Michael Bolton’s kids first started to realize something might be wrong with him while they were bowling together in November of 2023.
The two-time Grammy-winning recording artist was out with the kids and grandkids when they noticed he repeatedly bowled out of turn, according to People.
His daughter, Taryn Bolton, said it was “super weird.”
“That was when we were like, ‘Something’s wrong with his brain,’” she said.
That same night, Bolton, now 72, also appeared to be having balance issues.
“He fell out of his chair to the left, which is very unusual. He’s super athletic, and he doesn’t drink,” Taryn said. “So he fell, and we were like, ‘What just happened?’”
It wasn’t the only time Bolton had had balance issues. Also that November, he’d suffered nausea and balance problems during a performance at a charity event.
At first, they’d chalked it up to a busy, stressful schedule of traveling and performing.
But after the experience at the bowling alley was followed by a bad headache, they got him to a hospital, where the singer had an MRI that yielded a grim diagnosis: It was a brain tumor.
Doctors operated to remove the tumor and came back with even more disturbing news: It was glioblastoma, which has a grim prognosis, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
“There’s no cure for glioblastoma,” the medical facility said. “Treatments might slow cancer growth and reduce symptoms.”
It listed the symptoms of glioblastoma as including headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred or double vision, trouble speaking, altered sense of touch, and seizures.
“There also may be trouble with balance, coordination, and moving parts of the face or body,” the clinic added.
Michael Bolton has shared his brain cancer diagnosis. He has glioblastoma, which the most common type of malignant brain tumor among adults, making up about half of all brain tumors in the U.S. each year. More about the symptoms and treatment of glioblastoma:… pic.twitter.com/FSiUe3XSbY
— WebMD (@WebMD) May 1, 2025
WebMD calls glioblastoma “the most common type of malignant brain tumor among adults, making up about half of all brain tumors in the U.S. each year.
“It’s usually very aggressive, which means it can grow fast and spread quickly,” the medical website reported. It said left untreated, patients with glioblastoma have a life expectancy of about four months.
Those who seek treatment usually live for about 12 to 15 months, the site said — meaning Bolton has already beaten the odds.
Part of the reason for the success is that doctors were able to remove the whole tumor during his surgery, according to People. In addition to the surgery, he had radiation and chemotherapy.
Because the disease so frequently recurs, he has an MRI every couple of months to check his status.
“His most recent scan, in early April, was clear,” People reported.
Mayo Clinic and WebMD each said there’s no known way to prevent glioblastoma, but both sites said that having had ionizing radiation therapy — used to treat other types of cancer — could increase your risk.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
