that point on, many of Bolton's songs reached the charts, often consisting of simple and sentimental soul ballads. However, this in no way detracted from the composer's musical qualities. The new arrangement of "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" also reached the charts, along with several other love songs by Bolton, including "How Can We Be Lovers," "Love Is A Wonderful Thing," and "Time, Love And Tenderness."