Detroit Documentary Film - (Gotta Keep Dreamin : Detroit's 21st Century Renaissance) - "American Dream : DETROIT"
Michael and Christina Kline, Michael's Manager, have been working together, over the last three years at least, in the making of a documentary film on the revival of the City of Detroit, Michigan, USA. In this thread hope to share some of the steps along the way as well as details on the film's Premiere which will take place at the Fox Theatre, Detroit on 2nd October, 2015.
Michael announced, a few days ago, that a new website has been set up to share information about the film and it can be found at GottaKeepDreamin.com There has also been a FB page created and it can be found at https://www.facebook.com/gottakeepdreamin?fref=ts along with a Twitter account which is at @gkdreamin and also an Instagram account at gotta_keep_dreamin Here is Michael's tweet where he made announcement:
excited to share our website http://gottakeepdreamin.com for the documentary film about Detroit!! Follow @gkdreamin !!
Here is the profile/avatar pic that is used on the FB page:
and the cover photo which is used on FB, Twitter and website
There is an album in the Gallery containing photos that have been posted to the FB and Twitter account and here is link to album http://www.michaelbolton.com/photo/albums/michael-s-detroit-documen... and it, of course, will be kept up-to-date as new photos are added to the various sites.
2018 up-date
"American Dream : DETROIT" to be screened in over 450 cinemas in USA on 15th May.
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Permalink Reply by sylvia doughty on
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Sorry Gail but do you mean tonight, Friday, or was it last night, Thursday ??
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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To make you aware it appears Michael has deleted the tweet which gives the time of 1 pm for show airing on accessonline. Do not know reason for deletion but possibility info contained in might be wrong. Just making aware and if find out anything will post about.
Sylvia YWSF 27
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Permalink Reply by Robin on
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It comes on here in the afternoon on East Coast at 2:00 p.m.
Robin in MD :)
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Thanks info Robin !!! :)
Sylvia YWSF 27
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Video of Michael's and Sam Fly's performance at premiere of film, enjoy !!! :)
... and here is video of Michael's introductory speech at premiere of film and a wonderful speech it is too!
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Michael will be in attendance at the Redford Theatre, Detroit, for showing of his film on 15th May. Tickets for this event are on sale from Theatre and here is link where they can be bought ....
https://redfordtheatre.com/events/live-michael-bolton-presents-amer...
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Article with pics from premiere of Michael's documentary film ...
https://la-confidential-magazine.com/Michael_Bolton_American-Dream_...
Transcript of article ....
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Article where Michael talks about possibility of sequel to his documentary film ....
https://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00119721.html
....and here is transcript ....
The Singer-Turned-Filmmaker Says In An Interview That He Wants To Do A Follow-Up To The Documentary Because He Feels Like 'We've Just Really Gotten Started.'
- May 7, 2018
AceShowbiz - Michael Bolton is eager to return to Detroit, Michigan to continue the story of the city's revival in a sequel to his new documentary "American Dream: Detroit". He sat down with some of the area's most famous sons and daughters, including musicians Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, and Alice Cooper, to hear their favourite memories of Detroit, which is currently in the midst of a rebuilding period after city officials filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
"We found out that in Detroit, amazing things are happening to create the new Detroit," Bolton shared on chat show "The Talk". "There's a tremendous amount of money, and resources and great people investing in the comeback of Detroit. The more we filmed them, the more attached I became to the individuals and it's been almost five years of filming... There's a very deep personal investment..."
One of the most interesting pieces of information Bolton learned from his celebrity interviews was about "The Godfather" filmmaker Coppola. Branding him one of his "favourite directors of all time", he said, "Why have none of us asked where his middle name came from? He was born in (Henry) Ford Hospital in Detroit."
But Bolton admits the stories he would love to explore further are about everyday people in Motor City, so he's hopeful for a sequel. "There are some great American dream stories in this film," he shared, "and it kinda makes me feel like we've just really gotten started, and we can do follow-ups to this... as it grows."
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Podcast Gotta Keep Dreamin have shared on their FB page of Michael talking about documentary film with Dr. Nancy Berk ....
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-bolton-talks-great-musi...
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Article where Michael talks to Dr. Nancy Berk about documentary film
https://parade.com/668440/nancyberk/michael-bolton-on-motor-city-ma...
Here is transcript of article ....
Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Michael Bolton has become known for his legendary love songs, creative shifts (who can forget his Captain Jack Sparrow?) and social activism. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has jumped into the world of documentary filmmaking and created a much-needed love letter to the musical city that has given so much to the world.
I caught up with Bolton to talk about his new documentary American Dream: Detroit, his decision to dive into this important project and his thoughts on following your creative dreams.
