0:00

On with Mario a little bit. It's

0:03

up Mario Courtney Lopez joining me in studio.

0:05

Grammy winning icon Mr Michael Bolton,

0:08

Welcome to the show, sir, great to be here. Thanks for having

0:10

me. Now, we were just discussing before we hit

0:12

air that we see each other constantly.

0:15

Well, actually you see me. I don't necessarily see you.

0:17

I don't think you see me. But I'm I'm touring,

0:19

you know, sixty countries. I'm far

0:21

away from home, and you're a great

0:24

familiar face, and I feel like

0:26

I know you, and and I don't

0:28

feel like I'm in Taipei

0:30

and which is where I want. But

0:33

you're you're actually literally all over the world.

0:35

So awesome. That's great. I'm

0:37

traveling. Are

0:40

you getting the miles for it? No, no, I'm not getting

0:42

the miles. That's in the hotel room, by the way. Thing

0:44

to consider. What an't you getting for being

0:46

in every country? I go to, Oh my

0:48

gosh, that that is You're

0:50

great you. Oh, I appreciate

0:53

it, Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind

0:55

words. Now you mentioned, of course, being on on tour

0:57

and it being close to Valentine

1:00

Day, I gotta imagine you're in high demand. This this good time

1:02

of year for you right now, it's generally

1:04

a busy time of year. Um, I'm booked

1:07

all around it. Um

1:10

going to be at the Saban Theater, which

1:12

is will be the first time I've played. There's a beautiful

1:14

room and all my friends are calling me

1:16

for tickets in past. So

1:19

it's gonna be, uh, you know, a ten hour meet

1:22

and greet. I think afterwards something now, but we're

1:24

gonna have a lot of fun and think about

1:26

touring. Um this many years when

1:29

the dinosaurs first started. Um,

1:32

uh no it the

1:34

people often have this first

1:37

first record you ever made, like there are multiple

1:39

generations, especially with Captain Jack Sparrow

1:42

showing up you know years

1:44

later. Um.

1:47

They know all the hits and I

1:49

feel so comfortable with them that I can basically

1:51

start joking around from you know, the

1:54

first song on. In between songs,

1:56

we have conversations. They yell up

1:58

some pretty interesting things. I respond,

2:01

and the audience loves it

2:04

as long as we get back to the music. Right. So

2:07

you have dozens and dozens of hits,

2:09

how do you choose what you perform?

2:12

So, Um, that's a good question because

2:14

we often have to change

2:17

it up because we'll eventually we'll

2:19

hear um, I really

2:21

missed this song or that song. Sometimes I don't

2:23

want it to be too valid heavy. I

2:25

don't want to start selling pillows

2:27

show, although actually they do pillow

2:30

covers um. But that's

2:32

not the idea that's putting it under a sleep. UM.

2:34

It's the temper of the show and what makes the show work

2:36

really well. And at the

2:38

same time, you really you know, I've

2:41

been at it a long time, and once

2:43

I developed a

2:45

loyal following, I wanted to make sure I

2:48

knew what they wanted. It's a relationship, you know. So

2:51

we UM. We have a way of introducing like

2:54

a medley of some of the hits and

2:57

keep the show moving and then come back with

2:59

more temple u um.

3:02

But over the over the years, I don't

3:04

like to like to feel we've kind of perfected

3:06

it. But I I took

3:08

the greatest hits and recorded a

3:11

sixty five piece orchestra to it. So

3:14

now it's

3:18

a huge musical army.

3:20

Um, and we have we'll have

3:23

on the sixth we'll have about

3:25

a dozen string players are on stage and

3:28

so in a way we're going to actually have

3:30

the orchestra presence. So the audience

3:33

is sitting there going to be hearing symphonically

3:35

something really powerful. I bet that beautiful

3:37

changes it up for us, makes

3:40

it fresh for us. And sonically it's

3:42

so rich and beautiful,

3:45

cellos and violas moving while

3:47

I'm singing the hits that I've been singing for thirty five

3:50

years. You mentioned years,

3:52

And I'm always curious because you

3:54

have a I love a raspy voice, right, how

3:56

do you I know the your voice is like

3:58

a muscle too. How do you what? Literally,

4:01

yeah, what measures do you take to to take care

4:03

of the voice, or you'd be careful and not screaming a lot?

