The Canadian Crooner: Get the low down on Michael Bublé
From tours to family life, it's all here!
What was life like before Michael Bublé? The Canadian performer has been wowing crowds and storming up the charts for years - and no wedding is complete without a slow dance to one of Michael's gorgeous songs.
As well as a long career on stage, Michael is known for being an all-round good guy and dedicated family man, having battled through his son's cancer diagnosis with dignity and honour. There really is no man quite like him!
Read on for all the answers to your burning Michael Bublé questions and find out more about the man who brought us the songs that are the soundtrack to our lives.
What nationality is Michael Bublé?
Born to Lewis Bublé and mother Amber, Michael is Canadian but his roots and heritage are pretty interesting. Hailing from the picturesque island of Lussino which is now part of Croatia, Lewis Bublé was a fisherman when he met Amber Santaga. Despite being a Canadian national, the Croatians are rightly proud of their second generation Bublé.
How old is Michael Bublé?
Michael Bublé was born on September 9th 1975, making him currently 48-years-old.
What are Michael Bublé fans called?
If you're already a super fan, you'll know that Michael Bublé isn't keen on the word 'fan' and instead has said that his supporters are his 'equals' and are 'like family'. So while you may like to call yourself a Bublé Babe, one of Michael's Monsters or a Bee of Bublé, know that it doesn't matter to the man himself and that he considers you all close to his heart.
How did Michael Bublé become famous?
A love of jazz started from an early age, namely due to Michael's parents playing a lot of Bing Crosby. It was when the family were singing along to 'White Christmas' in the car that his family really spotted Michael's singing talents when Michael was just 13. Later, Michael's grandfather would offer up his plumbing services in return for stage time for Michael, so convinced was he that his grandson would become a star.
At 18, Michael entered a local talent contest but was disqualified for being underage. It was then that organiser Bev Delich spotted Michael and entered him into the Canadian Youth Talent search which he later won. Soon after, Bev Delich became Michael's manager and helped him gain "any work he could" from singing in dark clubs to on cruise ships and entering as many talent shows as possible.
In the mid-90s, Michael's work started to pay off and he became a regular guest on Vicky Gabereau's talk show. The show would see Michael frequently perform live, including early renditions of 'Feeling Good'. Being on the talk show also allowed Michael to really up his TV interview skills, something he's known for all these years later.
By 2003, Michael released his first self-titled album which stormed the charts and made the top 10 in the UK, Canada and South Africa, reaching number one in Australia and proving all those years of hard graft and dedication were ultimately worth it.
Since then, Michael Bublé has gone on to have sell-out tours, countless successful songs and a huge army of fans around the globe.
Scroll through to see Michael Bublé's career timeline:
Early life
Michael was born on 9th September 1975 to parents Lewis and Amber and showed musical talent from a very young age. His dream of becoming a famous singer began when he was around two-years-old, and became interested in jazz at the age of five, thanks to his introduction to Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' album by his family.
It wasn't until he was 13 that his family took a serious interest after noticing him sing his heart out to 'White Christmas', and his grandfather paid for his singing lessons and got him his first gig at the age of 16. After winning the Canadian Youth Talent Search contest, he hired the organiser to be his manager. Michael spent the next few years working extra parts in various TV shows before stepping in on a talk show to perform a singing set and therefore gaining exposure.
1996: Performing in Red Rock Diner
Back in 1996, after several years playing clubs, Michael landed a role as Elvis in the Vancouver run of musical Red Rock Diner. It was here Michael met partner Debbie Timmus and the pair later performed together in musical Forever Swing.
Early 2000's: Signed by David Foster
Constantly working on his craft, Michael got his big break after playing a gig for a former adviser to the Canadian prime minister. So impressed as the advisor, he dished out Michael's independent CDs and one landed in the hands of Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney. As a result, Michael played the wedding of Brian Mulroney's daughter and was introduced to grammy winning producer David Foster who later signed him to 143 records.
David - who has worked with Madonna, Whitney Houston and Céline Dion among many others - was initially reluctant to sign Michael to his label 143 Records, as he was unsure how he'd market Michael's music but after the singer moved to Los Angeles and some persuasion by friends, David agreed to produce Michael's first album.
2003: First major album
Michael's first major album was his self-titled album which was released in 2003 by 143 Records/Reprise Records. It featured the songs 'Fever', 'The Way You Look Tonight', 'For Once in My Life', 'Moondance' and 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'. The album made it to the Top 10 in his home country of Canada, here in the UK as well as in South Africa. It made it to Number 1 in Australia!