Listen to the conversation with Michael Bolton on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
For much of his life, Michael Bolton has known the musical power of Detroit. But it was during his album research for Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville USA, that Bolton’s real-life Detroit experiences began to spark something bigger. With cameras in tow to capture the Motor City magic, Bolton began to see a comprehensive picture of an inspirational and ever-changing city that hadn’t been spotlighted.
“While we were filming, we were being told that there was something very big happening in downtown Detroit,” explains Bolton, who soon shifted his attention from album to documentary with a laser focus on the beautiful shifts the city was experiencing.
Watch the trailer for Michael Bolton Presents American Dream: Detroit
“It turned out that there’s this ginormous story that no one that I knew had heard.”
As filming progressed, Bolton would be inspired by the players, some famous, others not so recognizable, some surprising but all quietly changing the landscape in important ways. The film features these influencers, including Detroit entertainment legends Francis Ford Coppola, Jerry Bruckheimer, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and Alice Cooper.
Every visit to Detroit seemed to add more evidence to Bolton’s thesis—the city was blossoming. “We had started filming and every time I came back to Detroit we made new friends, great friends. And the story kept getting bigger because the buildings were filling up. So I would come back and there’d be new restaurants or new shops.”
And while the documentary was something he set out to tackle, Bolton admits that the story shifted in amazing ways.
“It was all a surprise. The whole thing was a surprise. But once we were aware of the growth and the investment and the opportunities that were being created, that just kept feeding the story. The story started becoming what eventually turns out to be a love letter to the Motor City.”
American Dream: Detroit will be shown in over 450 U.S. cinemas on May 15. Audiences will also be treated to an exclusive performance from Michael Bolton & Friends, captured live in Los Angeles. Those friends have yet to be announced, but audiences love movie surprises and Bolton’s got a lot of cool friends.
What advice does a documentary filmmaker who has sold more than 65 million records worldwide have for those hoping to realize their own creative success?
“Whenever anyone tells me that they have this dream and that’s their number one passion and it always was and it chose them, they didn’t choose it, I know that story. And you have to be prepared to make the climb. It took me 18 years—I was signed with Epic when I was 16. I didn’t have a hit until I was 34.”
“I encourage people, if you really want it, you’re gonna have to prove it because these dreams are attainable. We’ve been reading about them and celebrating them through their storytelling all our lives. Whether it’s music or journalism, whatever your dream is, be prepared to show your commitment. Not just have a commitment, but basically be prepared for a long climb because that’s almost inevitably always what it requires. And everyone is better for it. There’s a greater story when you had to work hard for something that you really love.”
Find a theater near you to see Michael Bolton Presents American Dream: Detroit.
Follow Nancy’s conversations on Apple Podcasts and Facebook.
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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Q&A's interview Michael has given Forbes on his documentary film
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2018/05/08/michael-bolton-...
Here is transcript ......
Like so many of us, Michael Bolton fell in love with the music of Detroit. Whether it was Motown greats such as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye early on in his life, later rock luminaries Alice Cooper and Bob Seger or the “Queen Of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, the Grammy-winning Bolton has long been a fan of the Detroit scene.
In 2013 he recorded Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute To Hitsville, celebrating his love of the Motor City. Having celebrated his long-standing fandom of the city in song he is now turning his attention to the cinema. On May 15, one night only, Fathom Events will present American Dream: Detroit in theaters (https://www.fathomevents.com/events/american-dream?gclid=CjwKCAjwlcXXBRBhEiwApfHGTVuL6V_HDZAqIq2i9dcs8e30nN8iNkazBwmwz_X8H6QuntmINXlBMhoC6w4QAvD_BwE).
Featuring interviews with Robinson, Franklin, designer John Varvatos, director Francis Ford Coppola and Cooper, among others, as well as tales of the “Big Three” (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler), American Dream: Detroit is, according to Bolton, about way more than music or even one city. It is the study of the American dream.
I spoke with Bolton about his choice for the greatest Detroit song, the allure of the city and playing golf with Cooper.
Steve Baltin: Most people think only of Motown when it comes to Detroit, but that is also the place the techno movement started. What were the things that surprised you the most when you started studying Detroit for this documentary?
Michael Bolton: A lot of people don’t know that, they think primarily of Motown. Diversity becomes a much bigger word when you’re telling the entire story of Detroit. And you appreciate it from a musical perspective, the creative people -- artists, writers, musicians -- the music that came from Detroit and still is coming from Detroit. I give a shout out to Motown because there are so many hits that came out of there in a very, very concentrated period of time. I now am a bit biased towards the core that came from Motown because, after a certain level of success, I met my heroes, like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and [Brian] Holland/[Lamont] Dozier/[Eddie] Holland, I got to work with them, do shows with them. It’s like being a kid and throwing the ball with Babe Ruth 25 years later. It’s a miracle. At the same time some of our greatest heroes are people like Alice Cooper, Aretha Franklin, she was not a Motown artist, it doesn’t really matter what label. It got to me that the Beatles were inspired by what was coming out of Detroit and the Beatles were the ones responsible for my brother and I being harassed for having long hair all those years ago. But I find that the kind of diversity in the music scene spills over into every area into Detroit.
Baltin: What were some of the themes that emerged in the film?
Bolton: Every immigrant story, starting with one of my favorites is Francis Ford Coppola, who offered up a bunch of time to be interviewed and was very generous because he has great stories to tell. But he also is extremely humble and specific. They all get into their parents and their grandparents and are very proud, as most of us are, to be a part of the American dream. There are people who literally came here for a better life for their children and that real story you observe it, you sit and watch it and absorb it. People use that term, “American Dream,” a lot. This is literally the story in front of us and we hear so many great people, not just in the music business by any means. But people who feel like they can now start up companies. Then you’ve got people like Mitch Albom, who is an extremely best seller, part of the voice of Detroit with his radio program. And he’s very knowledgeable about all subjects come back to Detroit or subjects based on Detroit and he walked us through the history of the city.
Baltin: Talk about your different roles in the film.
Bolton: I basically find myself in the unexpected position of interviewer. A lot of times you’re just hearing these amazing stories and I’m feeling enthusiasm and the excitement for the future that we are in Detroit, where this is happening. I probably could have shown another four or five years, but hopefully this will actually lead to other events. We’re speaking with people about developing a television show to follow what we’re following and what we’ve covered in Detroit. Bringing more attention, more focus, more allies, more partnerships to Detroit. Musically it’s pretty safe to assume most people were inspired by what they’re hearing from Detroit in the ‘60s. But we also have Bob Seger, Madonna, Alice Cooper was a great storyteller for us. And Bob Seger turns out that in 1983 I became his opening act and nobody knew who I was and nobody cared. His shows were sold out anyway. But I walked out on stage, they announced me, people clapped hesitantly and you could almost see people saying, “Where’s Bob?” There are so many different things that lead back to Detroit and so many great creators, some of the nicest, most humble and most successful people that have ever been in the music industry. The “Big Three” is another aspect of the story we tell was following them. They aren’t looking to buy a baseball, football or basketball team. They are looking to revive the families. You get attached to these people, you get attached to individuals while telling the big picture story. It’s the individual lives that you come in contact with, connect and engage with that you wind up pulling for. I was born a Yankees fan, I was born into the [Mickey] Mantle [Roger] Maris race and the Yankees were on radio every waking moment, and I wound up cheering for the Tigers. You find yourself pulling for teams that you never really followed unless they somehow were a threat to the Yankees. Now you’re invested in a deep way and you’re making all these friends and you just want to see them succeed. There’s talk about the grit and work ethic that you find in Detroit and it just really hooked us in very strongly in that first five or six days of filming. We made great friends, but then the story got deeper as we got more people who love Detroit. They love their city.
Baltin:What were some of the things that surprised you as you got into the filming?
Bolton: I never knew Francis Ford Coppola, never even thought about him. Somebody like John Varvatos, he has this amazing, beautiful store on Woodward and I interviewed John and talking about his starts. I didn’t expect that there was any connection with Varvatos and he’s a very inspiring interview. Aretha, she’s the queen of soul, she loves Detroit, she has really fond memories, she’s close with Smokey [Robinson’. They are like brother and sister, they played in the sandbox together. It’s great to see them light up when they are talking about Detroit. They’re not thinking politically about what they may be saying, they’re not editing themselves, they’re just speaking glowingly about Detroit. And Smokey Robinson is one of my favorite friends in music. You can listen to him for hours on Detroit. Alice Cooper is from Detroit and he’s a great golfer, I play golf with him.
Baltin: Who wins?
Bolton: I would never bet against Alice. He’s pretty consistent single digit, I think he’s about a five or six handicap. I think I’m between seven and nine, lately I’m probably playing more like a 10. Alice is probably right down the middle. He’s nothing like I expected him to be from the album covers and promotion. He’s one of the nicest human beings you’ll ever meet. When you think of Alice Cooper you don’t think, “Alice Cooper, great golfer.” But he’s great and I was really glad to find out he was from Detroit. He had a lot of great things to say. It’s real interviewing people and finding myself in that position. All I wanted to do was basically have them spill the information out and be comfortable in front of the camera.
Baltin: Now that you have taken on the role of interviewer who would be your dream person to speak to?
Bolton: The context is so important. I’m not sure if I have the living person, there are so many people I enjoy bumping into events and backstage. I never take it for granted anyone knows any of the body of music I’ve created. I’d probably pick someone who is not with us anymore, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Baltin: I know this is an impossible question to answer, but going to try it anyway. What is the greatest song to ever come out of Detroit?
Bolton: Wow, Songs In The Key Of Life album. I would say “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is up there, Marvin [Gaye] and Tammi [Terrell].
Sylvia Your wee Scottish friend
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