In his upcoming autobiography, The Soul Of It All, due out January 29, Michael opens up about his journey to the top of the charts and beyond, sharing intimate details about love, life, family and work.

The book, he writes, is about the "soul of it all; the passion, hard work, striving, sacrifices, joy, and faith it takes to keep the dream alive," and just in the first chapter alone, Michael gives readers a glimpse at the hard road he traveled to achieve his dream in hopes to inspire yours.

In the meantime, we read the first chapter of his autobiography and found ten of the most interesting (and surprising) tidbits about his life.

1. He was a "hippie kid" in the '60s that busked on street corners in Greenwich Village with his guitar for money.