Michael Bolton to be back in July

Michael Bolton should be back in Malta this summer to perform in a second concert since he shook the Ta' Qali convention centre with his rich vocals and boisterous band last October.

Organisers NNG Promotions confirmed the upcoming event in July, pre-empting, however, that it would be much "grander" than his previous performance, but unwilling to divulge more details yet.

Whatever the case, the 7,500 fans, who packed the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre to watch him live in action, should be thrilled - 90-minute delays in the last concert and all.

The organisers said the American singer, best known for soft rock ballads and tenor vocals, had expressed the desire to return to Malta, having thoroughly enjoyed the experience and, in particular, the crowd's unexpected reaction.

Famous for his timeless ballads, including When a Man Loves a Woman, Time, Love and Tenderness and Steel Bars, as well as arias like Nessun Dorma, Bolton had told The Times he was impressed that "so many people got tickets so quickly, and yet, I've never been here".

He is now due to return - within less than a year from his last concert...

Bolton, whose appeal is cross-generational, has sold about 53 million albums, with about half of his 17 releases reaching the top ten.

How Am I Supposed to Live Without You and others continue to withstand the test of time, and he has enjoyed several fruitful collaborations with other successful musicians, including the likes of Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras.

"Singing with Luciano in Modena inspired me to the point that I studied Italian, trained my voice, recorded an aria CD that remained on the classical chart for weeks, shot a TV special in an opera house in Catania, a Christmas special with Placido and recently performed again with José.

And I still sing an aria or two in my shows," he has said, highlighting his versatility and cross-generational appeal.