After Dinner Speakers: Michael Bolton, Jimmy Smits, Ros Gardner

b. Michael Bolotin, 26 February 1954, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Bolton became one of the most successful rock balladeers of the late 80s and early 90s. He grew up listening to soul artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye before recording his first single (under his real name) for Epic Records in 1968. Among the backing musicians on Bolotin's first solo album for RCA Records were Bernard Purdie, David Sanborn and Muscle Shoals session musician Wayne Perkins. Critics made frequent comparisons between Bolotin and Joe Cocker. In the late 70s, Bolotin became lead singer with hard rock band Blackjack. However, despite the presence of top producers Tom Dowd (Allman Brothers Band and Eric Clapton) and Eddy Offord (Yes), their two albums for Polydor Records sold poorly. After the band split, guitarist Bruck Kulick played with Billy Squier, while drummer Sandy Gennaro joined the Pat Travers Band and bass player Jimmy Haslip became a session musician. Bolotin himself turned to songwriting and to a new solo recording contract with Columbia Records. Initially, he had greater success as a composer, providing Laura Branigan with the 1983 hit "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", co-written with Doug James. He started using the more accessible name Bolton in 1983. As a solo performer, he persevered with a heavy rock approach and it was not until he shifted to a soul-ballad style on The Hunger that he had his own first Top 20 single, "That's What Love Is All About", in 1987. From that point Bolton had a series of blue-eyed soul hits that included a new US chart-topping version of "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" in 1990, as well as "How Can We Be Lovers" (US number 3) and the 1991 successes "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" (US number 4), "Time, Love And Tenderness" (US number 7) and his second US chart-topper, a cover version of "When A Man Loves A Woman". He also enjoyed a brief, and unexpected, songwriting collaboration with Bob Dylan, but by the middle of the 90s his career had peaked. In 1995, he resurfaced with a hit single, "Can I Touch You ... There?", and a greatest hits package. After the commercial failure of All That Matters, Bolton reappeared in the late 90s performing quasi-operatic material. Years of litigation with the Isley Brothers ended in January 2001 when Bolton was ordered to pay them over $5 million in a plagiarism lawsuit. His first recording for Jive Records was released the following year.