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Poison (band)
Encyclopedia
Poison is an American
glam metal
band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100
, including six Top 10 singles and the Hot 100 number-one single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
". In the 2000s, with the original line up back together, the band found new popularity after a successful greatest hits reunion tour in 1999. The band toured almost every year in the 2000s to sold out stadiums and arenas. Band members have released several solo albums and starred in successful reality TV shows. After 25 years, the band is still recording music and performing.
Since their debut in 1986, they have released eight studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, and have issued 28 singles to radio.
, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall
, and drummer Rikki Rockett
.
Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett first joined forces to form a band called the Spectres in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and then teamed up with Matt Smith and Bobby Dall to form Paris. After playing mostly rock cover songs in Mechanicsburg-area bars they moved to Los Angeles
on 6 March 1984 and changed the name of the band from Paris to Poison.
During this period, Poison's manager negotiated a deal under which the West Hollywood club, The Troubador, would pay for shows. At this time, Smith, who was about to become a father and was concerned about the band's future, left the band to return home to Pennsylvania
. The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing down the field to three candidates: Slash
, who would later join Guns N' Roses
, Steve Silva from The Joe Perry Project, and New York-born guitarist C.C. DeVille, although Michaels and Dall did not intially get along with Deville, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the best choice.
Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to independent label Enigma Records
in 1986 (see 1986 in music
) for approximately $30,000. Their debut album: Look What the Cat Dragged In, was released 2 August 1986. It originally included only one single, "Cry Tough
"; however, Look What the Cat Dragged In became a surprise success and subsequently spawned three charting hits: "Talk Dirty to Me
", "I Want Action
", and "I Won't Forget You
", The record became the biggest-selling-album in Enigma's history. With heavy rotation on MTV, their debut earned the band tours with fellow glam rockers Ratt
, Cinderella
, and Quiet Riot
, as well as a coveted slot in the Texxas Jam in Dallas. The album ultimately has sold 4 million copies worldwide.
In 1987 the band recorded a cover of the Kiss
song "Rock and Roll All Nite
" for the soundtrack to Less Than Zero
.
Poison's second album, Open Up and Say...Ahh!
, was released 21 May 1988. It peaked at #2 on the American charts and would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The album included the band's biggest hit, the #1 hit single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
", along with other hits like: "Nothin' but a Good Time
", "Fallen Angel
", and the Loggins and Messina
cover "Your Mama Don't Dance". The album's first cover was controversial, as it depicted a female demonic figure with an obscenely long tongue. A censored version of the cover followed, focusing on the figure's eyes. By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth
in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour, it was apparent that Poison had become a major live act and the band moved from support status to headlining their own tour in September 1988. As of 1989, the band had become the seventh-best-selling hard rock band in the US of the 1980s, behind Mötley Crüe
, Def Leppard
, Bon Jovi
, Guns N' Roses
, Aerosmith
and Van Halen
. In 1989, the band released their first video album titled "Sight for Sore Ears
" which featured all their music videos from the first two albums.
Conflict pursued the band persistently. Bryn Bridenthal, head of publicity at Geffen Records, slapped a $1.1 million lawsuit on the band for drenching her with drinks and a bucket of ice at a music industry party. Then, Sanctuary Music, Poison's former management company, filed a $45.5 million breach of contract suit against the band. Poison retaliated with charges of mismanagement of funds. Michaels's frequent brawling garnered him further lawsuits in Tallahassee, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Poison continued their adherence to the "work hard, play hard" motto, following up with their third album, Flesh & Blood, which was released 21 June 1990. It also was highly successful, peaking at #2 and selling more than 7 million copies worldwide. The album's success prompted the impetus for a further world tour. Shedding their big-haired image as they moved into the 1990s, Poison took a more mature approach to their third album. In Screamer magazine Michaels explained how Flesh and Blood signaled a change in the band: "I think that the same way that we shocked people in the beginning with the look, this one might shock them with the music a little bit. This one's the one that's going to show that there's a little bit of another side to the band."
Poison received a letter from Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney thanking the band for contributing 20,000 CDs of the album Flesh & Blood to lift the morale of U.S. Troops during Desert Storm, and their continued support of the Armed Forces.
The album also features an alternative cover, as the original featured what appeared to be running ink or possibly blood from a tattoo. (Subsequent versions of this cover removed the "extra" ink.) The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop
", "Ride the Wind", and the ballad "Something To Believe In
" which was dedicated to the band's security guard and close friend James Kimo Maano who died. Life Goes On
was the fourth single and the last single released was the title cut, "Flesh & Blood (Sacrifice)". The video of "Flesh & Blood (Sacrifice)" was banned from MTV due to its explicit nature, but did surface later in early 1991 in their second video compilation, Flesh, Blood, & Videotape
.
One of the band's few appearances in the UK was on 18 August 1990 at Donington's
Monsters of Rock
festival in the summer of 1990. Whitesnake
headlined with Aerosmith
, Quireboys and Thunder
supporting them. This event was broadcast on BBC Radio 1
.
After two consecutive years on the road, band members were at each others' throats with personal differences, drug addictions, etc.
Poison recorded several performances during its 1990/1991 Flesh & Blood tour, which were released in November 1991 as the band's fourth album, Swallow This Live. The double album features live tracks from Poison's first three studio albums and four new studio tracks including the single "So Tell Me Why
", which were the last recorded before C.C. DeVille's departure from the band later that year. The band also released their first video concert on VHS from the same tour titled Swallow This Live: Flesh & Blood World Tour
.
addiction had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the 1991 MTV
Video Music Awards, provoked by DeVille's inept live performance. The band was scheduled to play Unskinny Bop but was brought to a halt when they were playing during the commercial break. High and drunk during the performance, Deville missed the cue when they came back live and forgot what to play and started playing "Talk Dirty To Me". During the song his guitar lead disconnected mid-performance. DeVille was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitarist Richie Kotzen
.
Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue
, was released 8 February 1993. It was strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performance. It marked a change for the band as they abandoned their anthemic party tunes to focus on more serious subjects, and was far more blues-rock
oriented than glam metal. Containing the singles "Stand
" which featured the Los Angeles First A.M.E. Church Choir on backing vocals , "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" and "Body Talk
", the album received generally positive reviews and did go Gold, but sales were sluggish compared with the first three albums, selling only 2 million copies worldwide. The band toured in support of the album, but tensions mounted between Kotzen and the rest of the band. Kotzen's future in the band was doomed when it was discovered that he had become romantically involved with Rockett's then-fiancée Deanna Eve. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno
who completed the world tour with the band including the famous "HOLLYWOOD ROCK" concerts in Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, where they played to over 165,000 people. A concert from the Native Tongue world tour was released on VHS/DVD titled "Seven Days Live".
Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile
, in early 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in a car accident where he lost control of his Ferrari
. Michaels suffered a broken nose
, rib
s, jaw
, and finger
s and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording the album. The album became shelved shortly after this, with no release date anywhere in sight. Instead, the label opted for a Greatest Hits
compilation, which featured two new tracks with Saraceno on guitar, "Sexual Thing" and "Lay Your Body Down". The first Greatest album was released on 26 November 1996 and went on to reach platinum status.
After several years apart, Michaels and DeVille were able to patch up their differences, welcoming C.C. DeVille back into Poison in 1996 replacing Blues Saraceno.
Bret Michaels was involved with Pamela Anderson
. An abridged version of an explicit sex tape the couple made appeared on the Internet in 1998.