4:05

Do you not smoke or drink? Is irrelevant

4:08

because I used to see Sinatra and he'd have like

4:10

he'd always have a jack in his hand and a cigarettarette,

4:12

And so maybe it's

4:14

just what the individuals. There are some people that

4:17

no rules pertain to, you know, but

4:19

every once in a while you'll see it, of course,

4:22

seeing a cigarette smoke, seeing

4:25

cigarette smoke coming out of some of his mouth in between

4:28

vocal line, because he used to perform that

4:30

way, right, he'd have the cigarette, he'd have the jack shots

4:32

in Vegas, Scott A. Glass

4:34

in his hand and a cigarette. Night's like, that's

4:37

the don't do that poster um.

4:40

He could get away with it and we have no idea why. And

4:42

some people just you know, it's what they're made

4:44

of. But I got

4:46

invited to sing with Pavaratti, Domingo

4:49

and Carreras went to Italy and

4:51

performed. And these guys have their

4:53

next wrapped up like four

4:55

times over. They live religiously

4:58

to protect those two two vocal

5:00

cords, the two muscles that make

5:02

their lives what they wanted since they were kids

5:05

and being able to sing. Like a

5:08

great thing about sports is, you know, we're

5:10

similar and we travel and we take what we love

5:13

out on our out on tour basically,

5:15

and we love it our lifetime long. But

5:18

in sports, you know, you get in your thirties,

5:21

somebody's faster than your on the on the bench,

5:24

somebody's looking for your gig, like you know at

5:26

a really young age. Music, um,

5:28

if you're if you work hard enough and have good

5:31

luck with that, you can do it your whole

5:33

life. If you take care of your instrument, sleep

5:36

and sleep is like the eight hour

5:39

recharge for your body is the

5:41

absolute most important thing. You're right,

5:44

right on it. It's like I always say that sleep

5:46

is so incredibly underrated. You notice the difference

5:48

the long day, even my speaking

5:50

voice and everything. Yes, I'm actually

5:53

trying to speak a little bit more like this than you

5:55

know. The raspy voice was just down here. Raspy

6:00

voice has its advantages.

6:05

But yeah, you can't. I can't hang out

6:07

with the band and crew. The band and crew are the most fun people

6:10

that I there's a lot of been

6:12

with me for like thirty years. Um.

6:15

They have so much fun and they're laughing constantly

6:19

after the show. But that means if I

6:21

hang with them, I'm laughing constantly too.

6:24

He's laughing for the

6:26

throat after a two hour concert. You're

6:29

really supposed to zip it really

6:31

and become a really good listener. But

6:35

you hang out with people who are fun, you're gonna

6:37

be laughing. Yeah, you're gonna be talking over

6:39

the noise that's around. And

6:42

at some point I learned that

6:44

I had to pace myself how many shows

6:46

I could do with in a certain period of time. Get on

6:48

stage and still have the high sea and have the big

6:51

notes, the belting notes, um,

6:54

because that's what people I used to with the records

6:56

you know they know the melodies, but I

6:58

don't want them thinking I'm taking it easy now,

7:01

right. Oh, I love that you. You take the craft

7:03

though seriously. So actually you feel like I still

7:05

have to hit the ball out of the park. Yeah, there

7:07

you go. So it's not a base hit kind

7:09

of career. Yeah. You know you're getting a great

7:12

show. Um, so you have to be

7:14

pretty much religious about it. Yeah. Uh,

7:17

this is the thirtie anniversary of your first Grammy

7:19

win and you beat out guys like this and

7:22

Richard Marks. Yes, really do

7:25

you remember about that time? Of course, it was the first year it

7:27

was it was a Jeopardy question. It

7:31

was a Jeopardy question. How am I supposed to live? At? You?

7:33

Was the first single, first number one of

7:36

the year thirty years ago. I remember when

7:38

he came out. I was around That's

7:41

when I had a good feeling my kids were going to actually eat

7:43

food to

7:45

be able to feed them. I actually started

7:47

to believe it at that point. That was my first Grammy.

