Bret Michaels Lead singer of the seminal 80s rock band Poison, Bret Michaels has become a well-known name in the world of music. Poison continues to release albums, and Michaels has diversified his interests into both reality television and film.
Bret Michael Sychak, known popularly as Bret Michaels, was born March 15, 1963 in Butler, Pennsylvania. From an early age, his family moved to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. It was here he attended Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School. But Michaels displayed an aptitude for music long before his high school years. Developing this interest, Michaels first formed the band Paris in 1984. Paris went through several changes before becoming the band Poison, for which Michaels would become a star. Proving a popular outfit in Pennsylvania, the band realized they would have to relocate in order to reach the largest audience possible. To that end, they made their way to the west coast music hub of Los Angeles, where they began dominating the club circuit. Dubbed a “glam metal band,” Poison was composed of Michaels, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, and CC DeVille. Members that came and went included Blues Saraceno, Richie Kotzen, and Matt Smith. Poison went on to release an impressive twelve studio albums including their 1986 debut Look What the Cat Dragged In. Although their heyday was the mid- to late-80s, Poison never really left the music scene. 1996 saw the release of Poison’s Greatest Hits: 1986 to 1996, and 2006 brought The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock. Most recently, Michaels and the band released their 2007 album entitled POISON’D. Currently, the singles “Go That Far” and “Talk Dirty to Me” are featured on the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock video game. Other featured artists include Aerosmith, Slipknot, The Killers, Pat Benatar, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many others.
Pursuing a solo career simultaneously, Michaels’ first independent endeavor was the 1998 soundtrack album A Letter From Death Row. The film starred Michaels, who also directed and wrote the project. Other actors included Martin Sheen, Kristi Gibson, and Lorelei Shellist. Michaels next directed No Code of Conduct with both Martin and Charlie Sheen. Outside of music, Michaels made his onscreen debut in the 1998 film In God’s Hands. More recently, however, he starred in the 2007 reality series Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. In his personal life, Michaels is a sufferer of Type 1 diabetes. He has had the condition since six years old. Pictures of Michaels injecting insulin have led to false rumors that he is a heroin addict. Romantically linked to many women, Michaels was rumored to have dated Heather Locklear, Janine Lindemulder, Kendra Jade, and Susie Owens. He was then said to have been seriously dating Susie Hatton, followed by Denise Story, and finally Kristi Lynn Gibson, with whom he had two daughters. They are no longer together but share custody. Since, he is said to be dating Jessica Rickleff. He also gained dubious notoriety for dating Pamela Anderson and winding up in a widely distributed sex tape. |
