Michael Bolton Opens Up About Brain Cancer Battle: ‘Succumbing to the Challenge Is Not an Option’

More than a year after revealing that he had undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his brain, Michael Bolton is opening up about his cancer battle at length for the first time.

Speaking to People for a cover story with his family published Wednesday (April 30), the 72-year-old icon shared new details about being diagnosed with glioblastoma — an aggressive form of cancer that “starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord” and “can invade and destroy healthy tissue,” according to Mayo Clinic — in December 2023. After receiving the diagnosis, he quickly underwent surgery, something he shared with fans while announcing that he’d be postponing his upcoming concerts in a January 2024 Instagram post.

Fortunately, Bolton’s doctors were able to remove the tumor in its entirety during surgery, and after a second brain surgery in January 2024 to treat an infection — plus a combination of radiation and chemotherapy — the musician has had no new tumors as of early April, when he had his last scan. But the road ahead will still be challenging, with Bolton now undergoing MRIs every two months to stay vigilant against glioblastoma’s high recurrence rate.

Fifteen months after surgery, Bolton reflects, “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,” he added to the publication, which noted that Bolton’s short-term memory, speech and mobility have suffered as a result of his treatments. “You’re really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of.”

Amid the life-changing experience, Bolton says he’s been redefining his definition of legacy. Rather than thinking about it in terms of his career — which includes two Grammys, 19 Billboard Hot 100 hits and two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — the “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” vocalist is now choosing to focus on what he’s leaving behind for his family.

“How do I give things that they can take forward?” he told People. “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?’”

“I want to keep going. I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side,” added Bolton, who has deliberately not received a prognosis to keep his hopes high. “I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight.’”

Also featured in the cover story were the musician’s daughters Isa, Taryn and Holly, who remembered how their dad started singing in his hospital room just minutes after waking up from surgery. Bolton and his family — which also includes six grandchildren — posed together in a photo for the piece, which Bolton shared on Instagram Wednesday and wrote, “My hope in sharing this part of my journey is that it might offer comfort to other families facing similar challenges, and perhaps even inspire those navigating their own adversity.”

“I also want to thank all of you for the love, support, and patience you’ve shown over this past year,” he added. “I’ve drawn strength from your encouragement, and I continue to draw strength from it every day as I move forward on this journey.”

The interview marks the first time Bolton has shared an in-depth update on his health. In March 2024, he simply wrote on Instagram, “I am healing well and doing better every day,” adding that he was “enjoying the company of my daughters and grandkids during this time at home and practicing on my putting green whenever it’s not raining!”

The following May, he announced that his postponed Greatest Hits Live concert at the O2 Arena in London would be rescheduled for July 5 this year. “Thank you all for your continued support during my recovery!” he wrote at the time. “Although I wanted to be there sooner I’m so looking forward to spending a special evening together at the O2 London next summer!!!”