Bret Michaels and actor friend Charlie Sheen
co-founded a production company called Sheen Michaels Entertainment. In 1998, Michaels made his acting debut along side Charlie and Martin Sheen
in the movie A Letter from Death Row
, which was also written and directed by Michaels. Michaels also released his first solo album that year, which was the soundtrack to the movie.
in metro Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. Tour dates averaged crowds of 12,000. A summer appearance on VH1's Behind the Music
appeared to solidify the reunited lineup's new-found popularity. Hardcore fans uncovered copies of Crack a Smile from the numerous bootlegs that were beginning to surface, but it was not long before a shortfall in supply became evident. Fans clamored for an official release fearing that not only was the album becoming a collectors piece but was also quite possibly "their best album to date." On 14 March 2000, Crack a Smile...and More!
was finally released with extra tracks to combat the bootleg industry. That being Poison's seventh album after the Greatest Hits: 1986-1996
album took its place as the sixth, fans were calling it "The Lost Album". Crack a Smile...and More! was a bright and raunchy series of party anthems such as the single "Shut Up, Make Love
" and power ballad "Be the One
", containing few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue. However it did host one outtake from the Open Up And Say...Ahh! session as well as two outtakes from the Crack a Smile session. "One More For The Bone" and "Set You Free", both outtakes, were originally planned for use as B-sides. In addition to the outtakes, live recordings from the 1990 installment of the MTV Unplugged
series were included.
After The poison reunion C.C. Soon released his solo album Samantha 7
and Poison also released Power to the People
, their first album with DeVille in nine years. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People
" which features a music video, "Can't Bring Me Down," "The Last Song
", "Strange," and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine," the latter with DeVille on lead vocals for the first time. The remainder of the album featured live performances from the greatest hits reunion tour in 1999. In 2001 Poison released the web single Rockstar
as a preview of the upcoming new album.
Poison's sixth full studio album, Hollyweird
, was released on 21 May 2002. It was Poison's first full album of new material with C.C. DeVille back in the band. The album was heavily criticised by both critics and fans, feeling it had poor production quality and an unimpressive new sound. One popular site said "It's muddy, under-produced, badly mixed and features crappy drum and guitar sounds". Other reviewers were more impressed, such as Allmusic, who declared it "one of their best records, if not their best."
Bobby Dall
on The Who
cover single “Squeeze Box” stated,
"Shooting Star
" was also released as a single for the album and was referred to as part 2 to the Fallen Angel single from Open Up And...Say Ahh.
Poison released their second compilation album, Best of Ballads & Blues
, in 2003. It contains a new acoustic version with new lyrics of "Something to Believe In" and a new acoustic version of "Stand". Bret Michaels
also released his 2nd solo album Songs Of Life which featured singles "Bittersweet" and "Raine" which featured a music video and was dedicated to his daughter. On 7 January that year, after almost 20 years with Poison, Rikki Rockett released his first solo album Glitter 4 Your Soul
which was distributed online. The album was a tribute to 1970s glam rock
.
During the summer of 2004, Poison was invited to serve as the opening band on Kiss's
“Rock the Nation” tour. Poison were largely inactive in 2005 which is when Bret Michael's released his third solo album, the country-rock-influenced Freedom Of Sound
, which included the single "All I Ever Needed
" featuring Jessica Andrews, which also featured a music video and appeared on Billboard
's "Hot Country Songs" chart, with its best position being number 45. It also included the singles "Right Now, Right Here" and "Open Road" which Bret performed live on Nashville Star
, a country reality television program which featured Michaels as one of the judges.
"Nothing But a Good Time" is featured in the 2003 film Grind
. The song comes about when Joey Kern
's character put in a Poison CD, which made everyone in the van start to sing the song and air guitar the solo.
"Nothing But a Good Time" also appears in the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith
, and in the film The Rocker
(2009).
After a year off, Poison returned to the music scene. They celebrated their 20th anniversary with a "20 Years Of Rock" tour in the summer of 2006, with fellow rockers Cinderella
and Endeverafter
opening. The tour swiftly became one of the most successful tours of 2006 in the U.S., averaging about 10,000 people per night. To complement it, the band had released an anniversary compilation album The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock
, in April that year. The album also features a new single, a cover of Grand Funk Railroad
's "We're An American Band
", produced by Don Was
and also features a music video. The compilation debuted at #17 with a first week sales total of 39,721, which marked Poison's return to the top 20 charts for the first time since 1993.
On 1 August 2006, Capitol Records released remastered versions of the first three Poison albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say...Ahh!
and Flesh and Blood
, in honor of Poison's 20th anniversary. All three include bonus tracks. Look What the Cat Dragged In features the extra track "You Don't Mess Around With Jim
", Open Up and Say...Ahh! (which uses the previously banned album cover instead of the censored one) has the extra track "Livin' For The Minute" and an interview with the band, and Flesh and Blood features two extra tracks: an alternate version of "Something to Believe In" and an instrumental cover of the Sex Pistols
' "God Save the Queen
".
DeVille appeared on VH1's reality television show The Surreal Life
in March that year, the same day he got out of rehab. "Your Mama Don't Dance" was played in the movie "RV" in 2006.
During the show in Atlanta on August 25 that year, Bret Michaels and Bobby Dall
had to be separated by members of the road crew and the rest of the band after the two came to blows right before the encore, with Michaels throwing his mic at Dall, and Dall retaliating by slamming his bass into Michaels, injuring his knee. Michaels apologised later and stated, "You may have just seen the last concert by Poison in its current formation". The altercation happened before the band's set ended with "Talk Dirty To Me". After some tense moments and Michaels's apology to the crowd including his explanation that "like brothers, sometimes you have to air things out", the band did finish the set. Dall left the stage immediately. There have been many physical conflicts within the band over the years, but this is the first onstage since the fistfight between Michaels and DeVille at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1991, but that took place after the performance, not during. The band took time out while Michaels continued with his solo tour.
On 3 January 2007, Poison announced on their official MySpace
page that they would like their fans to help pick favourite classic rock songs for the new studio album that they are to record. The fans replied with suggestions like Lynyrd Skynyrd
's "Freebird
", Sweet's
"The Ballroom Blitz", and AC/DC
's "You Shook Me All Night Long
", along with what might be an obvious choice - Alice Cooper
's "Poison
". On 28 January, Rikki Rockett explained,
On 14 February 2007, it was announced by VH1
that Bret Michaels is going to have his own reality show called Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
, where women will have to compete for his love and prove they can keep up with his rock star life. Rock of Love premiered on 15 July 2007.
During 2007, Poison went on a summer tour with Ratt
. They released their covers album, now named Poison'd!
, on 5 June 2007 through Capitol Records. The album entered the Billboard 200
chart at #32 and charted at #12 on the Top Rock Albums, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. The first single "What I Like About You
" featured a music video from the band. White Lion
was removed from the tour due to legal issues, and Vains of Jenna
took their place. The August 2nd sold-out show in at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis, Missouri was taped for a live concert DVD
and for a HDNet Concert special called: POISON: LIVE, RAW & UNCUT that aired on 26 October 2007 as part of Heavy Metal Halloween. The band also appeared that night on the channel's Sound Off with Matt Pinfield
.
The band played at the Rock2Wgtn
rock festival in Wellington
, New Zealand
, on the weekend of 22–23 March 2008. The festival also included fellow legendary rockers Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne
, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake
, and Finnish hard rock act Lordi
.
Poison played at the Sweden rock festival 2008. Sebastian Bach
is slated to be the opening act on this Summer's 2008 Poison tour, also featuring Dokken
.
