Early life
Michaels was born Bret Michael Sychak, to Wally and Marjorie Sychak, north of Pittsburgh in the city of Butler, Pennsylvania. He has two sisters, Michelle and Nicole. He claims that his parents had originally intended for him to have the middle name "Maverick", after the title character in the popular James Garner TV Western series Maverick. He is of Carpatho-Rusyn descent.
At the age of six he fell ill, and during a three-week stay in the hospital, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Music career
Michaels began playing the guitar as a teenager. With drummer Rikki Rockett, bass player Bobby Dall and guitarist Matt Smith, he formed the band Paris, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983. After playing the Pennsylvania bar circuit, in early 1984 they moved to Los Angeles to seek fame on the Sunset Boulevard scene, eventually changing their name to Poison. That same year he met 16-year-old Tracy Lewis, who would become both his girlfriend, and the muse for one of his most memorable songs. Eventually Matt Smith tired of the band's struggle to find fame, and returned home. He was replaced with C.C. DeVille, who would become both Michaels' friend and a source of conflict.
Bret Michaels in 1980s – 1990s
Local publicity about the band eventually led to a record deal with Enigma Records, and their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In. It did not see great success until 1987, when Michaels convinced the band to film a video for their song, "Talk Dirty to Me." The album went platinum, and the band became famous.[6] In March of that year, however, Michaels collapsed onstage due to his diabetes. Responding to rumors that he was a drug addict, he announced publicly that he was a diabetic.
1987 also saw the dissolution of his relationship with Lewis, who felt that fame had changed him. Though Michaels contends that Lewis was unfaithful to him, Lewis (now Lewis Crosby) insists that it was Michaels who was unfaithful. Michaels was inspired by the breakup to write "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", explaining that the rose represented his fame and success, whereas the loss of his relationship represented the thorn. The song was released as a power ballad single in December 1988, and is regarded as "the ultimate 80s anthem about heartbreak."
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s Poison became one of the biggest glam metal bands in the world, recording their second album, the multi-platinum selling Open Up and Say... Ahh!, and their third album, the multi-platinum selling Flesh & Blood. However, their lives were characterized by the escalating tension between Michaels and DeVille that derived from their mutual drug use, which came to a head during their 1990/91 "Flesh and Blood" world tour. Also cited is the spectacle of DeVille's behavior during the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. After getting into a fistfight with Michaels, DeVille left the band, and descended further into addiction. Poison went on with new guitarist Richie Kotzen recording the album Native Tongue and then with guitarist Blues Saraceno recording the album Crack a Smile... and More!. In the mid 1990s, after a night of partying, Michaels came close to dying when he crashed his Ferrari into a telephone pole. He incurred serious injury, including broken ribs, a disfigured nose and lost teeth. In 1999, reunited with original guitarist C.C. Deville, Poison went on a successful greatest hits reunion tour. In the next decade Bret Michaels would split his time between Poison and a successful solo career.
Bret Michaels in 2000s
Michaels recorded his first solo album in 1998 A Letter from Death Row, the soundtrack to the same-titled movie he directed, wrote, and starred in. In 2003, he released the studio album Songs of Life which featured the singles "Raine" (dedicated to his daughter) and "Bittersweet". Michaels also released his first solo music video for the single "Raine".
Michaels served as a judge during the 2005 season of reality television singing competition Nashville Star and released a country rock album in the same year called Freedom of Sound which featured the singles "Right Now, Right Here", "Open Road" which Michaels performed live on the show and the hit single "All I Ever Needed" (featuring Jessica Andrews), which also included a music video.
Michaels released a best of album called Rock My World in June 2008 which featured music from his reality television series Rock of Love including the new singles "Go That Far" (Rock of Love theme), "Fallen" and "Start Again", the first 2 also featuring music videos with clips from the series. 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. In December 2008, Michaels released a single version of "Driven" (rock mix) which also featured a music video with preview clips for Rock of Love Bus and he also re released the "Fallen" single with acoustic, piano and demo versions included.
Michaels released a 30-minute DVD from Time Life in 2008 called Hard & Heavy Confidential featuring Bret Michaels which included acoustic versions of "All I Ever Needed", "Driven", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Something to Believe In", it also included in depth interviews. The DVD was included in the Hard & Heavy cd/DVD collection from (Time Life) advertised on TV by Bret Michaels. The same 4 acoustic performances were also released on CD which was titled "Bret Michaels Acoustic Sessions."
In March 2010, Michaels released a new single called "Nothing to Lose" from his upcoming new studio album, Custom Built. The song featured the guest vocals of Miley Cyrus. In April 2010, he released the second single "Lie to Me" and in May 2010 released the third single, "Wasted Time". Michaels performed on the American Idol season 9 finale on May 26 against his doctor's recommendation. Michaels also performed a duet of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Miley Cyrus on the June 18, 2010 episode Good Morning America.
On July 6, 2010, Michaels released his new album Custom Built, which along with its three singles, includes the song "Riding Against the Wind", which is the theme song for his new reality TV series Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It. 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.
On August 4, 2010, Michaels appeared in the fifth season of America's Got Talent and performed "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", accompanying himself on acoustic folk guitar.
