Avast, Ye Readers! Memoir Coming From Michael Bolton

August 28, 2012, 11:14 am

By DAVE ITZKOFF

This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate so brave on the seven seas - wait, sorry, scratch that: this is the tale of the singer Michael Bolton, the latter-day crooner with hair spun from gold, who'll be unspooling his life story in a new memoir. The Center Street imprint of the Hachette Book Group said on Tuesday that it had acquired a book titled “The Soul of It All” from Mr. Bolton, the singer-songwriter (and devoted fan of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, at least according to a recent Lonely Island/”Saturday Night Live” video).

Center Street said in a news release that “The Soul of It All” will chronicle Mr. Bolton's upbringing in New Haven, Conn.; his teenage years spen t hitchhiking on Route 66 and babysitting for the young Paula Abdul; an age of excess in the 1960s and 70s; and finally his commercial breakthrough as a songwriter for Laura Branigan (“How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?”) and in his own solo career (“Time, Love and Tenderness”).

Mr. Bolton said in a statement that “The Soul of It All” is about “the heartfelt emotions and vital forces created in a lifetime spent developing gifts and pursuing passions.” He added: “Like a sculptor working with stone, I want to remove all that is less wise, less noble, less patient, less present, until I become something closer to perfection.”

If he can be pulled away from another “Pirates of the Caribbean” marathon, Center Street plans to release Mr. Bolton's memoir on Nov. 13.