Singer Michael Bolton Doesn’t Let Aggressive Brain Cancer to Keep Him Down

Published: May 2, 2025

By Michaela Gordoni

Singer Michael Bolton finally revealed the details of his brain cancer diagnosis in a recent interview.

“He was in recovery in the hospital room singing within minutes,” his daughter Holly recalled of his December 2023 emergency brain surgery. “I remember one of the nurses [at the hospital] had no idea who he was, and she’s like, ‘Do you know he sings like this?'”

Upon hearing that, Holly and her two sisters took a breath of relief. The sisters have been helping their dad with his glioblastoma battle over the past year and a half.

“You’re reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought,” Bolton told PEOPLE last month. “Succumbing to the challenge is not an option.”

The treatments have affected Bolton’s short-term memory, speech and mobility.

“You’re really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of,” he said.

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Before Bolton had his emergency surgery to remove a tumor, his daughter, Taryn, noticed that his behavior was off when they were bowling together.

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

Bolton had surgery again in January 2024 due to an infection. He finished radiation and chemo last October and gets an MRI every two months to check whether his tumor has returned. His last scan, in April, was clear, but he knows that glioblastoma has a 90% return rate.

“Whenever you find yourself in any kind of challenging position, just to know that you’re not alone going through it is a big deal,” the “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” singer said. “It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they’re not alone.”

USA TODAY reported the average length of survival for glioblastoma patients is eight months, and the five-year survival rate is 6.9%. But Bolton chose not to receive a prognosis and is enjoying life with his kids and six grandkids in Connecticut.

“We’re in this together, and that’s it,” said Taryn.

The singer is trying to make the most of his life.

“I think we develop capabilities and problem management, and we learn how to make the best out of a bad situation,” he said. “You have to be a cheerleader for yourself.”

His main focus is making sure his daughters are prepared for their lives ahead.

“How do I give things that they can take forward? 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,” he said.

“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?’ ”

He’s definitely giving it his best try.

“I want to keep going. I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side,” he told PEOPLE. “I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight.’”

Keep pushing on, Bolton. Let’s hear that song.