Despite not being released as a single, a music video was produced for "Riding Against the Wind" a song from Michaels' latest album "Custom Built" that also doubles as the theme song for his new VH1 reality show Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It. The music video was released on October 7, 2010, exclusively at Billboard's and contains footage from the series, which officially premieres on VH1 on October 18, 2010. Michaels also released a music video for the cover of Sublime's song "What I Got", which is the fourth single from "Custom Built". The music video is a special tribute to his fans and was released on Thanksgiving.
Rock of Love
Michaels starred in the reality television dating competition series Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, the first season of which premiered in July 2007. Jes Rickleff was the winner of Season One. However, she announced during the October 2007 reunion show that she and Michaels were not right for each other and told runner-up Heather he was all hers and that he should have chosen Heather. The first season was released on DVD in early 2008.
The show's second season premiered on January 13, 2008. On April 13, 2008, Michaels selected Ambre Lake as his "Rock of Love". After the show the two maintained a relationship, but parted ways after just a few months due to personal commitments, but they remain good friends.
A third season, Rock of Love Bus, premiered on January 4, 2009. which was a series high for VH1, Michaels chose Penthouse Pet Taya Parker as the winner. When asked about a fourth season of Rock of Love, Michaels said "Now they want me to come back for a fourth 'Rock of Love.' 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."
Other television and film appearances
Michaels and actor Charlie Sheen established a film production company, Sheen/Michaels Entertainment, which produced the movie A Letter from Death Row (1998), which Michaels wrote, directed and starred in, and for which he released a soundtrack album. They also produced No Code of Conduct that same year, which Michaels also directed and acted in. Their company also produced the feature film Free Money, starring Marlon Brando and Mira Sorvino, and the surfer movie In God's Hands in which Michaels also had a small acting role.
Michaels appeared in the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, Season 1, Episode 6, titled Greg's Big Day, first aired 6 November 2000. He also appeared as himself in three episodes of The Chris Isaak Show from 2001 to 2004.
On May 1, 2008, Michaels appeared on a special celebrity edition of Don't Forget the Lyrics!, on which he raised $200,000 to donate to charity.
Michaels appeared on the 2009 Tony Awards, during which a he was struck in the head by a set piece. He subsequently sued the event's organizers, claiming that the collision led to his 2010 brain hemorrhage. The suit is currently pending.
In 2010, Michaels was the winning contestant on the NBC reality television series Celebrity Apprentice 3 on NBC.
In other media
Bret Michaels (center) singing "Talk Dirty to Me" in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
Michaels was portrayed as a guest singer in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which features him singing "Go That Far" from his solo career, and Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me".
Bret Michaels in Charity works
Michaels and his band visited troops at Al Asad Air Base on October 6, 2007, while on a tour of U.S. bases in Iraq in support of Armed Forces Entertainment.
He earned $640,000 for the American Diabetes Association for competing in and ultimately winning the Celebrity Apprentice 3.
Personal life
Michaels has two daughters with Kristi Lynn Gibson. Raine Elizabeth Sychak was born in May 2000, and Jorja Bleu Sychak was born in May 2005. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Michaels' fear that Raine was "borderline diabetic" was a recurring element during Michaels' tenure on The Celebrity Apprentice 3, on which he appeared to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. Raine herself appeared on the season finale of that program on May 23, 2010, when her father won that season.
While filming the finale of his reality show, Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, Michaels proposed to Kristi Gibson, the mother of his two children and his on-again, off-again companion of 16 years. The finale aired December 20, 2010.
Bret Michaels was involved with Pamela Anderson. An abridged version of an explicit sex tape the couple made appeared on the Internet in 1998 and was released on DVD on September 7, 2005, by Metro Studios.
Michaels is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League and the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League. He has a personalized guitar bearing the Steelers' logo, and played the national anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. His favorite player was Jack Lambert, and Michaels has been a member of fan club "Lambert's Lunatics."
Bret Michaels's Health
On April 12, 2010, Michaels was rushed to the hospital after suffering intense stomach pains, and an emergency appendectomy was performed. On April 21 or April 22, 2010, (sources differ), 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 April 28, 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 May 5, 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".
On May 20, 2010, it was reported on his official website that Michaels has been "readmitted to the hospital this week after suffering numbness on the left side of his body". While conducting diagnostic tests it was found that Michaels has a "patent foramen ovale (PFO), a hole in the heart." It was further reported that his condition is "operable and treatable" and his doctors believe they "have diagnosed the problem that caused the transient ischemic attack (TIA) or warning stroke", but that they "feel it is highly unlikely this is connected to the brain hemorrhage he suffered just a few weeks earlier".
Discography
For a discography as a member of Poison, see Poison discography.
Studio albums
Year Album details Peak chart positions
US
US Rock
US Indie
US Hard Rock
CAN
2003 Songs of Life
Release date: April 22, 2003
Label: Poor Boy Records
— — — — —
2005 Freedom of Sound
Release date: January 1, 2005
Label: Poor Boy Records
— — — — —
2010 Custom Built
Release date: July 6, 2010
Label: Poor Boy Records
14 4 1 1 44
2011 Get Your Rock On[49]
To be released: 2011
Label: Poor Boy Records
To be released
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Compilation albums
Year Album details Peak chart
positions
US
US Rock
US Indie
US Hard Rock
2001 Ballads, Blues & Stories
Release date: 2001
Label: Poor Boy Records
— — — —
2008 Rock My World
Release date: June 3, 2008
Label: VH1 Classics Records
40 16 4 4
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
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