© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Compelling Life Of Michael Bolton

Alterna2, Flickr Creative Commons

Michael Bolton has reinvented himself many times. A few years ago, he cut off his trademark hair.  He put out an album of opera arias and another of American Songbook Standards. But probably his biggest challenge was dealing with his image as a romantic icon so permanently rooted in the dead center of the mainstream that poking fun at him became an easy way for people who really weren't all that cool to prove they were at least cool enough to reject Michael Bolton.

You can't lay a thing like that completely to rest, but Bolton came close in 2011 when he hooked up with the Saturday Night Live trio of rap wannabes known as Lonely Planet  for a video. Here, the joke was Bolton's obsession with "Pirates of the Caribbean." It was joke he was very much in on, and -- 100 million YouTube views later --  it changed the way people see him. So what else is there that you didn't know about Bolton? Find out on today's show.

You can join the conversation, email colin@wnpr.org or tweet us @wnprcolin.
 

Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content