On 28 March that year Rikki Rockett was arrested on suspicion of rape in Los Angeles after getting off a flight from New Zealand. According to police reports, a woman in Neshoba County, MS, filed a report stating that on 23 September 2007, Rockett sexually assaulted her in his room at the Silver Star Hotel & Casino located on a Choctaw
Indian reservation. Rocket was exonerated of all charges on 22 May as it was discovered that he was not in Mississippi during the time of the alleged rape, and that a man by the name of John Minskoff used Rockett's name when he met the woman before raping her.
Bret Michaels also starred in Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (season 2)
. Both seasons were successful and led to a solo compilation album which featured a few new singles heard on the series, including the theme song Go That Far
, Fallen (both of which featured music video's) and Start Again. The album was titled Rock My World and was released in June 2008. The album charted at #40 on The Billboard 200, #4 on the Top Independent Albums, #4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums and #16 on the Top Rock Albums chart.
Poison live in concert DVD titled "Live, Raw & Uncut
" was released on Tuesday, 15 July 2008, was filmed in St. Louis, Missouri during the Poison'd tour in 2007. This DVD/CD set will be initially exclusive to Best Buy stores and will include behind-the-scenes footage as a bonus feature as well as a live audio CD with selections from the concert. It sold around 2,400 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart.
Also in 2008 a live CD version of the Poison DVD "Seven Days Live" was released.
In 2009, Bret Michaels starred in the third installment of Rock of Love called "Rock of Love Bus", featuring a music video with clips from the series for the new single "Driven (Rock Mix)" and a Poison box set was also released, consisting of 3 Cd's of music from 1986 - 2000.
On 14 January 2009, Bret Michaels unveiled plans to team up with fellow rockers Def Leppard
for a summer 2009 tour - ending a bitter feud between the two groups, plus Cheap Trick
.
On 7 June 2009, Poison made a special appearance at the 63rd Tony Awards
, performing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of Rock of Ages
, which features "Nothin' But a Good Time" as a song in the show. As Bret Michaels was exiting the stage, he was struck in the head by a descending set piece and knocked to the ground. He suffered a fractured nose and a split lip requiring three stitches.
On 23 June 2009, Poison kicked off their 42-city Summer 2009 tour in Camden
, NJ with Def Leppard and Cheap Trick.
On 12 April 2010, Bret Michaels was rushed to the hospital after suffering intense stomach pains, and an emergency appendectomy was performed. On 22 April 2010, Michaels was again rushed to the hospital, this time with an "excruciating" headache. Doctors discovered that he had suffered a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage
. He was in critical condition, and while some reports suggested that his condition had stabilized, others later stated that this was premature. On 28 April, Michael's representatives reported that he was conscious and speaking, albeit slowly, for the first time since he was hospitalized.
In a news conference on 5 May 2010, Dr. Joseph Zabramski said Michaels has been released from the hospital and that "He's just one of those lucky people" and that "he'll make a complete recovery".
Since being released from the hospital Michaels has stated that he is contemplating marriage with the mother of his two children with whom he has recently reconciled. In an interview with People magazine, he stated:
In May 2010, Michaels was the winning contestant on the NBC
reality television series Celebrity Apprentice 3
defeating Holly Robinson Peete in the final. On July 6 Michaels released his new solo album Custom Built
, which includes the singles "Wasted Time", "Lie to Me" and "Nothing to Lose
" (featuring Miley Cyrus
). The album is Michaels highest charting solo album to date peaking at #1 on both the Top Independent Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums chart and also charting at #4 on the Top Rock Albums and #14 on The Billboard 200.
The album also includes the song "Riding Against the Wind", which features a music video and is the theme song for his new reality Docu-series "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It
", which officially premiered on VH1 on Oct. 18, 2010.
In November 2010, a double cd package titled "Nothin' But A Good Time: The Poison Collection" was released which includes one compilation album (The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock) and one live album (Swallow This Live - single disc edition).
On March 1, Poison announced a 2011 Summer tour with Motley Crue
and New York Dolls
to celebrate Poison's 25th anniversary and Motley Crue's 30th Anniversary named the Glam-A-Gaddeon. Also for Poison's 25th Anniversary, 35 of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites have been gathered for "Poison - Double Dose: Ultimate Hits
", a new career-spanning 2CD and digital collection to be released May 3, 2011 by Capitol/EMI.
and Power Balladz
. Both shows use the song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
", while the former also features "Nothin' but a Good Time
".
, Chord Overstreet
sang a few bars (a capella) of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
".
On The Simpsons
season 11 episode "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
", Otto plays "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on a stereo while proposing to his girlfriend, Becky. At their wedding, he hires a Poison tribute band to play "Nothin' but a Good Time
".
The song "Talk Dirty to Me
" is heard in the Season One episode of Scrubs
entitled "My Heavy Meddle" where a coma patient requests that the song be played in his room at least once every day, to the annoyance of Dr. Kelso.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, including six Top 10 singles and the Hot 100 number-one single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
". In the 2000s, with the original line up back together, the band found new popularity after a successful greatest hits reunion tour in 1999. The band toured almost every year in the 2000s to sold out stadiums and arenas. Band members have released several solo albums and starred in successful reality TV shows. After 25 years, the band is still recording music and performing.
Since their debut in 1986, they have released eight studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, and have issued 28 singles to radio.
Early years (1983-1986)
Poison was formed in 1983, and consisted of lead vocalist and more Bret MichaelsBret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall
Bobby Dall
Robert Harry Kuykendall also known as Bobby Dall is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for Poison. Dall is the youngest of three children...
, and drummer Rikki Rockett
Rikki Rockett
Richard Allan Ream , better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer best known for his work with the glam metal band, Poison.-Biography:...
.
Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett first joined forces to form a band called the Spectres in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and then teamed up with Matt Smith and Bobby Dall to form Paris. After playing mostly rock cover songs in Mechanicsburg-area bars they moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on 6 March 1984 and changed the name of the band from Paris to Poison.
Rise to fame (1986-1991)
Poison promoted themselves up and down Hollywood's Sunset Strip, passing out flyers and making the rounds performing in the famous local clubs.During this period, Poison's manager negotiated a deal under which the West Hollywood club, The Troubador, would pay for shows. At this time, Smith, who was about to become a father and was concerned about the band's future, left the band to return home to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing down the field to three candidates: Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, who would later join Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Steve Silva from The Joe Perry Project, and New York-born guitarist C.C. DeVille, although Michaels and Dall did not intially get along with Deville, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the best choice.
Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to independent label Enigma Records
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
in 1986 (see 1986 in music
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
) for approximately $30,000. Their debut album: Look What the Cat Dragged In, was released 2 August 1986. It originally included only one single, "Cry Tough
Cry Tough (song)
"Cry Tough" is the debut single by American glam metal band Poison, from their debut album Look What the Cat Dragged In, which peaked at number 3 on the The Billboard 200...
"; however, Look What the Cat Dragged In became a surprise success and subsequently spawned three charting hits: "Talk Dirty to Me
Talk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is the second single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In. It was the band's first big international hit.It is a staple on their live shows and was named by VH1 40th greatest hard rock song of all time...
", "I Want Action
I Want Action
"I Want Action" is the third single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In.The song was released as a single in 1987 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records, and peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", and "I Won't Forget You
I Won't Forget You
"I Won't Forget You" is the fourth single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In.Released as a single in 1987 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records, and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100....
