Once described by an enthusiastic fan as 'the World's most wonderful human being', MICHAEL BOLTON can claim to be amongst a handful of artists to grab the AOR genre by the balls and hurl it into a new dimension. Born Michael Bolotin, the man was signed by RCA on the strength of his voice. Michael's singing was such that many couldn't believe that such a performance could come from the mouth of a white kid!

Michael recorded his first album in Tulsa. He had originally auditioned for Shelter Records in California, but the label passed and Bolotin wound up touring with LEON RUSSELL before heading back to his native Connecticut and the RCA deal that led him to that recording studio in Oklahoma

self-titled, R&B fuelled debut album was released in 1975. It was recorded with the likes of guitarist Wayne Perkins, bassist Patrick Henderson and drummer Andy Newmark. A young Marcy Levy also contributed backing vocals. She is, of course, better known now as Marcella Detroit!

A second record, 'Every Day Of My Life', surfaced a year later. Produced by Jack Richardson, the album had a rockier feel and found Michael working with Patrick Henderson, keyboard player Jan Mullaney and guitarist Billy Elworthy. The latter would turn up in FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS during the early 80s.

Unfortunately for the singer, the records were not a success and RCA would drop Michael by 1977. Having had a spell in Memphis looking for a new deal, Michael is believed to have worked with the rhythm section of bassist Willie Weeks and old drumming pal Andy Newmark on a series of demos. Bolotin then teamed himself with a fresh bunch of New York based musos to record material in a project that would ultimately transform itself into BLACKJACK.

With a rhythm section of ex-CARILLO bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Sandy Gennaro, Michael initially recruited CARILLO main man Frank Carillo as guitarist until one Bruce Kulick joined the fray. Bolton has claimed that BLACKJACK was conceived as a vehicle that gained him a recording contract with Polydor. Although signed as a solo artist, the general feeling at the time was that a band would be the best way to promote the man's undeniable talents.

For BLACKJACK's eponymous debut album, Bolotin roped in his old mate Jan Mullaney to play keyboards. Mullaney had worked with CARILLO since the pair had last recorded together. Sadly, Tom Dowd's poor production let the record down.

Eddie Offord was hired for 1980's 'Worlds Apart', but the record failed to make an impression and BLACKJACK were unceremoniously dumped.

Having gone back to the drawing board, Michael chose to split the group and relaunch himself as a true solo artist once again. Teamed up with new manager Louis Levin, Michael set to work on a series of demos that would enable him to gain a new deal with CBS Records and adopt the new, improved surname of Bolton.

The 'Michael Bolton' album launched the man as a true Hard Rock artist.

Issued in 1983, 'Michael Bolton' revealed the vocalist to have been working with the cream of New York's Hard Rock world. Michael had co-written material with TOUCH men Mark Mangold and Craig Brooks, session man Scott Zito and his old friend Patrick Henderson. Those who actually played on the album included Mangold, Brooks, Zito, Jan Mullaney, both Bruce and Bob Kulick, Bob Kulick's BALANCE colleagues Doug Katsaros and Chuck Burgi, ex RAINBOW and URIAH HEEP bassist Mark Clarke, ALDO NOVA and even PARLIAMENT man George Clinton. Despite the undoubted quality of the material, the album failed to register and Michael Bolton was thus left to go back to the drawing board to create the even grander 'Everybody's Crazy'.

With Neil Kernon at the production desk, the 1985 released album once again found Bolton working with Mark Mangold and Jan Mullaney. The record also boasted performances from Bruce Kulick, ex SPEEDWAY BOULEVARD and BALANCE bassist Dennis Feldman, GOOD RATS / BILLY SQUIER bassist Schuyler Deale and minor roles for erstwhile BALANCE men Peppy Castro and Doug Katsaros.

Again, a Bolton album failed to take off, as radio seemed unable to appreciate what the man had to offer. Ironically, Bolton would quickly become a source of hits for other artists, culminating in the Bolton / Mangold penned 'I Found Someone' turning into a huge hit for CHER.

Michael Bolton was to return to the fray in 1987 with a brand new album, although it would be noticeably lacking in Hard Rock flavour, going for a more mainstream approach typified by his treatment of OTIS REDDING's 'The Dock Of The Bay'. Nevertheless, 'The Hunger' featured four tracks produced by JOURNEY keyboard player JONATHON CAIN. The tracks were also co-written with Cain and featured his erstwhile JOURNEY colleagues NEAL SCHON, Randy Jackson and Mike Baird in a playing capacity on two of them. Indeed, Schon gets a co-writing credit on 'You're All I Need' which also features MR. BIG's ERIC MARTIN and GIUFFRIA man DAVID GLEN EISLEY on backing vocals. Two other tracks on the album were co-written by Bolton with fellow AOR cult hero MARTIN BRILEY and the record would give Bolton his first top 20 hit with 'That's What Love Is All About'

Bolton opened for HEART on the Wilson Sisters' summer tour in 1988. Michael's touring band featured ex-PABLO CRUISE and BERLIN guitarist Stef Burnbaum (later to rename himself STEF BURNS for a stint in Y&T), Cain on guitar and his JOURNEY colleague bassist Ross Valory, Cain's brother Muggs on drums and keyboard player Rolf Hartley. The set included a rendition of 'I Found Someone', the aforementioned song Bolton and Mark Mangold co-wrote for CHER's self-titled comeback album a year earlier.

Unfortunately for Bolton fans who prefer the man's heavier exploits, releases since 'The Hunger' have tended to find their hero drifting well away from the Hard Rock histrionics of his early work. Despite becoming a household name as a result, the material Bolton has offered since is rather beyond the scope of this work.