Michael Bolton Opens Up About Cancer Two Years After Shocking Diagnosis

Michael Bolton’s incomparable voice and killer love songs helped make him one of the biggest-selling soft rock artists of all time. He toured the world and played to sold-out crowds for decades. But life changed in a blink for Michael when he received a shocking diagnosis. In April 2025, he opened up about his glioblastoma diagnosis and life with brain cancer.

It’s been an arduous journey for Michael and his family. His daughter, Isa Bolton, opened up about Michael Bolton’s cancer to AARP. “Imagine learning your parent has glioblastoma — an aggressive form of brain cancer — and then feeling you can’t tell a soul due to privacy concerns. Now, imagine that your parent is Michael Bolton, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, known worldwide,” Isa recalled.

“Most families — most people — would be able to rely on friends and family, to hold them and to hug them and to support them and care for them. We became a very small island.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Bolton (@michaelbolton) Michael Bolton Kept His Cancer Diagnosis a Secret for a Long Time Isa Bolton explained that Michael Bolton received his cancer diagnosis in December 2023 after a fall and a host of other frightening symptoms.

After surgery, his youngest daughter, Taryn, moved in with her dad and her family. Isa and her sister, Holly, also regularly visit to care for Michael. “One of the interesting things about becoming an adult child caregiver to a parent is that the relationship dynamic does shift so profoundly,” Isa said.

“You have an opportunity to work through some things that were challenging and to recognize that you don’t have to be put into a position that maybe you had pigeonhole yourself into in the relationship. You can redefine the relationship in a new way.” Michael Bolton said that having the support of his family during his cancer journey has been the best gift.

It means more than I could ever put into words. My daughters have been constant in a way that grounds me. On the harder days, they help me stay centered. On the lighter ones, they bring out the laughter that makes everything feel possible again.

They remind me of who I am and what’s worth fighting for,” he told AARP. This story’s featured image is by Adrián Monroy/Medios y Media/Getty Images.