Michael Bolton had a 'weird' symptom that led to his brain cancer diagnosis
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Michael Bolton and family have revealed the 'weird' symptom which led to his brain cancer diagnosis as he broke his silence over the battle.
The 72-year-old When A Man Loves A Woman hitmaker - who received well-wishes from fans - and his daughters revealed that he was enjoying family time in the fall of 2023 when something interesting happened.
His daughters - Isa, 49, Holly, 47, and Taryn, 45 - recalled to People magazine that the family had been enjoying a night of bowling when Michael bowled out of turn then did it an additional two times.
Taryn called the incident 'super weird' as she explained: '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.'
Earlier that same night just after Thanksgiving of that year, the family noticed another red flag.
Taryn said: '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?"'
Bolton proceeded to have a 'bad headache' through the weekend before going to the hospital that Monday where it was confirmed that he had a brain tumor.
The tumor had been removed in its entirety a week later and doctors confirmed it was glioblastoma.
According to the Mayo Clinic: 'Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue. Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells.'
Bolton was booked and busy leading up to the incidents as he appeared on The Masked Singer and performed a few concerts.
However, he performed at a charity event on Richard Branson's Necker Island in mid-November 2023 where Bolton had battled nausea and balance issues so his daughters believed it was due to stress and exhaustion.
Taryn recalled her train of thought at the time as she said: '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.'
This comes as the artist has given an update on his cancer journey as he continues to battle the disease, imploring that 'succumbing to the challenge is not an option.'
The Grammy-winning singer, 72 was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, in December 2023 and was required to undergo 'immediate surgery.'
Since then, Michael has been leaning on his aforementioned daughters as well as spending valuable family time with his grandchildren, Amelia, 14, Olivia, 13, Dylan, 11, Grayson, 10, River, nine, and Jack, eight.
While he purposefully avoided hearing a prognosis, Michael is staying optimistic.
Opening up about his cancer journey, he said: '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. You're really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that's the way you find out what you're made of.'
He continued to People: '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.
'It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they're not alone.'
In January 2024, one month after he shared the news of his cancer diagnosis, he wrote a candid Facebook post with his fans and shared a health update.
'I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy and healthy new year! I also want to share that 2023 ended up presenting me with some very unexpected challenges,' he wrote.
'Just before the holidays, it was discovered that I had a brain tumor, which required immediate surgery.'
With hope and optimism, he added: 'Thanks to my incredible medical team, the surgery was a success.
'I am now recuperating at home and surrounded by the tremendous love and support of my family.'
At the time, the musician said that he 'will be devoting my time and energy to my recovery' and will 'take a temporary break from touring.'
'It is always the hardest thing for me to ever disappoint my fans or postpone a show, but have no doubt I am working hard to accelerate my recovery and get back to performing soon.'
In February, Michael canceled his London O2 Arena concert which had been slated for July 5.
He announced via Instagram Story that he would no longer be playing the show but that all tickets would be refunded.
'You all know how much I was looking forward to this show, but I am continuing to heal from surgery,' he said.
The When A Man Loves A Woman singer went on to thank fans for their continued support.
'Thank you for all your love and positive energy over this past year. I am so grateful to have the most supportive fans in the world.'
