Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Bret Michaels

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bret Michaels made an impact.

Bret Michaels is an American singer and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band Poison. Poison has achieved significant commercial success, selling over 65 million albums globally and 30 million records in the United States. The band has had 10 singles reach the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40, including six Top 10 hits and the number-one single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1983: Formation of Paris in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

In 1983, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall hired Matt Smith to form a new band named Paris in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

1984: Band renamed to Poison and move to Los Angeles

In early 1984, Paris changed their name to Poison and moved west to Los Angeles to seek fame on the Sunset Boulevard scene. In the same year, Michaels met Tracy Lewis.

1987: Success of 'Talk Dirty to Me' video and Michaels' collapse on stage

In 1987, Poison's album, Look What the Cat Dragged In became a success after Michaels convinced the band to film a video for their song, "Talk Dirty to Me". Also in March 1987, Michaels collapsed on stage due to insulin shock.

December 1988: Release of 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'

In December 1988, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was released as a power ballad single.

1990: Tensions between Michaels and DeVille escalate

In 1990, tensions between Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille escalated due to drug use during Poison's "Flesh and Blood" world tour.

1991: DeVille's departure from Poison

In 1991, C.C. DeVille left Poison after a fistfight with Bret Michaels at the MTV Video Music Awards.

1998: Formation of Sheen/Michaels Entertainment

In 1998, Bret Michaels and Charlie Sheen established a film production company, Sheen/Michaels Entertainment. They produced the movie A Letter from Death Row, which Michaels directed and starred in, and released a soundtrack album for.

1998: Recording of soundtrack 'A Letter from Death Row'

In 1998, Bret Michaels recorded his soundtrack album A Letter from Death Row for the movie he directed, wrote, and starred in.

1998: Release of 'A Letter from Death Row' soundtrack album and film

In 1998, Bret Michaels released the soundtrack album to the film A Letter from Death Row, in which he starred, wrote, and directed.

1999: Reunion with C.C. DeVille and reunion tour

In 1999, the band Poison reunited with original guitarist C.C. DeVille, and embarked on a successful greatest hits reunion tour.

November 6, 2000: Appearance in Yes, Dear

On November 6, 2000, Bret Michaels appeared in the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, Season 1, Episode 6, titled Greg's Big Day.

2000: Release of 'Show Me Your Hits' and country demos EP

In 2000, Bret Michaels released a country demos EP and the album Show Me Your Hits, featuring re-recorded Poison classics.

2001: The Chris Isaak Show Appearance

In 2001, Bret Michaels appeared as himself in three episodes of The Chris Isaak Show.

2001: Release of 'Ballads, Blues & Stories' CD

In 2001, Bret Michaels released a unique storytellers CD titled Ballads, Blues & Stories, featuring Poison and his solo tracks.

2003: Release of "Raine" single

In 2003, Bret Michaels released his single "Raine", which is titled after his oldest daughter.

2003: Release of 'Songs of Life' album

In 2003, Bret Michaels released the rock album, Songs of Life.

2003: Release of 'Songs of Life' album and music video

In 2003, Bret Michaels released the studio album Songs of Life, featuring the singles "Raine" and "Bittersweet". He also released his first solo music video for "Raine".

2004: The Chris Isaak Show Appearance

In 2004, Bret Michaels appeared as himself in three episodes of The Chris Isaak Show.

2005: Judging on 'Nashville Star' and release of 'Freedom of Sound'

In 2005, Bret Michaels appeared as a judge on the talent show Nashville Star, which led to his country-influenced rock album Freedom of Sound.

July 2007: Premiere of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

In July 2007, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, a reality dating competition series starring Bret Michaels, premiered on television.

October 6, 2007: Visit to Al Asad Air Base

On October 6, 2007, Bret Michaels and his band visited troops at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, as part of a tour of U.S. bases supporting Armed Forces Entertainment.

October 2007: Rock of Love Reunion Show

In October 2007, during the reunion show of Rock of Love, Jes Rickleff, the winner of Season One, announced that she and Bret Michaels were not right for each other.

January 13, 2008: Premiere of Rock of Love Second Season

On January 13, 2008, the second season of Rock of Love premiered.

April 13, 2008: Ambre Lake Chosen as "Rock of Love"

On April 13, 2008, Bret Michaels selected Ambre Lake as his "Rock of Love".

May 1, 2008: Appearance on Don't Forget the Lyrics!

On May 1, 2008, Bret Michaels appeared on a celebrity edition of Don't Forget the Lyrics!, raising $200,000 for charity.

June 2008: Release of 'Rock My World' album

In June 2008, Bret Michaels released the album Rock My World, featuring music from his reality TV series Rock of Love.

December 2008: Release of 'Driven' rock mix single and rerelease of 'Fallen'

In December 2008, Bret Michaels released a single version of "Driven" (rock mix) and re-released the "Fallen" single with additional versions.

2008: Release of 'Hard & Heavy Confidential' DVD and 'Bret Michaels Acoustic Sessions' CD

In 2008, Bret Michaels released a 30-minute DVD called Hard & Heavy Confidential and the CD Bret Michaels Acoustic Sessions, featuring acoustic versions of some of his songs.

