Michael Bolotin

Singer/songwriter Michael Bolotin first turned up on RCA Records in the mid-'70s singing in a gruff, Joe Cocker-like voice both his own blue-eyed soul songs and cover tunes. Neither record buyers nor critics were much interested by the result. Bolotin then became the lead singer in Blackjack, a heavy metal band that made two albums for Polydor at the end of the '70s and the start of the '80s. In 1983, Bolotin changed his name to Michael Bolton, signed to Columbia Records as a solo act, and re-launched his career, this time with considerable success. (See Michael Bolton.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide