I felt like I could do anything after my son beat cancer, reveals Michael Bublé

SIGNING vinyl copies of new album Higher while filming a TikTok video, Michael Bublé is a multi-tasking type of pop star.

“I love doing promotion,” he says, flashing his famous smile.

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“This is the fun part, for sure. And after everything we’ve been through, it’s great to be back.”

The charming and chatty Canadian singer is in London in the run-up to the release of album Higher.

On it he works with Sir Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson and covers songs by Bob Dylan, Barry White, Sam Cooke and Charlie Chaplin.

There are also new tunes Higher and I’ll Never Not Love You.

In fact, it was his version of Smile, written by Chaplin, which he recorded for Captain Tom Moore’s funeral, that started Higher.

“That was the song that made me think, ‘OK, I’m gonna make a record’,” he tells me. “I’d been asked to record the song by Captain Tom’s daughter.

“Like everyone, I’d been moved by him. I told my kids he was a real superhero and I recorded We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn as it was his favourite song.

“I recorded it in my home studio with a video of me, my wife and kids.

“But Smile is the heart of the record. It’s a love note to the world inspired by this beautiful guy.”

Having interviewed Bublé many times, I find him particularly upbeat today.

“I’m excited about this year,” he says. “I still can’t believe that after 15 to 20 years, I’m still allowed to do this.

“To have the best fun and sing these songs.”

Higher is Bublé’s most credible album, with the help of some very famous friends, including McCartney, who not only gave his blessing to Bublé covering his song My Valentine — from his 2012 album Kisses On The Bottom — but also producing it.

“Here look at this,” he says, showing me a video on his iPhone of him with The Beatles legend in the New York studio where they recorded the song.

He says: “He lifted everybody, he’s a wonderful leader.

“I’d asked his manager if he wanted to be involved and started working on an arrangement for it.

“The concept I had was, It Was A Very Good Year by Frank Sinatra.”

Bublé sent the demo to McCartney’s manager and said, “I’d love to hear what Paul thinks”. Two days later, he called.

Bublé says: “He said, ‘This is wonderful’. He was so sweet. He was really lovely because this song means so much to him as he wrote it for his wife Nancy.”

If that wasn’t impressive enough, Crazy sees him duet with the song’s writer Willie Nelson, a collaboration developed through Bublé’s friendship with Nelson’s son Lukas.

‘The best fun’

“Willie Nelson is my hero, one of my top ten favourite singers of all time,” he reveals.

“He’s one of the greatest storytellers. His record Stardust was a big part of my life.

“You know how they say timing is everything and I think maybe it was my time. Maybe I earned the right to work with these people.

“Not because of talent but because I’ve made 11 records now.

“I don’t want to say I’m an elder statesman, but you know, I’ve been here a while now.

“I think I put enough love and enough reverence in these songs. I hope I earned the right to be able to say that I was responsible in interpreting these songs and doing them justice.”

It is Bublé’s version of Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me that the singer says is his favourite on Higher.

“I love Sam Cooke,” he says. “I’m a soul singer. If people ask, I am a soul singer who loves jazz.

“My favourite singers are Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. The most beautiful, warm, rich voices.

“And I definitely felt an insecurity singing this song. I wanted to come from place of respect, reverence and love.

“I don’t think people have any idea of how he lifted up black artists, how he empowered them.

“He was the guy. My favourite record of his is him at the Copa (Sam Cooke At The Copa, 1964).”

Higher is also a proud dad moment for Bublé as his eight-year-old son Noah gets a writing credit on the title track.

Noah is the eldest son of Bublé and his wife Luisana Lopilato, an Argentine model and actress

They also have, Elias, six, and Vida, three, and a new baby due in late summer.

He shows me a video of his son playing the piano as he sings along.

And showing me another video, he adds: “And here’s Eli playing The Beatles’ Let It Be. I sent this to Sir Paul and said, ‘My son has good taste in music’.

“They just love, love, love music. And here’s a photo of my daughter, the ballerina — she just looks like her mum.

‘Respect and love’

“And yes, I do know what baby we are having but I am not allowed to tell anyone.

“I think that will be it at four, though I’d love to adopt, but I don’t know if I’m gonna win that battle.

“I just love being a dad. If I could give any advice to people out there, it’s be with your kids for those first six, eight years. Oh my God.”

It’s evident how much Bublé loves his children and it’s an extra special moment because in 2016 Noah was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare type of liver cancer.

Bublé and Lopilato retired from work as he underwent two years of gruelling treatment. Noah has been in remission since 2017.

“When Noah was diagnosed, my family quit their jobs and moved to Vancouver, with my wife’s family — we all lived together.

“Just like we did in lockdown. We all love each other so much. And that’s why I can deal with anything.

“During the pandemic making this record I wasn’t fearful. I was excited. I say that because I had gone through something so traumatic and scary that I felt like I could do anything.

“What happens if it doesn’t work? Oops, I made a sh**ty record. What’s the worst thing? Nothing. I was so happy and grateful. And I could breathe again.”

‘Brings me peace’

Bublé and his wife are still very much involved in helping the hospital, and patients, who treated Noah.

He says: “I need to go back. Yeah, that’s part of my journey. And it brings me peace.

“But my wife, it’s a little harder for her. She does it in her own way. But I don’t need to talk about these things.

“There’s a lot of things I do for people, but I do it because I feel like it’s the right thing to do and if I tell you that I’m doing it then it takes away the reason.

“But there are things that I really believe in. I try not to be too loud about it.”

The Canadian crooner kicks off his UK tour, An Evening With Michael Bublé, on July 2, but before that he gets the chance to emulate his heroes such as Frank Sinatra — with a six-night residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas.

“I’m so happy that I get six shows. Two weekends and that’s it.

“My friends are like, ‘Dude, you got to do a ten-year thing where they build the theatre’. I’m like, ‘No’.”

He adds: “I really felt for Adele cancelling her shows. I also felt absolutely sick for the poor folks who had flown out too — that’s rough.

“I’m not sure what happened with Adele but after the pandemic we have to be a little more empathetic to each other, whoever they are.

“I imagine there’s a lot of pressure on Adele, she’s the biggest star in the world — I’d like to be able to sing like Adele.”

And after tearing his rotator cuff in his shoulder filming the video to his new single Higher, Bublé says he’s also looking forward to throwing some dance moves on tour.

“I’m starting now,” he says, laughing. “I’m dancing hard.

“Yes, I tore it dancing. I really wanted to tell people that it was an awesome fight, but it was dance.

“I was always fascinated by dance. I love Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing.

“Who doesn’t? And I love watching people that aren’t naturally dancers, and still go for it

“I’m blaming Ed Sheeran. He said, ‘Mike, just say yes. Just do it. You should dance. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work’.

“So I just say yes. I’m not great but I’m gonna try it. And that’s how I see things now. After everything — it’s about being fearless.”

• Michael Bublé’s album Higher is out today.

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