It is the iconic singer Michael Bolton's birthday! The singer was born on February 26, 1953, as Michael Bolotin. He has earned a special name in the field of hard rock and heavy metal from where he originally kickstarted his career. However, he rose to fame when he became the lead face of band Blackjack, and further moving on to become a known name in the of pop-rock ballads genre. The fans of this genre cannot not like the work done by the singer in his golden days. That's "What Love Is All About", "Missing You Now", "Said I Loved You...But I Lied", "To Love Somebody", "Go The Distance", "How Can We Be Lovers" are some of the tracks that he made popular.  But there are some lesser-known facts about the 66-year-old singer that a true fan might want to know.

By now, everyone knows about his professional achievements. In case you missed it, he is known for selling 75 million-plus records! Not just that, he has also touched the top of the Billboard charts several times. His back to back ten hit albums and two chartbuster singles have to be credited for the same. Apart from these, he is also an owner of six American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards! So, these were some of the milestones in his work life. Now, take a look at some of the rarely known things about the legendary performer.

1. Michael had to dub for his 1987 cover of Otis Redding’s 1968 hit ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.' Why? Because he hadn't learned to whistle and dubbing was the only option left.

2. Can you see how handsome he was in his adolescence? That's very much the reason why he was voted as one of the most eligible bachelors by Playgirl magazine in 1988.

3. Michael's ‘Love is a Wonderful Thing’ song got him into legal trouble. Ronald Isley and The Isley Brothers had sued him suggesting that this song was similar to that of theirs with the same title. Michael had to lose 5.4 million dollars to them in the case.

4. Micheal, who loved meat to the core, turned into a vegetarian for 40 years. He did the same to maintain his health and most importantly his voice in the long run.

5. This might sound a bit weird but the singer had plans to auction his hair that he chopped off in 1998.

6. Bolton has also turned into a writer for children's book! He wrote a book that was titled as Secret of the Lost Kingdom, of which the illustrations received positive reviews.

7. He has some amazing charity work done for women and children, especially to curb domestic violence and abuse. He has also worked for the organizations that strived for cheaper housing facilities.

They say that never judge a book by its cover and these facts emphasize the same. Even though the fans might have always seen his starry life on the surface, he had altogether a different life and fans deserve to know this beautiful untapped side of him as well.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 26, 2020 10:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).