Michael Bolton Speaks Out About Brain Cancer for the First Time

Michael Bolton is opening up about his battle with brain cancer in an exclusive interview with People magazine.

The Grammy winner learned he was battling a rare and aggressive cancer called glioblastoma after an emergency surgery in December 2023. At the time, doctors were able to remove a brain tumor, but he was back in brain surgery the following month due to an infection.

Afterward, Bolton, 72, underwent chemotherapy and radiation. He now has MRIs every two months to make sure the glioblastoma, which reportedly has a recurrence rate of 90 percent, hasn’t come back.

Bolton has chosen not to get a prognosis.

According to People, Michael’s short-term memory, speech, and mobility have been affected by the treatments, but he tells the magazine of his journey, “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.”

Bolton's daughter Taryn, 45, also revealed some of the symptoms he was having in November 2023, leading up to his diagnosis.

She recalled one night, “He fell out of his chair to the left, which is very unusual. He’s super athletic, and he doesn’t drink. So he fell, and we were like, ‘What just happened?’”

Later that same night, they went bowling and Michael bowled out of turn more than once. “That was when we were like, ‘Something’s wrong with his brain.' Everything that happened was weird for him but not super alarming. When you look back at everything together … We missed so many things.”

Around the same time, he performed at Richard Branson's Necker Island and experienced nausea and balance issues.

Taryn recalled thinking, “Is this stress? Is this sleep? He’d been working nonstop that whole time. Traveling, doing shows, doing all of these things. We were like, he’s getting older, he’s tired, he’s stressed out. All of these things we sort of explained in a way, one by one.”

During this period he also suffered from a bad headache. It wasn't long after that doctors found the brain tumor.

Meanwhile, Michael says he is thankful for the support of others, and said, “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.”

Bolton is staying active by golfing, working with a personal trainer, and taking voice lessons. He also meditates and participates in voice therapy.

“It’s unthinkable for it to be okay not to make the most of your life,” he explained. “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.”

The artist also enjoys spending time with his daughters Isa, 49, Holly, 47 and Taryn as well as his six grandkids. He now says his legacy is more about family than just his music career.

Michael said of his girls, “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?’”

Bolton’s fight isn’t over. He said, “I want to keep going. I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side. I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight.’”

Pick up the latest issue of People, on newsstands Friday.