2003: Christmas songs
Michael dipped his feet into the Christmas pool for the first time later in 2003, releasing an EP called 'Let It Snow!' featuring covers of five Christmas songs including 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!', 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' and 'White Christmas'.
2005: Release of 'It's Time'
Michael released 'It's Time' in February 2005 which featured some of his most well-known songs to this day, including a cover of 'Feeling Good' - which continues to be one of his signature songs - as well as 'Home', which he co-wrote himself. The album has since gone 2x Platinum in the UK.
2007: 'Call Me Irresponsible' released
Michael cemented his status as the Canadian Crooner with the release of 'Call Me Irresponsible' - which not only contained covers of classic pop and jazz tunes like 'Me and Mrs. Jones', 'That's Life' and 'Always on My Mind', but also featured two original Bublé tracks: 'Lost' and 'Everything'. The latter was written about his then-girlfriend, actress Emily Blunt, and the album won him a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
2008: Co-owning the Vancouver Giants hockey team
After a lifelong passion for hockey, Michael became a co-owner of the Vancouver Giants in December 2008. He told the Ottawa Sun in 2005 that if he'd "been any good" at hockey, he wouldn't have become a singer: "I wanted so bad to be a hockey player and the truth is that I sucked. If I was any good at hockey, I probably wouldn't be singing right now. I'd probably be sitting out the season."
2009: Release of 'Crazy Love'
Michael released his next album in 2009, featuring covers of 'Cry Me A River' - the intro to which he wrote himself - 'Georgia On My Mind' and 'You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You', as well as two Bublé originals; 'Hold On' and 'Haven't Met You Yet'. The music video for the latter starred Michael along with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Luisana Lopilato, who he also wrote the song for. 'Crazy Love' won Michael yet another Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
He also appeared as a celebrity mentor on The X Factor UK in 2009, later singing alongside finalist Stacey Solomon as they performed 'Feeling Good'.
2010: Winter Olympics in Vancouver
Michael not only performed on the day of the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympics in his home country of Canada, but he also took part in the torch relay as well as performing alongside other Canadian celebrities during the closing ceremony. His version of 'Cry Me A River' was used as the theme for the coverage here in the UK.
2011: Marriage to Luisana Lopilato
Michael began dating Luisana in 2008 after the breakdown of his relationship with Emily Blunt. The pair became engaged in 2009 and got married in March 2011 in Buenos Aires, Luisana's home city in Argentina. They have four children: Noah, born in 2013, Elias, born in 2016, Vida, born in 2018 and Cielo, born in 2022.
2011: Christmas album
After the success of his Christmas EP, Michael released a full Christmas album simply entitled 'Christmas' in 2011, featuring covers of all the biggest festive hits as well as three original tracks. The record cemented Michael's affinity with the Christmas season, hitting Number 1 in charts all over the world, including the UK and his home country of Canada - and has even gone 10x Platinum here in the UK with over 3 million album sales.
2013: 'Release of 'To Be Loved'
Michael hit the top spot in the charts in the UK, US and Canadian charts as well as plenty of others around the world. Featuring the single 'It's a Beautiful Day', the album has gone 2x Platinum in the UK and spawned a mammoth tour which began in June 2013 and finished in March 2015, seeing Michael perform in England, Ireland, the USA plus many countries around Europe.
2016: Release of 'Nobody but Me' and son's cancer diagnosis
2016 was a hard year for Michael. He released his seventh studio album, 'Nobody But Me' featuring incredible covers of big hits like 'God Only Knows' and 'The Very Thought of You' plus original songs such as the title track, with the album performing well around the world. However, his eldest son Noah was diagnosed with cancer at the age of just three-years-old. Michael cancelled his tour while the little boy underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy - and thankfully Noah made a complete recovery.
2018: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Michael was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the recording category, which is located at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard. In his emotional acceptance speech, he paid tribute to his wife, calling her his "hero" and "rock", as well as crediting his children with giving him a "purpose for life".
He added: "The longer I live, the more I realise that love isn't free. Love has a great cost. The more you love, the more you hurt. The greater chance of suffering and pain and when I woke up this morning I thought of that because, for all of those people that have loved me and supported me through the good times and the bad, I would risk that love a million times over for all of you."
2018: 10th studio album '❤️ (Love)'
Michael released 'Love' in November 2018 - his first release following his son's diagnosis and recovery - which featured hits such as 'La Vie en rose', 'My Funny Valentine' and 'When You're Smiling', going straight to Number 1 in the UK. He stated that he'd considered "never returning to music" in an interview with Billboard, but began to record songs as Noah's condition improved. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
2019: 'An Evening with Michael Bublé' Tour
Michael took on his sixth tour 'An Evening with Michael Bublé', which began in Tampa, Florida in February 2019. He told Billboard about how excited he was to tour once again: "I'm going to go back to what I was made to do. I'm going to come back to a world that needs love and romance and laughter more than it has in a long time. I'm going to be a conduit to that. This is the greatest record I've ever made."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UK dates were moved to summer 2022.
