Bret Michaels

The world of glam metal rock has its detractors. Deriders have often called it butt rock, even MTV labeled it as hair metal, & critics have panned it for its heavy reliance on visuals & outrageous campy fashion sense instead of the quintessential theme of the music. Yet very few acts have popularized it as a major force in the late 70s & 80s as Poison, & their buccaneering lead vocalist, Bret Michaels. Bret Michaels embraced the Sunset Boulevard life of Los Angeles with consummate ease, adapting an image that epitomized the boom of glam metal. He continues as a solo artist after the breakup of Poison, although his major claim to fame these days is through television & reality TV series.

A Butler, Pennsylvania native, Bret Michael Schyak was born in 1963, & his childhood was scarred by the revelation that he suffered from juvenile diabetes. Michaels would have to dispel rumors of drug abuse later on after collapsing onstage due to a hypoglycemic attack in a concert. Michaels formed the band "Paris" with drummer Rikki Rockett, bass player Bobby Dall, & guitarist Matt Smith. Playing on the Pennsylvania underground scene wasn't what the band envisaged, & a move from blue-collar Pennsylvania to the seedy glitz & glam of Los Angeles, coupled with the replacement of Smith with CC DeVille, worked wonders for the renamed band, now called Poison. Poison's debut Look What the Cat Dragged In wasn't a stellar hit until the band starting making videos for their songs. The result was a meteoric rise that culminated in 1988's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", a strong emotional power ballad that redefined glam metal. The song was inspired by the devastating breakup that Michaels suffered with his teenage sweetheart Tracy Lewis. Michaels kept powering Poison through the decline of glam metal in the early 90s, but the dark side of the band emerged thereafter. Michaels & DeVille had never quite gelled together, & after drowning in drug abuse, the two had a very public spat involving a fistfight backstage after guitar malfunctioning during a performance. Poison split, & while the substance abuse continued, Michaels reorganized himself to come up with five noteworthy solo efforts from 1998 onwards. Michaels then waded into television to establish the uproariously successful reality TV series Rock of Love. The rock star is currently working on another upcoming solo album.

"Talk Dirty to Me" was Poison's first single that made it big, courtesy of breaking the norm with an elaborate music video. Michaels then produced the band's biggest hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which was an angst-ridden ballad regarding his breakup. The pouring emotion won hearts, & was a detour from the usual feel-good party anthems. Other hits from the Open Up & Say?Aaaah! album were "Fallen Angel" & "Your Mama Don't Dace". The album reached #2 on the charts. After Poison split, Michaels wrote down A Letter from Death Row, a solo effort that received widespread recognition because Michaels starred in the accompanying film. 2005's Freedom of Sound did considerably well, mainly on the basis of "All I Ever Needed" in collaboration with Jessica Andrews. He is currently working on Custom Built, whose single "Nothing to Lose" is playing on the airwaves. Michaels has also gone through three seasons in the reality TV dating competition Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, & has also appeared as guest judge in Nashville Star's 2005 season.

Bret Michaels is a proven performer on stage. The bouncy catchy lyrics of his glam metal numbers did not show the emotional side of Michaels that "Every Thorn Has Its Rose" threw u, a change appreciated widely. Michaels remains a comfortable performer on stage in either capacity. Sporting long hair in sync with glam metal traditions in his heyday, Michaels is still drop-dead gorgeous. He has toured far & wide to promote his albums & he is continuing to do so for his solo works. Michaels will be performing in Biloxi, St Louis, Columbus & Wheeling by the end of this month.

Bret Michaels has had to fight through a serious medical condition to reinvent himself with an image that oozed of top-class glamour & cockiness. Poison's outlook & their genre were complementary, & gave Michaels the perfect platform to project himself globally. His boyish good looks & versatility has not abated since, with his fan base increasing by the day. All these attributes amount to yet another reason to join the rush for Bret Michaels tickets.