7:51

Um, there was quiet

7:53

an experience because I was signed

7:55

when I was sixteen to Epic Records, but

7:58

I didn't have a hit till I was thirty four as

8:00

an artist, so

8:02

I think I paid a few other people's dues along UM,

8:07

and then my songwriting career had

8:09

taken off. So I learned that that's the lifeblood

8:12

of the industry is material is great, great

8:14

material. It's a lot of great singers, and

8:17

they disappear when they don't have a hit or when they don't

8:19

choose to record the hit. So

8:21

I learned that. UM,

8:23

But how do I feel about it? I mean, I

8:25

got a phone call from the president of Columbia

8:27

Records. I was in my apartment

8:30

alone and picked up

8:32

the phone and it was like, what, Donnie Einer, Why

8:34

is he calling me? What's what's going on now? Once

8:36

we do a promotion or something, my glad,

8:38

just want to let you know that next week you have the number

8:41

one record in America. And

8:44

to someone who's just finally

8:47

having a career, have the phone,

8:49

are really quiet and

8:51

just try to believe it and take it

8:53

in and appreciate it. But

8:56

I've been born driven, so it's always

8:59

success and so has become like the fuel

9:01

for the next mission. UM.

9:04

Good quality. But I've had some time now

9:06

to really think about it, and

9:08

I appreciate it and be grateful. And

9:11

now you have grandkids, six.

9:13

Wow, are they into your music? Um?

9:20

It's hard to even say what they're allowed to

9:22

hear because the oldest one is not. So

9:25

they're nine down to four. Um,

9:29

they order up their

9:31

own music. Um.

9:34

They have different

9:36

devices that they're allowed to have been parent

9:39

proof. Um.

9:41

And they're growing up really fast. But they've been to concerts.

9:43

Um, four out of six. I've

9:46

been to my shows and

9:48

they have a lot of fun. There's they basically run the place.

9:50

I'm sure do any of your children

9:52

sing? Um? They all sing,

9:54

but they're not interested in singing, you

9:57

know, for a career. Huh. Um.

10:00

It is genetic though, right if you can. I

10:03

think so. I think historically it is

10:06

like did your parents saying your grandparents

10:08

or my mother did my mother was where

10:10

our voice and our appreciation for music

10:12

came from my father. Um,

10:15

not so much. You don't

10:17

want my wife and I didn't want him to sing with

10:20

my wife being the thing. By the way, now musical

10:23

jeans went over here. Um,

10:26

you know, but I would encourage it, like if they wanted to go

10:28

for it, I would, you know, do whatever

10:31

I could, or teach him whatever I couldn't introduce

10:33

him to whoever I could to help accelerate

10:35

the process. But I think

10:37

I was kind of relieved that they didn't want to do it for

10:39

a career because

10:42

of everything else that comes with the business, and because it took

10:44

me eighteen years and

10:47

I don't advise that trek into the desert for

10:49

a lot of people. Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's It's definitely

10:51

a gan. This is a fun fact. Early

10:53

in your career, you open for Ozzy Osbourne.

10:56

Yes, that's amazing. I would have never did that. Were

10:58

you a metal head or how did that come

11:00

about? More more hard rock? You

11:02

know, I'm not quite metal. I mean I was. I was

11:04

a big Zeppelin fan. I love Bad Company.

11:07

We were supposed to be the American Bad Company.

11:09

The group was Blackjack. I

11:12

had done rock and blues and everything

11:14

in clubs. When I was thirteen years old, my hair

11:16

was down the hair why

11:18

I was not legally allowed to be in but

11:22

nobody said anything, and I was the lead singer, so they want

11:24

to kick out the band um

11:27

and we did everything. We did blues. I

11:29

was thirteen, I was singing. I was

11:31

born in Chicago nine

11:35

one. Actually I wasn't born in

11:37

nineteen forty one, but that was

11:39

the blues and people would just go and stare

11:41

at me, like what what is this? Who is

11:43

this kid? But we were filling clubs,

11:45

you know. And then in the seventies

11:48

a manager who handled led Zeppelin and

11:50

Bad Company said he wanted to put

11:52

together a band around me and

11:55

hard rock is what he knows. And you're

11:57

not gonna argue with a guy like that. It's got Zepp

12:00

platinum

12:02

and I did two rock albums, UM

12:05

and towards the end of that, we

12:07

got invited to open for Azzi and

12:10

Um in San Juan

12:13

in the Roberto Clemente Baseball

12:16

Yeah. What a trip. And so when

12:18

we went over really well and we thought we were doing well, and then Ozzie

12:21

walked out and he went like this, and thirty

12:23

thousand people weren't like this, and other people are like

12:25

that they did that and whatever he did, it was like, yeah,

12:30

but he was. He was such a pleasure. After the

12:32

show, I met him backstage and

12:35

he was such a normal, nice guy.

