Biography
Michael Bolton — singer with roots in the Russian Empire
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter who had massive commercial success in the late 1980s and 1990s, with ballads including How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, When a Man Loves a Woman, and Said I Loved You But I Lied. He has sold over 75 million records worldwide.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Russia (General)
Born Michael Bolotin in New Haven in 1953, his family name reflects Russian-Jewish immigrant origins — the Bolotins came from the Russian Empire. He changed his name professionally, but the emotional directness and the gift for expressing heartbreak that power his ballads carry something of that inherited cultural sensibility.
Family Tree
Subject
Michael Bolton🇺🇸 USA
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Family
"Bolotin"
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Origin
Russia (General)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Russia (General). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You (1989) — No. 1 hit
02
When a Man Loves a Woman (1991) — Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance
03
Said I Loved You But I Lied (1993) — Grammy Award
04
75 million records sold worldwide
05
2 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance
Sources