Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Culture Lesson: Bret Michaels

Are you ready for part two of today's very special bonus lesson? Was that Ludacris lesson a doozy or what? Take a deep breath, it's time for Bret Michaels!

Bret Michaels is a 46-year-old former rock star. (He has a career as a solo artist now, but as a music critic, and a music lover, his career is a J-O-K-E.*) He is also the lead singer and guitarist for 80s hair/"glam" band Poison. (Wikipedia notes that there is a black metal group and Detroit band of the same name. Poison was popular in the '80s, for the confused Old People reading.)

In its heyday, Poison toured with illustrious acts Ratt, Warrant, David Lee Roth, Winger, Quiet Riot, and Skid Row. Poison has topped the Billboard Top 40 chart ten times, the Billboard Hot 100 six times, and has one No. 1 song. That hit was the Michaels-penned "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." (Here is the video.)

Poison started its glorious fade in the early '90s. The band is still together, but not as active, or popular, as it was in the '80s. Michaels set out on his own after Poison, with a solo career, a film production company with Charlie Sheen, and a notorious reality television career.

VH1 aired the first season of Rock of Love, a Bachelor-style dating show in 2007. (The name is a take on Flavor of Love, the Flavor Flav dating show. That name is a take on Strange Love, Flavor Flav's reality show about his relationship with Brigitte Nielsen. They met on the set of VH1's reality show The Surreal Life.) VH1 has aired three seasons—I can't confirm a fourth, but the show was casting in Hagerstown, Maryland while it aired season three—plus two seasons of spin off show Daisy of Love, Rock of Love Charm School, and Megan Wants a Millionaire.

The show is nothing but debaucherous. Here are some clips:







...I watched every Rock of Love episode. If you have any questions, let me know. I HAVE ANSWERS.

Last June Michaels performed at the Grammys and fractured his nose. It was briefly in the news.

Michaels was cast for the third season of Celebrity Apprentice. The show will begin March 14. (This is probably why he was on TV this morning.) He will join Rod Blagojevich and Sharon Osbourne. Osbourne hosted Rock of Love Charm School, so this writer hopes for an extra intense evisceration on set.

*This is something the world widely agrees upon. Exceptions are limited to Rock of Love contestants.

Additional Resources:
Bret Michaels Wikipedia article
Poison Wikipedia article

No comments: