Michael Bolton’s daughter recalls the “super weird” incident that led to his cancer diagnosis

Michael Bolton became a household name in the 1980s and '90s thanks to his powerfully-voiced, and emotional pop ballads. Bolton has sold over 75 million records over the course of his career, recorded eight Top 10 albums on the Billboard charts, and won several awards for his contributions to music including two Grammys.

Unfortunately, in recent times his health has become a concern since being diagnosed with cancer in 2023. Bolton was told he was suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer nearly a year and a half ago, and oddly enough his family was tipped off due to an incident that occurred while bowling. According to an exclusive interview in People, on that night at the lanes with his children and grandchildren, the Grammy winning artist kept bowling out of turn.

Eldest daughter Taryn described the incident as “super weird” before elaborating on how the incident served as a turning point for the family. She said:

“That was when we were like, ‘Something’s wrong with his brain’ Everything that happened was weird for him but not super alarming. When you look back at everything together … We missed so many things."

More on Bolton’s diagnosis, family’s response

While the bowling outing happened just after Thanksgiving 2023, Bolton’s family noticed several other red flags around the time. The first of these incidents occurred at a charity performance at Richard Branson’s Necker Island, where he experienced nausea and balance issues. His family chalked it up to exhaustion, but there was clearly something deeper beneath the surface. Taryn outlined her family’s mindset at the time, saying:

“Is this stress? Is this sleep? He’d been working nonstop that whole time. Traveling, doing shows, doing all of these things. We were like, he’s getting older, he’s tired, he’s stressed out. All of these things we sort of explained in a way, one by one.”

Then, shortly after the bowling incident the family noticed another troubling instance of him falling out of his chair, which is uncharacteristic given his fitness level and abstinence from drugs and alcohol.

“He fell out of his chair to the left, which is very unusual. He’s super athletic, and he doesn’t drink. So he fell, and we were like, ‘What just happened?’”

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A string of incidents in this vein, in conjunction with recurring headaches, forced Bolton to seek medical help that weekend, and MRI revealed he had a tumour in his brain. His subsequent treatment has included radiation and chemotherapy, which he finished in October 2024.

Given the nature of his affliction, Bolton is required to stay vigilant and receives MRIs every two months to ensure his tumor has not returned. His most recent scan, in early April, was clear. Glioblastoma has an extremely high recurrence rate, and while the singer's condition has improved, there are no promises for what the future holds at the moment.

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