", The record became the biggest-selling-album in Enigma's history. With heavy rotation on MTV, their debut earned the band tours with fellow glam rockers Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
, Cinderella
Cinderella (band)
Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, and Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
, as well as a coveted slot in the Texxas Jam in Dallas. The album ultimately has sold 4 million copies worldwide.
In 1987 the band recorded a cover of the Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
song "Rock and Roll All Nite
Rock and Roll All Nite
"Rock and Roll All Nite" is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single, with the album track "Getaway." The studio version of the song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard singles chart, besting the band's previous...
" for the soundtrack to Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero (soundtrack)
Less Than Zero is the soundtrack to the 1987 film Less Than Zero. It was released on November 6, 1987, through Def Jam Recordings and consisted of a variety of music genres, including hard rock, pop rock, hip hop, heavy metal and contemporary R&B, with most of the album being produced by Rick Rubin...
.
Poison's second album, Open Up and Say...Ahh!
Open Up and Say...Ahh!
Open Up and Say... Ahh! is the second studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1988 through the Enigma label. The album, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide , proved to be the band's most successful release...
, was released 21 May 1988. It peaked at #2 on the American charts and would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The album included the band's biggest hit, the #1 hit single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
", along with other hits like: "Nothin' but a Good Time
Nothin' but a Good Time
"Nothin' But a Good Time" is the first single from the second Poison album Open Up and Say...Ahh!. The B-sides are "Livin' For the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch"....
", "Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (Poison song)
"Fallen Angel" is the second single from Open Up and Say...Ahh!, American hair metal band Poison's second album. The b-side of the seven inch was "Bad to Be Good"....
", and the Loggins and Messina
Loggins and Messina
Loggins and Messina are an American rock-pop duo consisting of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina who achieved their success in the early to mid 1970s...
cover "Your Mama Don't Dance". The album's first cover was controversial, as it depicted a female demonic figure with an obscenely long tongue. A censored version of the cover followed, focusing on the figure's eyes. By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour, it was apparent that Poison had become a major live act and the band moved from support status to headlining their own tour in September 1988. As of 1989, the band had become the seventh-best-selling hard rock band in the US of the 1980s, behind Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
. In 1989, the band released their first video album titled "Sight for Sore Ears
Sight for Sore Ears
Sight For Sore Ears is the first video album from the rock band Poison, featuring all the Poison music videos from the first two albums, Look What the Cat Dragged In and Open Up and Say...Ahh! and also features behind the scenes footage and in depth interviews. The video compilation received gold...
" which featured all their music videos from the first two albums.
Conflict pursued the band persistently. Bryn Bridenthal, head of publicity at Geffen Records, slapped a $1.1 million lawsuit on the band for drenching her with drinks and a bucket of ice at a music industry party. Then, Sanctuary Music, Poison's former management company, filed a $45.5 million breach of contract suit against the band. Poison retaliated with charges of mismanagement of funds. Michaels's frequent brawling garnered him further lawsuits in Tallahassee, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Poison continued their adherence to the "work hard, play hard" motto, following up with their third album, Flesh & Blood, which was released 21 June 1990. It also was highly successful, peaking at #2 and selling more than 7 million copies worldwide. The album's success prompted the impetus for a further world tour. Shedding their big-haired image as they moved into the 1990s, Poison took a more mature approach to their third album. In Screamer magazine Michaels explained how Flesh and Blood signaled a change in the band: "I think that the same way that we shocked people in the beginning with the look, this one might shock them with the music a little bit. This one's the one that's going to show that there's a little bit of another side to the band."
Poison received a letter from Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney thanking the band for contributing 20,000 CDs of the album Flesh & Blood to lift the morale of U.S. Troops during Desert Storm, and their continued support of the Armed Forces.
The album also features an alternative cover, as the original featured what appeared to be running ink or possibly blood from a tattoo. (Subsequent versions of this cover removed the "extra" ink.) The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop
Unskinny Bop
"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, which was released as the first single from their 1990 Flesh & Blood album.The song peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Mainstream rock charts, #15 in the UK and #7 on the Australian charts. This made it the band's second...
", "Ride the Wind", and the ballad "Something To Believe In
Something to Believe In (Poison song)
"Something to Believe In" is a power ballad by American Glam metal band Poison, it's the 2nd single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood...
" which was dedicated to the band's security guard and close friend James Kimo Maano who died. Life Goes On
Life Goes On (Poison song)
"Life Goes On" is a song by American glam metal band Poison. It was the fourth single from their 1990 album Flesh & Blood.The song reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Albums:"Life Goes On" is on the following albums.* Flesh & Blood...
was the fourth single and the last single released was the title cut, "Flesh & Blood (Sacrifice)". The video of "Flesh & Blood (Sacrifice)" was banned from MTV due to its explicit nature, but did surface later in early 1991 in their second video compilation, Flesh, Blood, & Videotape
Flesh, Blood, & Videotape
Flesh, Blood, & Videotape is the 2nd video album from the rock band Poison, featuring the singles / music video's from Poison's 3rd studio album Flesh & Blood and also features behind the scenes footage and in depth interviews....
.
One of the band's few appearances in the UK was on 18 August 1990 at Donington's
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival in the summer of 1990. Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
headlined with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Quireboys and Thunder
Thunder (band)
Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
supporting them. This event was broadcast on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
After two consecutive years on the road, band members were at each others' throats with personal differences, drug addictions, etc.
Poison recorded several performances during its 1990/1991 Flesh & Blood tour, which were released in November 1991 as the band's fourth album, Swallow This Live. The double album features live tracks from Poison's first three studio albums and four new studio tracks including the single "So Tell Me Why
So Tell Me Why
"So Tell Me Why" is a single by American Hard rock band Poison, from their 1991 Swallow This Live album. The song peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles chart...
", which were the last recorded before C.C. DeVille's departure from the band later that year. The band also released their first video concert on VHS from the same tour titled Swallow This Live: Flesh & Blood World Tour
Swallow This Live: Flesh & Blood World Tour
Swallow This Live: Flesh & Blood World Tour is a Poison concert video, recorded in southern California 1991. The concert featured from Poison's 1990/91 world tour in support of Poison's third studio album Flesh & Blood and was the first concert from the band to be released on vhs video.The live...
.
Changing times (1992–1998)
Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the 1991 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Video Music Awards, provoked by DeVille's inept live performance. The band was scheduled to play Unskinny Bop but was brought to a halt when they were playing during the commercial break. High and drunk during the performance, Deville missed the cue when they came back live and forgot what to play and started playing "Talk Dirty To Me". During the song his guitar lead disconnected mid-performance. DeVille was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitarist Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
.
Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue
Native Tongue (album)
Native Tongue is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Poison, released in 1993 through Capitol Records. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200, #20 on the UK Albums Chartand was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 21, 1993....
, was released 8 February 1993. It was strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performance. It marked a change for the band as they abandoned their anthemic party tunes to focus on more serious subjects, and was far more blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
oriented than glam metal. Containing the singles "Stand
Stand (Poison song)
"Stand" is a song by American Hard rock band Poison, it was the 1st single from their 1993 Native Tongue album. The song reached number 15 on the Mainstream rock chart, #35 on the top 40 mainstream chart and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" which featured the Los Angeles First A.M.E. Church Choir on backing vocals , "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)" and "Body Talk
Body Talk (Poison song)
"Body Talk" is a song by American Hard rock band Poison, it was the 3rd single from their 1993 Native Tongue album, which reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 200...
