Over the course of his half-century music-biz career, Michael Bolton has released a half-dozen studio albums, landed nine #1 hits, and amassed more accolades and awards than you've had hot dinners. And as is typical for the man who wrote with Bob Dylan, played guitar with B.B. King and sang with Ray Charles and Luciano Pavarotti, he's not done seeking fresh challenges. Bolton’s latest release, Spark of Light, drops on 7/14 and marks his first-ever studio album consisting entirely of material he wrote or co-wrote. The new release also features collabs with Walk the Moon’s Nicholas Petricca, American Authors’ Zac Barnett and Kygo’s Justin Jesso and Valerie Broussard, among others.

Bolton got his start in 1975, penning hits for the likes of Cher, Barbra Streisand, KISS and Kenny Rogers. Over the next five decades, the silver-throated troubadour has accumulated a couple of Grammys, more than 24 BMI and ASCAP awards (including Songwriter of the Year) and assorted Oscar and Emmy noms for good measure.

In a possibly related story, a HITS staffer injured himself today while trying to sing "When a Man Loves a Woman."