2022: 'Higher'
In early 2022, Michael announced that he'd be releasing his ninth studio album, 'Higher'. It was released in March 2022 and featured hits such as 'Make You Feel My Love', 'You're the First, the Last, My Everything' and 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square', with the record making it to Number 1 on the UK Album charts as well as winning Best Traditional Pop Album at the Grammys.
2023: Michael wins a Grammy for his album 'Higher'
In February 2023, Michael won the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards for his album 'Higher'. The award was Michael's fifth Grammy win.
2023: 'Higher' UK tour dates
The 'Higher' Tour began in August 2022 and ended in Mexico City in October 2023. Michael visited the UK and Ireland in April and May 2023, performing in London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Cardiff, Nottingham, Birmingham and Dublin.
Is Michael Bublé a tenor?
No. Michael Bublé is a baritone, as opposed to a tenor. With a warmth and depth to his voice and low notes, Michael has been known to reach the high notes of a a typical tenor but is generally classed as a baritone on the whole.
Has Michael Bublé retired?
No, he hasn't. Towards the end of 2018, after a difficult year, Michael did tell a journalist he had plans to retire and that the current set of interviews would be his last but he soon retracted that. Michael claimed he was tired of "celebrity narcissism" and, after taking time out to look after his son, said that he returned to music to "thank (his) fans for all their support".
Was Michael Bublé in the 2023 Asda Christmas advert?
Yes, he was! Asda's brilliant 2023 Christmas campaign featured Michael. Take a look at the brilliant teaser clip below.
Is Michael Bublé going on tour?
Michael embarked on his 'Higher' tour in 2022, starting in Duluth, United States. He performed in the UK and Ireland in April and May 2023, and finished off the gigs in Mexico City in October 2023.
Michael Bublé's newest album
Michael revealed in January 2022 that his 11th studio album was on the way! The album is called 'Higher' and was released on 25th March. Sharing an image of the album cover, he wrote on Instagram: 'The 11th studio album 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 available March 25th. Pre-order now at the link in bio.'
The record won Michael his fifth Grammy Award at the ceremony in February 2023, winning the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album over Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, Pentatonix and Diana Ross.
Is Michael Bublé married?
If you were lusting after Mr Bublé then you're out of luck as Michael has been married to Argentinian actress Luisana Lopilato since March 2011. Prior to becoming engaged to Luisana in November 2009, Michael had a number of high profile relationships including a three-year romance with British actress Emily Blunt.
Michael met Emily on an Australian TV show in 2005 and they quickly got together with Michael even writing his hit song 'Everything' for the actress.
Before he dated Emily, Michael was engaged to yet another actress called Debbie Timmus in the 90s. The pair split towards the end of 2005. Finding inspiration in his own love life, Michael's song "Home" was penned about Debbie and breaking off his engagement inspired him to write "Lost".
Together with Luisana, Michael has four children. Eldest son Noah was born in August 2013, followed by son Elias in January 2016, daughter Vida in July 2018 and daughter Cielo in August 2022.
Michael Bublé's son
Michael's son Noah was sadly diagnosed with liver cancer hepaticblastoma in 2016 and Michael released an emotional statement to fans and the press, cancelling his tour and any future appearances.
Diagnosed at the age of just three, Noah fought off cancer with the help of treatment in the US and Michael delighted everyone in 2017 by confirming that Noah had the all-clear from cancer.
Did Michael Bublé do Carpool Karaoke?
He did! Michael Bublé took karaoke to the next level when he appeared in the car with James Corden in a segment of the Late Late Show which was a fundraiser for Stand Up To Cancer. An emotional segment, Michael opened up about the "hell" he had been through with his son's cancer and also performed "Haven't Met You Yet" and "It's A Beautiful Day".
WATCH: Michael Bublé Carpool Karaoke with James Corden - Stand Up To Cancer
Does Michael Bublé sing in Frozen?
He doesn't, although he does feature on the Idina Menzel Christmas album.
Does Michael Bublé have a perfume?
Yes he does! The singer has perfumes including the feminine fragrance 'By Invitation' and the masculine 'Pour Homme'. You can find out more about them on Michael's online store.
Read more:
Michael Bublé's incredible journey to fame
Gary Barlow: A brief look back at his career highlights through the years
Elton John: The man who gave us 'Sacrifice' and 'Your Song'