", the album received generally positive reviews and did go Gold, but sales were sluggish compared with the first three albums, selling only 2 million copies worldwide. The band toured in support of the album, but tensions mounted between Kotzen and the rest of the band. Kotzen's future in the band was doomed when it was discovered that he had become romantically involved with Rockett's then-fiancée Deanna Eve. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno
Blues Saraceno
Blues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis...
who completed the world tour with the band including the famous "HOLLYWOOD ROCK" concerts in Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, where they played to over 165,000 people. A concert from the Native Tongue world tour was released on VHS/DVD titled "Seven Days Live".
Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile
Crack a Smile
- Personnel :* Bret Michaels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar* Rikki Rockett – drums, percussion, backing vocals* Bobby Dall – bass, backing vocals* Blues Saraceno – lead & rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar, piano, backing vocals...
, in early 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in a car accident where he lost control of his Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
. Michaels suffered a broken nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
, rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
s, jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
, and finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
s and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording the album. The album became shelved shortly after this, with no release date anywhere in sight. Instead, the label opted for a Greatest Hits
Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996
Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 is the first greatest hits compilation CD from the Glam Metal band Poison. The album was released on November 26, 1996 by Capitol Records...
compilation, which featured two new tracks with Saraceno on guitar, "Sexual Thing" and "Lay Your Body Down". The first Greatest album was released on 26 November 1996 and went on to reach platinum status.
After several years apart, Michaels and DeVille were able to patch up their differences, welcoming C.C. DeVille back into Poison in 1996 replacing Blues Saraceno.
Bret Michaels was involved with Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
. An abridged version of an explicit sex tape the couple made appeared on the Internet in 1998.
Bret Michaels and actor friend Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
co-founded a production company called Sheen Michaels Entertainment. In 1998, Michaels made his acting debut along side Charlie and Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
in the movie A Letter from Death Row
A Letter from Death Row (film)
A Letter From Death Row is a 1998 psychological thriller film directed by Marvin Baker and Bret Michaels, lead singer of the hard rock band Poison. Bret Michaels also wrote the film and starred in it. The film was released by Sheen Michaels Entertainment, a company created by Bret Michaels and...
, which was also written and directed by Michaels. Michaels also released his first solo album that year, which was the soundtrack to the movie.
Original line up back, new-found popularity, solo albums and reality TV (1999–2009)
The Greatest Hits reunion tour finally took place in the summer of 1999. With the original lineup intact, Poison hit the road. The band's supporting tour was a success, with its show at Pine Knob AmphitheaterDTE Energy Music Theatre
Originally built by the Nederlander Organization in the early 1970s, the DTE Energy Music Theatre is a 15,274-seat amphitheater located in Clarkston, Michigan. It was originally known as the Pine Knob Music Theatre, due to its proximity to the nearby Pine Knob ski area and golf course...
in metro Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. Tour dates averaged crowds of 12,000. A summer appearance on VH1's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
appeared to solidify the reunited lineup's new-found popularity. Hardcore fans uncovered copies of Crack a Smile from the numerous bootlegs that were beginning to surface, but it was not long before a shortfall in supply became evident. Fans clamored for an official release fearing that not only was the album becoming a collectors piece but was also quite possibly "their best album to date." On 14 March 2000, Crack a Smile...and More!
Crack a Smile
- Personnel :* Bret Michaels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar* Rikki Rockett – drums, percussion, backing vocals* Bobby Dall – bass, backing vocals* Blues Saraceno – lead & rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar, piano, backing vocals...
was finally released with extra tracks to combat the bootleg industry. That being Poison's seventh album after the Greatest Hits: 1986-1996
Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996
Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 is the first greatest hits compilation CD from the Glam Metal band Poison. The album was released on November 26, 1996 by Capitol Records...
album took its place as the sixth, fans were calling it "The Lost Album". Crack a Smile...and More! was a bright and raunchy series of party anthems such as the single "Shut Up, Make Love
Shut Up, Make Love
"Shut Up, Make Love" is a song by American rock band Poison; released in 2000, it was the first single presented to radio stations from their 2000 Crack a Smile...and More! album. The song also appears on the second promo single "Be the One" as a B-side. Crack a Smile is Poison's fifth studio...
" and power ballad "Be the One
Be the One (Poison song)
"Be the One" is a rock ballad song by American Rock band Poison released in 2000, it was the 2nd rare single from their 2000 Crack a Smile...and More! album...
", containing few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue. However it did host one outtake from the Open Up And Say...Ahh! session as well as two outtakes from the Crack a Smile session. "One More For The Bone" and "Set You Free", both outtakes, were originally planned for use as B-sides. In addition to the outtakes, live recordings from the 1990 installment of the MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
series were included.
After The poison reunion C.C. Soon released his solo album Samantha 7
Samantha 7
Samantha 7 was a short-lived band founded in 1998 by C.C. DeVille, lead guitarist from the rock band Poison. They released the self titled album Samantha 7 in 2000. C.C. Deville performed lead vocals and guitar on the album...
and Poison also released Power to the People
Power to the People (Poison album)
Power to the People is a music album from the American rock band Poison, released on June 13, 2000 on the band's independent label, Cyanide Music. It marked the return of the original lineup, together for the first time since 1991's Swallow This Live with the return of C.C...
, their first album with DeVille in nine years. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People
Power to the People (Poison song)
"Power to the People" is a song by American Hard rock band Poison, it was the first single and the album titled track from their 2000 Power to the People album. "Power to the People" is the first single with the original line up since the So Tell Me Why single from Swallow This Live in 1991,...
" which features a music video, "Can't Bring Me Down," "The Last Song
The Last Song (Poison song)
"The Last Song" is a song by American Hard rock band Poison, it was the second single from their 2000 Power to the People album."The Last Song" was one of five new tracks on the half live half studio album, the others being "Power to the People" , "Strange", Can't Bring Me Down" and for the first...
", "Strange," and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine," the latter with DeVille on lead vocals for the first time. The remainder of the album featured live performances from the greatest hits reunion tour in 1999. In 2001 Poison released the web single Rockstar
Rockstar (Poison song)
"Rockstar" is a song by American rock band Poison. It was released in 2001 on the bands website and was a preview of the upcoming album Hollyweird, which wasn't even completed when the first single was released. "Hollyweird" debuted at #103 on the Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Independent...
as a preview of the upcoming new album.
Poison's sixth full studio album, Hollyweird
Hollyweird
Hollyweird is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Poison, released on March 21, 2002 through Cyanide Music and debuted at #103 on The Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Independent Albums chart.-Musical style:...
, was released on 21 May 2002. It was Poison's first full album of new material with C.C. DeVille back in the band. The album was heavily criticised by both critics and fans, feeling it had poor production quality and an unimpressive new sound. One popular site said "It's muddy, under-produced, badly mixed and features crappy drum and guitar sounds". Other reviewers were more impressed, such as Allmusic, who declared it "one of their best records, if not their best."
Bobby Dall
Bobby Dall
Robert Harry Kuykendall also known as Bobby Dall is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for Poison. Dall is the youngest of three children...
on The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
cover single “Squeeze Box” stated,
"Shooting Star
Shooting Star (Poison song)
"Shooting Star" is a song by American rock band Poison, it's the third single from the Poison studio album Hollyweird, which debuted at #103 on the Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Independent Albums chart....
" was also released as a single for the album and was referred to as part 2 to the Fallen Angel single from Open Up And...Say Ahh.
Poison released their second compilation album, Best of Ballads & Blues
Best of Ballads & Blues (album)
Best of Ballads & Blues is a greatest hits compilation album from the American Hard rock band Poison, relaesed August 5, 2003. Unlike Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996, this compilation focuses on the band's power ballads and blues-oriented songs and also includes two new acoustic recordings of...
, in 2003. It contains a new acoustic version with new lyrics of "Something to Believe In" and a new acoustic version of "Stand". Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
also released his 2nd solo album Songs Of Life which featured singles "Bittersweet" and "Raine" which featured a music video and was dedicated to his daughter. On 7 January that year, after almost 20 years with Poison, Rikki Rockett released his first solo album Glitter 4 Your Soul
Glitter 4 Your Soul
Glitter 4 Your Soul is the debut solo album by Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, released in 2003 . The album features former Poison band member Blues Saraceno on guitars...
which was distributed online. The album was a tribute to 1970s glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
.
During the summer of 2004, Poison was invited to serve as the opening band on Kiss's
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
“Rock the Nation” tour. Poison were largely inactive in 2005 which is when Bret Michael's released his third solo album, the country-rock-influenced Freedom Of Sound
Freedom of Sound
Freedom of Sound is the third solo studio album by Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison.It is a country rock album released in 2005, the same year Bret Michaels was a judge on the Country music reality tv show Nashville Star....
, which included the single "All I Ever Needed
All I Ever Needed
"All I Ever Needed" is the first single released from Bret Michaels third studio album, Freedom of Sound. The song is a duet with country music singer Jessica Andrews. It was released on October 9, 2004, where it debuted at #57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.-Music video:The song...
" featuring Jessica Andrews, which also featured a music video and appeared on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's "Hot Country Songs" chart, with its best position being number 45. It also included the singles "Right Now, Right Here" and "Open Road" which Bret performed live on Nashville Star
Nashville Star
Nashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT...
, a country reality television program which featured Michaels as one of the judges.
"Nothing But a Good Time" is featured in the 2003 film Grind
Grind (2003 film)
Grind is a 2003 American adventureassshole movie comedy film about four young aspiring amateur skaters Eric Rivers , Matt Jensen , Dustin Knight , and Sweet Lou Singer who are trying to make it in the world of pro skateboarding by pulling insane stunts in front of pro skater Jimmy Wilson...
. The song comes about when Joey Kern
Joey Kern
Joseph Daniel "Joey" Kern is an American actor. He is most widely known for his roles in the 2003 films Cabin Fever and Grind.-Early life:...
's character put in a Poison CD, which made everyone in the van start to sing the song and air guitar the solo.
"Nothing But a Good Time" also appears in the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
, and in the film The Rocker
The Rocker (film)
The Rocker is a 2008 American comedy directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone, Christina Applegate and Jason Sudeikis...
(2009).
Cinderella (band)
Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
and Endeverafter
Endeverafter
Endeverafter is an American heavy metal band from Sacramento, California.-History:Endeverafter was formed in 2004 by lead singer and guitarist Michael Grant. After the rest of the band was assembled, they released their debut EP in 2005 and played regular shows in their hometown, featuring...
opening. The tour swiftly became one of the most successful tours of 2006 in the U.S., averaging about 10,000 people per night. To complement it, the band had released an anniversary compilation album The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock
The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock
The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock is a compilation album from the American rock band Poison, released to celebrate the band's 20 year anniversary. It has sold more than 1 million copies to date in the U.S as of September 2009....
, in April that year. The album also features a new single, a cover of Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
's "We're An American Band
We're an American Band (song)
"We're an American Band" is a 1973 song by the band Grand Funk Railroad. It was the group's first number one single. Written by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren, the huge chart success of this single broadened Grand Funk's appeal to a much wider audience...
", produced by Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
and also features a music video. The compilation debuted at #17 with a first week sales total of 39,721, which marked Poison's return to the top 20 charts for the first time since 1993.
On 1 August 2006, Capitol Records released remastered versions of the first three Poison albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say...Ahh!
Open Up and Say...Ahh!
Open Up and Say... Ahh! is the second studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1988 through the Enigma label. The album, which ultimately sold eight million copies worldwide , proved to be the band's most successful release...
and Flesh and Blood
Flesh and Blood (Poison album)
Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard chartsand it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide....
, in honor of Poison's 20th anniversary. All three include bonus tracks. Look What the Cat Dragged In features the extra track "You Don't Mess Around With Jim
You Don't Mess Around with Jim (song)
"You Don't Mess Around with Jim" is a 1972 single by Jim Croce from his album of the same name. The song was also Croce's debut single when it was released in July 1972...
", Open Up and Say...Ahh! (which uses the previously banned album cover instead of the censored one) has the extra track "Livin' For The Minute" and an interview with the band, and Flesh and Blood features two extra tracks: an alternate version of "Something to Believe In" and an instrumental cover of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
' "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)
"God Save the Queen" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's second single and was featured on their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977...
".
DeVille appeared on VH1's reality television show The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...
in March that year, the same day he got out of rehab. "Your Mama Don't Dance" was played in the movie "RV" in 2006.
During the show in Atlanta on August 25 that year, Bret Michaels and Bobby Dall
Bobby Dall
Robert Harry Kuykendall also known as Bobby Dall is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for Poison. Dall is the youngest of three children...
had to be separated by members of the road crew and the rest of the band after the two came to blows right before the encore, with Michaels throwing his mic at Dall, and Dall retaliating by slamming his bass into Michaels, injuring his knee. Michaels apologised later and stated, "You may have just seen the last concert by Poison in its current formation". The altercation happened before the band's set ended with "Talk Dirty To Me". After some tense moments and Michaels's apology to the crowd including his explanation that "like brothers, sometimes you have to air things out", the band did finish the set. Dall left the stage immediately. There have been many physical conflicts within the band over the years, but this is the first onstage since the fistfight between Michaels and DeVille at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1991, but that took place after the performance, not during. The band took time out while Michaels continued with his solo tour.
On 3 January 2007, Poison announced on their official MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page that they would like their fans to help pick favourite classic rock songs for the new studio album that they are to record. The fans replied with suggestions like Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
's "Freebird
Free Bird
"Free Bird" is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
", Sweet's
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
"The Ballroom Blitz", and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's "You Shook Me All Night Long
You Shook Me All Night Long
"You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of AC/DC's signature songs from their most successful album, Back in Black. The song also reappeared on their later album Who Made Who. It is one of the band's top 40 singles, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1980...
", along with what might be an obvious choice - Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
's "Poison
Poison (Alice Cooper song)
"Poison" is a song by artist Alice Cooper co-written and produced by Desmond Child, released worldwide as a single in 1989 and is featured on his 18th studio album Trash...
". On 28 January, Rikki Rockett explained,
On 14 February 2007, it was announced by VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
that Bret Michaels is going to have his own reality show called Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
Rock of Love with Bret Michaels is an American reality television dating game show. It stars Bret Michaels, the lead singer from the band Poison. The show closely resembles its sister show Flavor of Love. The first season featured 25 women competing to be Michaels' girlfriend. Each week, the women...
, where women will have to compete for his love and prove they can keep up with his rock star life. Rock of Love premiered on 15 July 2007.
During 2007, Poison went on a summer tour with Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
. They released their covers album, now named Poison'd!
Poison'd!
Poison'd! is the seventh studio album from the American glam rock/glam metal band Poison, released June 5, 2007. The 14-track album features recordings of Poison's favorite rock classics...
, on 5 June 2007 through Capitol Records. The album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart at #32 and charted at #12 on the Top Rock Albums, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. The first single "What I Like About You
What I Like About You (song)
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on...
