Michael Bolton to release memoir

Best known throughout the world for his unmistakable, soulful voice and Grammy Award®-winning, chart-topping music, the story behind singer/songwriter Michael Bolton’s celebrated career has never been explored in such rich detail – until now. In his first memoir, The Soul of it All (Center Street/Hachette Book Group, November 13, 2012), Bolton offers a backstage pass into the fascinating life journey from anonymity to a world-renowned music career.

Growing up from humble beginnings in New Haven, Connecticut, Bolton began a career in music writing songs as early as age 9. At 15, he found himself hitchhiking cross-country along Route 66 with his band, where the musician and songwriter sought out odd jobs, including becoming a babysitter for a youngPaula Abdul. He eventually landed a label deal with Epic Records, however, it would be 18 long years before he would score his first definitive hit and breakthrough as a superstar. In The Soul Of It All, Bolton recounts many little known but life-altering experiences that shaped the man he would become.

Die-hard Michael Bolton fans will hear for the first time details of a rewarding yet often challenging journey. From the emotional trauma resulting from his parent’s divorce, to his early days as an artist indulging in the excesses of the 60s and 70s and through a period where he struggled to make ends meet by recording jingles to support his wife and three young daughters. His focus and talent would ultimately deliver him into the company of world leaders and Presidents of the United States as well as into the arms of some of the loveliest Hollywood stars.

All the while, he’s never forgotten to give back and has leveraged his celebrity to help raise millions for charitable causes, including his own foundation protecting women and children at risk. On the path towards selling more than 53 million records, Michael has performed to millions of fans worldwide and has worked with iconic singers and songwriters including Luciano Pavarotti, RayCharles, Bob Dylan, KISS, Cher, Rascal Flatts and Lady Gaga. And he’s continued to expand. In a brilliantly hilarious Emmy Award®-nominated Digital Short featured on “Saturday Night Live,” Michael won over a whole new legion of young fans with a song about Captain Jack Sparrow.

“This book is about the soul of it all, the heartfelt emotions and vital forces created in a lifetime spent developing gifts and pursuing passions,” writes Bolton. “I think of it as a light that shines through dedicated artists of every kind, giving depth and color to everything we create, so that it touches and elevates the lives of those within our reach.”

“We all know that my friend Michael Bolton is a gifted musician and a devoted philanthropist - but you may not know that he's also a talented storyteller,” says President Bill Clinton. "’The Soul of it All’ is the fascinating journey of a man who is as powerful, bold, and soulful as his voice.”

While he has cemented his status as a pop culture icon, Bolton says he still has work to do. “Like a sculptor working with stone, I want to remove all that is less wise, less noble, less patient, less present, until I become something closer to perfection.”