New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Michael Bolton represents CT on NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’
New Haven native and singer-songwriter Michael Bolton competes on behalf of Connecticut on NBC’s “American Song Contest” which premiered March 21.
The show is a Eurovision-inspired competition series in which musicians will represent all 50 states, five U.S. territories and Washington D.C., to compete for the best original song. On Thursday, NBC announced 56 artists from across the country that will competing. The list of acts includes Christian Pagán (Puerto Rico), ENISA (New York), Sisqo (Maryland), Jewel (Alaska) and more. The artists range from undiscovered, up-and coming rising stars to legendary icons.
The show will be hosted by rapper Snoop Dogg and “The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson.
The live competition consists of three rounds as the artists compete in a series of qualifying rounds, the semi-finals and the grand final where one state or territory will be named the winner. Atlantic Records will serve as the exclusive music partner for “American Song Contest” and will release the original songs featured on the show.
“Launching a new series is always a massive undertaking but mounting one that involves producing 56 original songs is a herculean task. Selecting the right label partner to dig in with us was crucial and we found the perfect partner in Atlantic Records,” said executive producer Audrey Morrissey in a press release.
According to the Music Museum of New England, Michael Bolton was born Michael Bolotin in New Haven. He lived with his family in several New Haven locations, including Whalley Avenue, Elm
Street and Ella Grasso Boulevard. Bolton who currently lives in Westport, will be performing on May 6 at Mohegan Sun Arena. He was also seen having dinner July 2021 at Tony’s at the JHouse in Riverside. This is not Bolton’s first time on television. He hosted ABC’s “The Celebrity Dating Game” with actress Zooey Deschanel.