" featured a music video from the band. White Lion
White Lion
White Lion is an American/Danish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, the band achieved double platinum status with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the...
was removed from the tour due to legal issues, and Vains of Jenna
Vains of Jenna
Vains of Jenna are a rock band formed in Falkenberg, Sweden during January 2005. They have since relocated to Los Angeles, California. They will be performing around the States with the help of and -History:...
took their place. The August 2nd sold-out show in at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis, Missouri was taped for a live concert DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and for a HDNet Concert special called: POISON: LIVE, RAW & UNCUT that aired on 26 October 2007 as part of Heavy Metal Halloween. The band also appeared that night on the channel's Sound Off with Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield is a music personality and TV host, best known for being a video deejay on MTV and VH1. He currently lives in Harrison, New Jersey having previously resided in East Brunswick Township...
.
The band played at the Rock2Wgtn
Rock2Wgtn
The Rock2Wgtn Fesival was a two day music festival. It is the second major music festival to be held in New Zealand, the first being the Big Day Out, but Rock2Wgtn is the first purely metal/rock festival. It is also the first two-day festival, as the Big Day Out is held over a single day...
rock festival in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, on the weekend of 22–23 March 2008. The festival also included fellow legendary rockers Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
, and Finnish hard rock act Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
.
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
is slated to be the opening act on this Summer's 2008 Poison tour, also featuring Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
.
On 28 March that year Rikki Rockett was arrested on suspicion of rape in Los Angeles after getting off a flight from New Zealand. According to police reports, a woman in Neshoba County, MS, filed a report stating that on 23 September 2007, Rockett sexually assaulted her in his room at the Silver Star Hotel & Casino located on a Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Indian reservation. Rocket was exonerated of all charges on 22 May as it was discovered that he was not in Mississippi during the time of the alleged rape, and that a man by the name of John Minskoff used Rockett's name when he met the woman before raping her.
Bret Michaels also starred in Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (season 2)
Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (season 2)
The second season of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels was confirmed by VH1 in October 2007. On December 8, 2007, VH1 started playing advertisements for Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels...
. Both seasons were successful and led to a solo compilation album which featured a few new singles heard on the series, including the theme song Go That Far
Go That Far (Bret Michaels song)
"Go That Far" is the title of a song written by Bret Michaels, and was recorded by Michaels as the first single for his compilation album, Rock My World. "Go That Far" is the theme song for VH1's highest rated reality series "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels"and the album "Rock My World" is the...
, Fallen (both of which featured music video's) and Start Again. The album was titled Rock My World and was released in June 2008. The album charted at #40 on The Billboard 200, #4 on the Top Independent Albums, #4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums and #16 on the Top Rock Albums chart.
Poison live in concert DVD titled "Live, Raw & Uncut
Live, Raw & Uncut
Live, Raw & Uncut is a music dvd/cd combo from the Hard rock band Poison, released in 2008 for their summer tour. It sold around 2,400 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No...
" was released on Tuesday, 15 July 2008, was filmed in St. Louis, Missouri during the Poison'd tour in 2007. This DVD/CD set will be initially exclusive to Best Buy stores and will include behind-the-scenes footage as a bonus feature as well as a live audio CD with selections from the concert. It sold around 2,400 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart.
Also in 2008 a live CD version of the Poison DVD "Seven Days Live" was released.
In 2009, Bret Michaels starred in the third installment of Rock of Love called "Rock of Love Bus", featuring a music video with clips from the series for the new single "Driven (Rock Mix)" and a Poison box set was also released, consisting of 3 Cd's of music from 1986 - 2000.
On 14 January 2009, Bret Michaels unveiled plans to team up with fellow rockers Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
for a summer 2009 tour - ending a bitter feud between the two groups, plus Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
.
On 7 June 2009, Poison made a special appearance at the 63rd Tony Awards
63rd Tony Awards
The 63rd Annual Tony Awards, which recognized Broadway productions of the 2008-2009 season, were presented on June 7, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast by CBS, with Neil Patrick Harris as host....
, performing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
, which features "Nothin' But a Good Time" as a song in the show. As Bret Michaels was exiting the stage, he was struck in the head by a descending set piece and knocked to the ground. He suffered a fractured nose and a split lip requiring three stitches.
On 23 June 2009, Poison kicked off their 42-city Summer 2009 tour in Camden
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, NJ with Def Leppard and Cheap Trick.
Recent events: 25th Anniversary, Bret Michaels's health, Glam-A-Gaddeon Tour (2010–present)
In 2010, Bret Michaels started his solo tour "Roses & Thorns" to promote the upcoming release of his autobiography.On 12 April 2010, Bret Michaels was rushed to the hospital after suffering intense stomach pains, and an emergency appendectomy was performed. On 22 April 2010, Michaels was again rushed to the hospital, this time with an "excruciating" headache. Doctors discovered that he had suffered a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
A subarachnoid hemorrhage , or subarachnoid haemorrhage in British English, is bleeding into the subarachnoid space—the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater surrounding the brain...
. He was in critical condition, and while some reports suggested that his condition had stabilized, others later stated that this was premature. On 28 April, Michael's representatives reported that he was conscious and speaking, albeit slowly, for the first time since he was hospitalized.
In a news conference on 5 May 2010, Dr. Joseph Zabramski said Michaels has been released from the hospital and that "He's just one of those lucky people" and that "he'll make a complete recovery".
Since being released from the hospital Michaels has stated that he is contemplating marriage with the mother of his two children with whom he has recently reconciled. In an interview with People magazine, he stated:
In May 2010, Michaels was the winning contestant on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
reality television series Celebrity Apprentice 3
The Apprentice (U.S. season 9)
The Celebrity Apprentice 3 is the ninth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On April 29, 2009, NBC officially announced the renewal of Celebrity Apprentice for Spring 2010. The show premiered on Sunday, March 14, 2010...
defeating Holly Robinson Peete in the final. On July 6 Michaels released his new solo album Custom Built
Custom Built (album)
Custom Built is the fourth studio album by Poison lead singer and reality television star Bret Michaels. It was released on July 6, 2010 and is Michaels' first studio album since 2005's Freedom of Sound, which produced his only charted single to date. The lead-off single from the album, "Nothing to...
, which includes the singles "Wasted Time", "Lie to Me" and "Nothing to Lose
Nothing to Lose (Bret Michaels song)
"Nothing to Lose" is the title of a song written by Bret Michaels, and was recorded by Michaels as the first single for his solo album, Custom Built. The song was originally recorded by Michaels himself, however, he was working with Miley Cyrus who asked to sing on the track with him...
" (featuring Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
). The album is Michaels highest charting solo album to date peaking at #1 on both the Top Independent Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums chart and also charting at #4 on the Top Rock Albums and #14 on The Billboard 200.
The album also includes the song "Riding Against the Wind", which features a music video and is the theme song for his new reality Docu-series "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It
Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It
Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It is a follow-up to the reality series Rock of Love. The reality docu-series is about Bret Michaels and his family. Filming of the series began before Michaels' health troubles, and filming was suspended after his hospitalization...
", which officially premiered on VH1 on Oct. 18, 2010.
In November 2010, a double cd package titled "Nothin' But A Good Time: The Poison Collection" was released which includes one compilation album (The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock) and one live album (Swallow This Live - single disc edition).
