Bret Michaels

COVER FEATURE

BRET MICHAELS STANDS NAKED ON NEW CD

by Tom Lounges

Bret Michaels is certainly no stranger to Midwest BEAT readers! He has been a good friend to our publication since Poison first came to “da Region” as the opening act for Quiet Riot at Star Plaza in the mid-1980s.

He’s not only the voice behind all those great old Poison hits, but also the driving force of a hard rocking solo band, whose new music has been climbing onto radio playlists across the nation.

In fact, you can count on hearing Bret’s new music spun on my Sunday Night Rock program which now airs weekly on WXRD/103.9.

We’ll be featuring Bret on both our March 21 and 28 broadcasts, as we anticipate his appearance on stage of McCool’s night club in South Haven on Saturday, April 3!

Readers of Midwest BEAT and listeners of Night Rock, both have a chance to score FREE tickets to see Bret Michaels kickin’ ass and takin’ names at McCool’s.

BEAT readers need only fill out and send in the trivia form at the bottom of this page.

To win on Night Rock, just tune us in on 103.9fm on March 21 and March 28 between 6-7p.m. for your chances to win!

Though Bret Michaels released a pair of solo projects in the past –– 2000’s A Letter From Death Row and 2001’s Ballads, Blues & Stories –– it’s a case of “third times a charm” for fans who have been hoping a tour sans his Poison posse would materialize so they could hear the man’s solo songs live.

Michaels began his ambitious solo run across North America with an ensemble cast of musical buddies in September of 2003, just after the release of his latest and certainly greatest solo disc to date, Songs Of Life.

Whereas Death Row was a soundtrack recording for a film he co-produced with Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen and Ballads, Blues & Stories was simply a collection of favorite songs, this album is a cohesive project written and recorded as a true solo album. “Simply put, this one is my life put to music,” said Michaels.

“For the Songs of Life tour, I’ve put together what I feel is a really exciting show that is about half solo material and half Poison stuff,” he said. While several of Poison’s greatest hits are incorporated into the show, Michaels promised that some Poison songs, that are rarely if ever played live, get slipped in here and there..

“Doing this kind of tour gives me a chance to do some of those great songs that fans love, that we just haven’t done in years or perhaps ever on a Poison tour,” he said. “I’m very excited to finally be doing a tour like this and I love playing in smaller, intimate venues, because the songs on the new album are very intimate and work best in that kind of environment.”

Energetic and upbeat, Michaels likes to keep his engines idling high at all times. He proudly proclaims himself a master of multi-tasking. “Being a ‘workaholic’ is better than being a slacker,” he said.

Aside from guiding Poison to platinum success, Michaels has also forged a career in the film/video industry (as an independent producer, director and actor), and does a wealth of charitable work.

“Keeping busy...” has always been a way of life for the self-described “extreme sports nut” and “avid weekend warrior” who has also maintained a healthy motocross racing hobby since his early teens and has a personal track on his property in Malibu.

“Life is way too short and there’s so much I want to do, so I just keep moving,” said the now 40-year-old hardbody rock veteran, who sometimes squeezes a little recreational NASCAR driving and kickboxing in his down time.

An insulin-dependent diabetic since age six, Michaels is a tireless champion for fundraising and awareness efforts on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Michaels has even graced the cover of “Diabetes Forecast Magazine” in recognition for his efforts.

Despite all this, Michaels has still managed to find the time for his current full-tilt solo rock career.

“I love Poison with all my heart,” he said. “But I need to be able to step back once in a while and let out some of the songs in me that are not necessarily Poison songs, but are certainly Bret Michaels songs. I’m a huge music fan and I have been influenced by a pretty broad spectrum of music and artists over the years.”

As a child, Michaels learned to play guitar by picking along with old Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams Sr. records from his dad’s LP collection.

“Country was the first music I heard and played,” he reflected. “I discovered the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and all the rest, as I got older. I’ve always loved acoustic Jim Croce and James Taylor type stuff, which comes out in Poison songs like ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ and ‘Something To Believe In’.”

Those soft rock moments are among Bret’s best, and that remains true with his new solo CD, which impacted radio and video outlets with its first single, “Raine.”

Michaels penned the heartfelt ballad on May 20, 2000 –– the day his daughter Raine Elizabeth Michaels was born. Each of the tracks on Songs Of Life is a musical snapshot taken at various points in his life, hence the title.

The lyrics to the song “Menace To Society” were written when Michaels was 17-years-old and toiling as a bus boy in his hometown of Harrisburg, PA.

“Fans listening to these songs will get an insight into who I am, where I’ve been and what I’m about,” said Michaels. Songs of Life has been a work in process for the last few years.

Happy at how well his single and video for “Raine” was embraced by the media and the fans, Michaels is optimistic about the continued success of the album. The much rockier, “Bittersweet,” is currently being worked as the album’s second single.

“I did Songs Of Life on my own record label [Poor Boy Records], so there was nobody standing over me and telling me how to sound or write,” he said. “This album is pretty much me standing naked with my art and expressing my personal thoughts and observations and sharing part of my life.”

Michaels hopes to add to his expansive resume, the role of record mogul. “I’d love for Poor Boy to become a full fledged record label, but it will be quite a while until that happens. Before I sign any other artists, I need to make sure all the bugs are worked out. I’m the guinea pig here, as I should be. If I make a mistake or drop the ball, better it be on my own album than on one by another artist who puts their trust and faith in me and my company.”

Once his solo tour wraps up sometime in mid-2004, Michaels will begin writing and recording with his Poison mates once again.

“Poison will be off the road in 2004, but we will be back with a brand new studio album and a new tour in 2005,” he promised.

As for the future of his solo career, Michaels feels confident. He will continue to juggle things in between his Poison commitments and projects.

Bret anticipates his next solo album will be being a collection of ‘Americana’ songs that will probably fall somewhere along the lines of a John Mellencamp sound.

“My roots are as much country as they are rock,” he concluded, noting how he has often been invited to jump and jam with such major country artists as Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels and Travis Tritt. “I think that country side of me is going to show more than ever [on the next album].”