The good news for Michael Bolton is that his latest scan for brain cancer came back clear, but the bad news is the type of cancer he has been battling.
The 72-year-old legendary singer revealed to PEOPLE that he has been battling glioblastoma. That is a rare, aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.
It is heartbreaking news for fans of the singer who, per PEOPLE, has sold 75 million records and won two Grammys across his remarkable 50-year career.
“You’re reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought,” Bolton told PEOPLE. “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.”
PEOPLE said that Bolton was first diagnosed with glioblastoma in December of 2023. He went through an emergency brain surgery in which his doctors were able to completely remove the tumor — something that reportedly does not happen often — and then had another brain surgery in December 2024 to deal with an infection.
PEOPLE said that Bolton undergoes MRIs every two months to ensure the tumor has not come back. His April scan was clear.
“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,” Bolton told PEOPLE, explaining that he has declined to receive his prognosis on purpose. ‘It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they’re not alone.”
He told the site he meditates daily and golfs regularly, still works with a personal trainer, and still takes voice lessons.
“I find comfort in general more easily,” he said. “(The whole experience) gives me a heightened sense of appreciation. It’s unthinkable for it to be okay not to make the most of your life. I think we develop capabilities and problem management, and we learn how to make the best out of a bad situation. You have to be a cheerleader for you.”
Still, knowing what he is up against, Bolton told PEOPLE he is concerned about how he leaves his daughters.
“How do I give things that they can take forward?” he said. “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. 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?’
“I want to keep going,’ he added. “I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side. I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Withought a Fight.”