On March 1, Poison announced a 2011 Summer tour with Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
to celebrate Poison's 25th anniversary and Motley Crue's 30th Anniversary named the Glam-A-Gaddeon. Also for Poison's 25th Anniversary, 35 of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites have been gathered for "Poison - Double Dose: Ultimate Hits
Double Dose: Ultimate Hits
Poison - Double Dose: Ultimate Hits is a double disc greatest hits compilation album released May 3, 2011 by the Hard Rock band Poison to celebrate the band's 25th year Anniversary. The career-spanning collection features thirty five of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites...
", a new career-spanning 2CD and digital collection to be released May 3, 2011 by Capitol/EMI.
Current members
- Bret MichaelsBret MichaelsBret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
– lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar (since 1983) - C.C. DeVille – lead guitar, backing vocals (19851991, 1996present)
- Bobby DallBobby DallRobert Harry Kuykendall also known as Bobby Dall is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for Poison. Dall is the youngest of three children...
– bass, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (since 1983) - Rikki RockettRikki RockettRichard Allan Ream , better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer best known for his work with the glam metal band, Poison.-Biography:...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals (since 1983)
Former members
- Matt Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals (19831985)
- Richie KotzenRichie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
– lead guitar, mandolin, Dobro, keyboards, backing vocals (19911993) - Blues SaracenoBlues SaracenoBlues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis...
– lead guitar, backing vocals (19931996)
Discography
- Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)
- Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988)
- Flesh & Blood (1990)
- Swallow This LiveSwallow This LiveSwallow This Live is the first live album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1991 through Capitol Records. The album peaked at #51 on The Billboard 200...
(1991) - Native TongueNative Tongue (album)Native Tongue is the fourth studio album by American hard rock band Poison, released in 1993 through Capitol Records. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200, #20 on the UK Albums Chartand was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 21, 1993....
(1993) - Crack a Smile... and More! (2000)
- Power to the PeoplePower to the People (Poison album)Power to the People is a music album from the American rock band Poison, released on June 13, 2000 on the band's independent label, Cyanide Music. It marked the return of the original lineup, together for the first time since 1991's Swallow This Live with the return of C.C...
(2000) - HollyweirdHollyweirdHollyweird is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Poison, released on March 21, 2002 through Cyanide Music and debuted at #103 on The Billboard 200 chart and #8 on the Independent Albums chart.-Musical style:...
(2002) - Poison'd!Poison'd!Poison'd! is the seventh studio album from the American glam rock/glam metal band Poison, released June 5, 2007. The 14-track album features recordings of Poison's favorite rock classics...
(2007) - Live, Raw & UncutLive, Raw & UncutLive, Raw & Uncut is a music dvd/cd combo from the Hard rock band Poison, released in 2008 for their summer tour. It sold around 2,400 copies in its first week of release to debut at position No...
(2008)
Awards and Nominations
American Music Awards| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 American Music Awards of 1991 The 18th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 28, 1991.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Heavy Metal Category:-Dance Category:-Performances:*MC Hammer- "Here Comes The Hammer"... |
Poison | Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist | |
| 1991 American Music Awards of 1991 The 18th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 28, 1991.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Heavy Metal Category:-Dance Category:-Performances:*MC Hammer- "Here Comes The Hammer"... |
Flesh & Blood | Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album |
Tours
- Look What the Cat Dragged In Tour '86-'87 (w/ RattRattRatt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
, CinderellaCinderella (band)Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, LoudnessLoudness (band)is a Japan-based heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi. They were the first Japanese heavy metal act signed to a major label in the United States, releasing twenty-three studio albums...
) - Open Up And Say Ahh! Tour '88-'89 (w/ David Lee RothDavid Lee RothDavid Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
), then with Lita Ford & Britny Fox - Flesh & Blood World Tour '90-'91 (w/ WarrantWarrant (American band)Warrant is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California, that experienced success from 1989-1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, and one of its...
, Don DokkenDon DokkenDonald Maynard Dokken is best known for being the lead singer and founder of the band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style which has made him an influential figure in American heavy metal. After enjoying mainstream success with Dokken, he parted ways with the band in 1988...
, Alice In ChainsAlice in ChainsAlice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Bullet Boys, SlaughterSlaughter (band)Slaughter is an American heavy metal band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum. The band reached stardom in 1990 with their first album, Stick It to Ya which spawned several hit singles including "Up All Night", "Spend My Life", "Mad...
) - Native Tongue World Tour '93-'94 (w/ Damn Yankess, Firehouse)
- Greatest Hits World Tour 1999 (reunion)(w/ RattRattRatt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
, Great WhiteGreat WhiteGreat White is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1978. The band gained popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The band released several albums in the late 1980s and gained airplay on MTV with music videos for songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"...
, LA Guns) - Power To The People Tour 2000 (w/ CinderellaCinderella (band)Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, DokkenDokkenDokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, SlaughterSlaughter (band)Slaughter is an American heavy metal band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum. The band reached stardom in 1990 with their first album, Stick It to Ya which spawned several hit singles including "Up All Night", "Spend My Life", "Mad...
) - Glam, Slam, Metal Jam Tour 2001 (w/ Warrant, Quiet RiotQuiet RiotQuiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
, Enuff Z Nuff) - Hollywierd World Tour 2002 (w/ CinderellaCinderella (band)Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, Winger, Faster PussycatFaster PussycatFaster Pussycat is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1986. The group was most successful during the late 1980s with their self-titled debut album, their 1989 gold album Wake Me When It's Over and the 80,000 selling Whipped! in 1992.-The roots of Faster Pussycat...
) - Harder, Louder, Faster Tour 2003 (w/ Vince NeilVince NeilVincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
, Skid Row) - Rock The Nation Tour 2004 (w/ KissKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, ZO2) - 20 Years Of Rock World Tour 2006 (w/ CinderellaCinderella (band)Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
, Endeverafter) - POISON'D Summer Tour 2007 (w/ RattRattRatt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
, Vains Of Jenna) - Live, Raw & Uncut Summer Tour 2008 (w/ DokkenDokkenDokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, Sebastian BachSebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
) - 2009 Summer Tour (w/ Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
/ Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
) - Glam-A-Gedon 25 Tour 2011 (w/ Motley CrueMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, New York DollsNew York DollsThe New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
)
Musical theatre
Two shows, one on Broadway and one Off-Broadway, have featured music from Poison in their productions: Rock of AgesRock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
and Power Balladz
Power Balladz
Power Balladz is a live comedy performance featuring a mixture of comedy, trivia, and iconic rock n' roll songs from the 70s, 80s & 90s for which it is also named...
. Both shows use the song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
", while the former also features "Nothin' but a Good Time
Nothin' but a Good Time
"Nothin' But a Good Time" is the first single from the second Poison album Open Up and Say...Ahh!. The B-sides are "Livin' For the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch"....
".
Television
In "Auditions" of the hit series GleeGlee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
sang a few bars (a capella) of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up And Say... Ahh!. It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks . It was...
".
On The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
season 11 episode "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 14, 2000. After a failed marriage attempt with Otto, Becky stays with the Simpson family...
", Otto plays "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on a stereo while proposing to his girlfriend, Becky. At their wedding, he hires a Poison tribute band to play "Nothin' but a Good Time
Nothin' but a Good Time
"Nothin' But a Good Time" is the first single from the second Poison album Open Up and Say...Ahh!. The B-sides are "Livin' For the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch"....
".
The song "Talk Dirty to Me
Talk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is the second single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In. It was the band's first big international hit.It is a staple on their live shows and was named by VH1 40th greatest hard rock song of all time...
" is heard in the Season One episode of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
entitled "My Heavy Meddle" where a coma patient requests that the song be played in his room at least once every day, to the annoyance of Dr. Kelso.