An emotional and reflective Michael Bublé spoke to Irish press ahead of his comeback gig on Saturday and said that although he's been "to hell and back" over the past few years, that getting the chance to play Croke Park is "heaven".
The singer and his wife Luisana Lopilato's four-year-old son Noah was diagnosed with cancer in November 2016 and he put his career on hold while Noah was undergoing treatment. Argentinian actress Lopilato said Noah had recovered well from the illness last year.
As he puts in the final preparations for his first Croke Park appearance, Bublé said his family's experience over the past few years has informed his perspective on his work.
"I live with a perspective that I just didn’t have before and it allows me to have no fear", he explained. "I’ve been to hell and Croke Park isn’t hell, it’s heaven. For me, it’s pure bliss, it’s pure joy. There’s no fear.
"What can go wrong? I’m going to go back to doing what I was made to do and 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 for that I hope, not that I can fix things, but if I can be a little Batman bandaid, just to be part of the healing process."
Speaking forcefully and with a lot of raw emotion, Bublé took the opportunity to thank his fans for their support throughout this difficult time.
"Instead of talking about the pain and negativity of it, I would much rather take the opportunity to really say thank you, to thank all of those people who sent their prayers, who sent their well wishes, who hurt for us", he said.
"We’re not the only family that’s gone through something like this and we were more than grateful for that love. It kept us many days, it’s hard for me not to get emotional. It kept us alive. It meant more to us than people will ever know. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
The Canadian crooner said it's no accident that he chose to kick off his comeback tour in Ireland as he has a special affinity for the country.
"There was no fluke as to why I chose to come here, it was my choice", he said. "There’s a lot of love here. As you can imagine it’s a little bit daunting after not having been on stage for a few years and it meant a lot to me that this would be the place where I would make the comeback."
Regarding his Irish fans, he said they have "such tremendous energy, such a good sense of humour, really an audience that’s incredibly grounded.
"I see a lot of myself in the people here."
The 42-year-old Grammy Award-winner said he doesn't have any nerves ahead of the show, but that preparing to welcome his first daughter with his wife in a few weeks is a different story.
"That I’m nervous about!", he said with a laugh. "I’m so excited, I can’t wait. I just can’t wait to celebrate. We’re so excited."
.@michaelbuble says he isn’t feeling any nerves ahead of playing @CrokePark on Saturday night but how’s he feeling about preparing to welcome his first daughter in a few weeks? "That I’m nervous about!" #MichaelBuble pic.twitter.com/Q6XXUhjng8
— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) July 6, 2018
Bublé explained that he now sees making music and performing differently than he did before.
"In the scheme of everything, the health of my children are number one. The relationship I have with my family, my wife, and my faith, all of it is easily number one.
"All of this", he said, while gesturing towards the Croke Park pitch. "When I look up at this incredible place and I see all of those seats and what will be an incredible atmosphere, it’s so different than I used to see it.
"Now I see it as this beautiful, wonderful bonus, the cherry on top of a life that’s fulfilled and big and great. It allows me not to have this moment overpower me and truly be settled."
Michael Bublé plays a seated gig in Croke Park on Saturday, July 7.
