This Sunday Club Fever hosts Bret Michaels, lead singer of the glam metal band Poison and star of the VH1 reality show Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.
Michaels' musical career began in his teens as a guitarist. Along with a bass player and another guitarist, he became a lead member of the band Paris. The band played in Pennsylvania bars in the early 1980s before moving to Los Angeles and changing the band's name to Poison.
In addition to being the lead singer, Michaels was the songwriter for Poison for 22 years. The band has sold 25 million records and 15 Top 40 singles. Some of the band's most famous hits include "Talk Dirty to Me," "Something to Believe In," "Nothing But a Good Time" and the famous heartbreak hit,"Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
Poison became one of the biggest glam bands in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. Their first album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In," was followed up with "Open Up and Say … Ahh!" and "Flesh and Blood," both multi-platinum albums. Guitarist C.C. Deville left the band after a fist-fight with Michaels during the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. The band reunited with Deville in 1999 for a greatest hits reunion tour.
Poison's music made a presence in 2000s cinema in the movies "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Grandma's Boy" and "Deuce Bigelow — European Gigolo." In 2006 they released the "20 Years of Rock" CD and "Poison'D" in 2007, an album of cover songs that have inspired the band members.
Before beginning a solo musical career in the 2000s, Michaels created a film production company with Charlie Sheen. Michaels wrote, directed and starred in films such as "A Letter from Death Row," which he co-produced as an executive with Sheen.
Michaels also made appearances on televisions show like "Yes Dear," "Martial Law" and "The Chris Issak Show." He has also appeared as co-host of "Access Hollywood," was a judge on "Nashville Star" and won "Celebrity Apprentice 3." Vh1's "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels" became Vh1's highest rated series on Vh1 and has extended into a third installment, "Rock of Love Bus."
His solo albums include "Songs of Life," "Freedom of Sound" and his current release "Rock My World." Michaels has said "I would play music whether I made it or not."
The personal life of Michaels is perhaps the most controversial and well-known aspect of his fame. Michaels admitted he had Type 1 Diabetes after collapsing on stage in 1987, suffered tension with guitarist Deville over their mutual drug use and survived a near fatal car crash in 1994. Last year he was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy and was later diagnosed with patent foramen ovale.
A 16-year-old Tracey Lewis was the inspiration for "Every Rose Has Its Thorns." It was written after their breakup.
Despite choosing a new winner in each season of "Rock of Love," he has mentioned the idea of a fourth season.
"Now they want me to come back for a fourth ‘Rock of Love,' Michaels said. "I feel that it should be something that changes up, but I still want that fun element. What you see is what you get with me."
Michael's "Get Your Rock on Tour" has taken him through Iowa and has sold out in Michigan. The rest of Michael's schedule is filled with appearances across the country with Poison and Motley Crue.
Tickets are available at the following locations: Club Fever, Backstage Grill Restaurant, Audio Specialists/South Bend, Orbit Music/Mishawaka, Karma Records/Plymouth & Warsaw, Morris Performing Arts Center Box Office (574-235-9190 or www.morriscenter.org) and all Ticketmaster locations, including SuperSounds/Elkhart and www.ticketmaster.com.
Reservations are available at the Backstage Grill before the show at 574-232-0222. Tickets are $45 in advance and $49 on the day of the show. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
