Host Biography

Michael Bolton, the multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter and social activist who has sold more than 65 million albums and singles worldwide, continues to tour the world every year, all while writing, recording and taping for a wide array of projects spanning music, film, television and branded entertainment. Bolton remains committed to humanitarian causes, especially through The Michael Bolton Charities, as well as other philanthropic organizations.

Celebrating 50 years of contributions to the entertainment industry, Bolton's most recent release, "A Symphony of Hits," a No. 1 album on the Billboard Classical Chart, is a collection of his favorite greatest hits newly arranged and recorded with a full symphony orchestra. To date, Bolton has seen nine studio albums rank in the Top 10, with nine No. 1 singles. He is currently writing, recording and producing an album of original music with contemporary songwriters, producers and artists.

In recognition of his artistic achievements, Bolton has won two GRAMMYS for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance (nominated four times), six American Music Awards and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a songwriter, he has earned over 24 BMI and ASCAP Awards, including Songwriter of the Year, nine Million-Air Awards and the Hitmakers Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Known for his soulful voice and poignant lyrics, his timeless charm and good looks have also earned him a spot in several People Magazine's Sexiest Man issues, including Sexiest Man Alive. In his autobiography, "The Soul of it All" (Hachette/Center Street), Bolton states he is just teeing off on the back nine of his career.

Bolton became a viral sensation in The Lonely Island's Emmy®-nominated video "Captain Jack Sparrow," which launched on Saturday Night Live, and has racked up nearly 220 million views on YouTube. He earned another Emmy nod for his collaborations with the Screen Junkies channel popular "Honest Trailers," and partnered with Funny or Die to release a spoof on the cult-classic "Office Space," which achieved immortal status.

Bolton executive produced and starred in the Netflix show "Michael Bolton's Big Sexy Valentine's Special," which has already become a seasonal cult classic. He recently teamed up with Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeart Podcast Network to launch his own original scripted comedic series, "Michael Bolton's Big Sexy Podcast," which will launch in 2021.

Bolton's comedic appearances span several television and cable hit series, and his songs are frequently heard on "American Idol," "The Voice," "America's Got Talent" and "X-Factor" all around the world. Additionally, Bolton has launched his own music competition show on AXN in Asia, which features the singer unearthing hidden talent to mentor and challenge into a position on his next Asian Dream tour.

Internationally renowned, Bolton has recorded and performed with musical icons that have inspired and influenced his own career, including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Renee Fleming, and played guitar with BB King. Bolton earned a GRAMMY nomination for "Georgia on my Mind" and was invited to sing the classic song to Ray Charles when Charles was honored at the International Jazz Hall of Fame Awards in 1997.

A diverse and prolific songwriter, Bolton has worked with some of the greatest songwriters and producers of our time, including Lady Gaga, Diane Warren, Desmond Child, David Foster, and Walter Afanasieff, among others. He is one of the very few artists to have co-written with the legendary Bob Dylan, resulting in the mega hit "Steel Bars." Bolton has penned songs that have been recorded and performed by a diverse list of over 100 artists, ranging from KISS and Cher to Streisand and Kenny Rogers. He has collaborated with contemporary artists ranging from Cheat Codes to Kid Cudi and his songs have been sampled by Jay Z and Kanye West.

Bolton has always been attracted to a wide array of musical categories and themes, from Sinatra favorites ("Bolton Swings Sinatra") to classical arias ("My Secret Passion"), which achieved No. 1 on the classical charts for six consecutive weeks. He paid homage to the musical influences of his childhood with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville USA," and celebrated beloved soundtrack songs from great films in "Songs of Cinema."

Bolton's songs and performances have been featured in numerous television and film soundtracks, including the Oscar®-nominated theme song "Go the Distance" from Walt Disney's blockbuster animated film "Hercules," and the title song for the Russell Crowe film "Fathers & Daughters." He also executive produced the documentary "Terror at Home addressing Domestic Violence in America" and was Emmy-nominated for writing the title song "Tears of The Angels." His passion project, "American Dream: Detroit," is a feature-length documentary about the 21st Century renaissance of the Motor City.

For his dedication to social activism, Bolton has been honored with several humanitarian awards – including the Martin Luther King Award granted by the Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.), the Lewis Hine Award from The National Child Labor Committee, the Muhammed Ali Humanitarian Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and the Frances Preston Lifetime Achievement Award. Bolton is especially proud of the initiatives carried out by his own foundation. The Michael Bolton Charities has been advocating on behalf of women and children at risk for more than 25 years.