Michael Bolton has sold over 75 million records, racked up 16 Top 40 hits, 2 Grammys and hundreds of millions of views on his viral videos with The Lonely Island. Still, one of the highlights of his 5 decade career has been to work with Lady Gaga. The song, Murder My Heart, was written by Bolton and Gaga and appears on his One World, One Love album.
In a very special episode of Pop Culture Weekly, the legendary crooner told me, "It was one of my favorite writing sessions...I got a phone call from the record company saying she was a big fan and wanted to write with me. We wrote until 4:30 in the morning."
Bolton continues, "She was such a pleasure to work with. She has such a great work ethic....She reminded me of me at the beginning of everything happening. She's willing to do the work. Which I recommend to all artists. Become a partner with their champions, whether it's the record label or some sort of team that's fighting for you. You need to show up for your own career and put the work in. Nothing replaces the work if you have the talent."
Bolton is currently on tour promoting his new album, A Symphony of Hits. The album features 12 of his biggest hits completely reimagined with the backing of a full symphonic orchestra. From his classic covers like When A Man Loves A Woman to his self penned hits like How Can We Be Lovers, Bolton's voice sounds as strong as ever and is complemented by the new orchestral arrangements. The tour features a full symphonic orchestra at every show, offering a unique chance to see the artist in a way they haven't before.
Hear the full conversation with Michael Bolton spanning his entire career on this very special episode of Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle Mcmahon.
Photo: Timothy White, courtesy of Montaigne Records.