12:38

I thought they were going to be like bath heads around

12:43

UM. There was a great experience and

12:45

opened the same place UM Indoors,

12:47

the Clemente Arena.

12:51

I opened for Santana and

12:54

Carlos told me after the show, You're

12:57

gonna be big inside of a year, and

13:01

I was like, I hope he knows something

13:03

I don't know, because you know, I'm still just struggling

13:05

with the rent. Uh.

13:07

He was off by about eight years, but

13:10

he saw it. But he saw something. Yeah,

13:12

it meant a lot to me. Yeah, when somebody

13:15

you really respect that much. So

13:18

I didn't hear him laughing in the car, so I told him

13:20

in a year, that's

13:24

a fantastic Do you have a favorite UM

13:26

country that you've

13:28

toured and performance? Wow?

13:32

Um, kind of tough because for

13:34

different reasons, I love these different places.

13:36

Like I love the UK because it's been my second

13:39

biggest market in the world since

13:41

my first hit and everything

13:44

started being kind of echoed in the

13:46

UK and England and

13:48

now I just we parked there for a month

13:51

ago, up and down the country and

13:53

um, I love the people and there.

13:56

They obviously are big fans, they know all the music.

13:58

But I love Italy UM eat

14:01

too much when I'm there, But it's one of them about

14:03

it, no choice, right,

14:07

it's fresh. The extra

14:09

nine pounds were fresh. The

14:14

Australia. Love Australia. My best

14:16

friend moved there, never came back and I didn't understand

14:18

why until I went there. Um,

14:21

there are a lot of places really, um

14:23

going back to Chile, doing some dates

14:25

around the world, and Santiago is one of

14:28

my favorite. That's a beautiful thing about

14:30

music. Is it really just transitions

14:33

any sort of culture language barrier. Very

14:35

very cool. I'm

14:38

grateful for that. Quick questions,

14:40

quick answers. Okay, well you know, I just got

14:42

this phone caller. I have to help someone move refrigerator.

14:46

Very easy, very easy.

14:49

All time favorite singer Ray

14:54

Charles h song,

14:57

You're Proud of Stuff? Ah,

15:05

tough one. Um,

15:10

how am I supposed to live without you? Movie?

15:14

I got the right answer. Movie

15:16

You've seen the most. It's

15:19

a wonderful life. Makes

15:21

sense every Christmas d I'm sure celebrity

15:23

crush growing up? Mm

15:26

hm wow

15:32

Marilyn Monroe. Okay, who

15:35

plays you in the Michael

15:37

Bolton story? Wow? Okay,

15:41

I'm hoping because

15:44

we're working on that story. Oh,

15:47

I'm hoping it's someone who can

15:49

sing R and B,

15:51

blues, rock, pop

15:53

and opera. M I'll

15:56

order right there. That's that's why I'm hoping.

15:58

Okay, Okay, superpower

16:01

you could have one.

16:09

It's close it's

16:15

a lot of thought. I like it. Yeah, because

16:18

if I got serious, I

16:20

did get serious, I'd

16:24

want to have the ability to

16:26

cause people to just chill, take

16:29

a moment, calm down. That's

16:32

a good ability. I think you kind of have that.

16:38

I didn't want to say world peace, you know, but right

16:40

piece comes from quiet and calm, right,

16:43

cooler heads and that kind of soul

16:46

stuff. I think you're accomplishing that.

16:51

Thank you so much for taking the time to

16:53

come and visit with us Mary dot com for

16:55

all the ticket and tour dates. Michael,

16:58

thank you so much. Good luck as

17:00

you're great to see you again. Over to my friend on

17:02

with Mario Lopez.