Bret Michaels is an American singer and songwriter who is best remembered for his work as the vocalist for Poison, a glam metal band in the 1980's and early 1990's. Beyond his vocal work with the multi-platinum selling band, he has also released several solo albums, and done extensive work on various reality television programs, as well as appearing in or directing several films.
Born Bret Michael Sychak, to Wally and Marjorie Sychak of Butler, Pennsylvania, he later dropped his last name to create his stage persona. He was born on March 15th, 1963. He and his parents, along with his sisters Michelle and Nicole, relocated to Mechanicsburg, PA, where he spent the remainder of his early life.
Michaels co-founded the band Paris at the age of 20, in Harrisburg, PA. The band later moved to Los Angeles, and changed its' name to Poison. Poison signed with the independent label Enigma Records in 1986, and released their first album in August of that year. That album, 'Look What the Cat Dragged In', initially had only one single, 'Cry Tough'; however, the album became a surprise success as three other songs, 'Talk Dirty to Me', 'I Want Action', and 'I Won't Forget You', made their way to the Billboard charts.
Poison then released their second studio album, 'Open Up and Say... Ahh!' in May of 1998. This album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts, and included the bands' biggest hit, 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'. The album went on to sell more than 8 million copies worldwide, and was a source of some controversy over its' cover. The original cover depicted a woman with a decidedly demonic look, as well as a tongue that some people protested was 'obscene' in length. The album was re-released with a new cover that centered the artwork on the woman's' eyes.
After releasing several more albums with Poison, Michaels turned to other pursuits. He recorded a solo album, 1998's 'A Letter From Death Row' as a soundtrack to the movie of the same name, which he also wrote, directed, and starred in, as well as co-produced with actor Charlie Sheen. In 2003, he released another solo album, 'Songs of Life'. He appeared as a judge on the 2005 season of the reality TV show 'Nashville Star', as well as releasing an album of country rock music, titled 'Freedom of Sound', in the same year. 'Freedom of Sound' had several singles, including the hit single 'All I Ever Needed', featuring Jessica Andrews.
In February 2007, the cable network VH1 announced that Bret Michaels would star as the bachelor in the reality TV show 'Rock of Love'. This show was commercially successful, and VH1 later continued the show with a second season, and even had the third season go 'on tour' with Michaels on 'Rock of Love Bus'.
Michaels other film credits include directing and co-producing the film 'No Code of Conduct', as well as co-producing 'Free Money' and 'In Gods Hands'. He has also appeared in an episode of the CBS sitcom 'Yes, Dear', and is currently a contestant on the 2010 season of NBC's 'Celebrity Apprentice'.
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