Michael Bolton began his career in the 1970s, focusing on hard rock as the frontman of Blackjack, his band. The group once opened for heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, and Bolton and the group dropped several hard rock albums, either as solo projects for Bolton, or as a group, from 1975 through 1985. He broke through in 1987 with “The Hunger.”
This album is notable for several reasons. It contains Bolton’s cover of the Otis Redding classic “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay,” and it marks his transition from rock/metal to a lighter pop sound. Two of the tracks on this album, “Dock of the Bay” and “That’s What Love is All About,” went into the Top 40, the first time Bolton had hit the charts. The change in style paid off handsomely, as “Soul Provider,” his next album, went to No. 3 and spent about four years on the charts. In 1991, he released “Time, Love & Tenderness,” which included his signature song “When a Man Loves a Woman.” He has now sold over 75 million records worldwide.
A concert review says:
“The experience made me feel as if I was high on top of the world.”
Michael Bolton will appear at the Hard Rock Cincinnati Ballroom on Saturday, February 11. Events like this can be successfully advertised when organizers use poster printing.