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The Soul of it All - My Music, My Life
by Michael Bolton
Center Street
ISBN 978-1-4555-2365-8
Published January 2013 - Hardcover - 340 pages - $24.99

Michael Bolton.  MMmmmmm.  Say no more.  He is one of my favorite singers, especially his opera, but I've not heard or seen him much over the past decade.  I loved his innocent attitude, his gorgeous face, his long hair, and of course his songs.  I never really loved his voice as I always thought he was straining, or trying too hard.  But this prolific songwriter's songs were really good.  Back to his "innocence".  Well, young Michael Bolton wasn't as clean-cut back then as he appears these days.  He was a long-haired wannabe singer who played a little sports and smoked a little pot.  Actually, a lot of pot, but thankfully he later came to his senses and gave it up.  His parents divorced when he was around 10 but they both continued to encourage their three children, be it sports, education or music.  Bolton grew up in the sixties in New Haven, CT, and spent a lot of time hanging out with hippies in Greenwich Village, smoking pot and listening to the music of the day.  He found his passion at age 14 when he realized he could really sing and the patrons at Yale hangouts loved him.  His story is an interesting read and I kinda found it a little shocking to learn about his rebeliousness at such a young age—at age 16 he and his friends hitchhiked to California and he'd quit school at age 14.  It just doesn't seem plausible when looking at the man today.  His success came some eighteen years later, after signing with CBS, with his song that he co-wrote with Doug James, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" which was a hit for Laura Branigan.  I found his work ethic and work method interesting, and those he's co-written with make a rather impressive list, which includes Bob Dylan.  He talks about his three daughters, his divorce at a young age and how he raised his girls.  There is talk of his deep friendship and love for Nicollette Sheridan, his amazing foray into opera (listen to his album "My Secret Passion"), savvy advice about the recording industry and what it takes to be a great singer/songwriter, as well as his beloved Michael Bolton Charities which supports women and children hurt by domestic violence and abuse.
Conclusion - And here I thought this man was such a goody goody.  Maybe these days but not back then.