2008: Appearance on Billboard charts

In 2008, the music video for the single "All I Ever Needed" appeared on Billboard's "Hot Videoclip Tracks" chart.

2008: Release of Rock of Love Season One on DVD

In early 2008, the first season of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels was released on DVD.

January 4, 2009: Premiere of Rock of Love Bus

On January 4, 2009, Rock of Love Bus premiered and achieved series-high ratings for VH1. Michaels chose Taya Parker as the winner.

2009: Appearance in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love

In 2009, Bret Michaels appeared in the movie American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.

April 2010: Release of "Lie to Me" single

In April 2010, Bret Michaels released the second single "Lie to Me" from his upcoming album, Custom Built.

May 2010: Release of "Wasted Time" single

In May 2010, Bret Michaels released the third single, "Wasted Time", from his upcoming new studio album, Custom Built.

May 31, 2010: VH1 Airs Preview of Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It

On May 31, 2010, VH1 aired a preview of Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, a series about his life at home with his daughters and their mother. Filming was suspended due to his health issues.

June 18, 2010: Performance on Good Morning America

On June 18, 2010, Bret Michaels performed a duet of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Miley Cyrus on Good Morning America.

July 6, 2010: Release of album 'Custom Built'

On July 6, 2010, Bret Michaels released his album Custom Built, which became his highest-charting solo album to date.

August 4, 2010: Appearance on America's Got Talent

On August 4, 2010, Bret Michaels appeared on America's Got Talent and performed "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

August 23, 2010: Hosting Miss Universe 2010

On August 23, 2010, Bret Michaels hosted the Miss Universe 2010 pageant alongside Natalie Morales.

October 7, 2010: Release of music video for 'Riding Against the Wind'

On October 7, 2010, Bret Michaels released the music video for "Riding Against the Wind", the theme song for his new VH1 reality show Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, exclusively at Billboard's.

October 18, 2010: Premiere of 'Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It'

On October 18, 2010, Bret Michaels' new VH1 reality show Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It officially premiered on VH1.

2010: Winning Celebrity Apprentice 3

In 2010, Bret Michaels won the NBC reality television series Celebrity Apprentice 3.

2010: Initial Book Release Date

In 2010, Bret Michaels' autobiography, initially titled Roses & Thorns, was set to be released but was pushed back to include more content.

2011: Recording 'Hit and Roll' for Top Gear

In early 2011, Bret Michaels recorded a new song "Hit and Roll" for Top Gear (U.S. TV series), including a music video.

December 31, 2011: New Year's Eve concert in Springfield, IL

On December 31, 2011, Bret Michaels celebrated the new year with a New Year’s Eve concert from the "Get Your Rock On" solo tour in Springfield, IL.

January 7, 2012: Video premiere on SPEED TV

On January 7, 2012, an exclusive video for "Get Your Ride On" premiered on SPEED TV.

January 9, 2012: Release of 'Get Your Rock On (featuring Phil Collen & Sal Costa)'

On January 9, 2012, Bret Michaels released the single "Get Your Rock On (featuring Phil Collen & Sal Costa)".

January 10, 2012: Release of 'Get Your Ride On (featuring Phil Collen)'

On January 10, 2012, Bret Michaels released an alternate version of his new single titled "Get Your Ride On (featuring Phil Collen)".

August 2012: Release of 'They Don't Make An App For That (The App Song)'

In August 2012, Bret Michaels released the single "They Don't Make An App For That (The App Song)" through his official Bret Michaels App.

January 2013: Release of 'You Know You Want It (Featuring Peter Keys)'

In January 2013, Bret Michaels released the single "You Know You Want It (Featuring Peter Keys)" from his upcoming album "Jammin' With Friends".

June 25, 2013: Release of 'Jammin' With Friends' album

On June 25, 2013, Bret Michaels released the album "Jammin' With Friends", which featured collaborations with various artists.

2013: Appearance on Full Throttle Saloon

In 2013, Bret Michaels made an appearance on the show Full Throttle Saloon.

April 1, 2014: Release of "A Beautiful Soul" single

On April 1, 2014, Bret Michaels released his new solo single, "A Beautiful Soul", with the music video being released the following day. He also announced a live performance on "Oprah's Lifeclass".

April 7, 2015: Release of "Girls on Bars"

On April 7, 2015, Bret Michaels released his new song, "Girls on Bars", co-written with Luke Laird. It achieved the highest number of views for a debut single on CMT.

April 9, 2015: Announcement of 'True Grit' album

On April 9, 2015, Bret Michaels announced his new solo album titled True Grit, featuring 21 new and classic hits.

May 5, 2015: 'True Grit' Album Digital Release

On May 5, 2015, Bret Michaels' album, True Grit, featuring 21 new and classic hits, was released digitally.

May 2017: Release of "Jorja Bleu" single

In May 2017, Bret Michaels released the single "Jorja Bleu" as a tribute to his daughter Jorja Bleu's 12th birthday. The music video was posted to Michaels' official YouTube channel as a sequel to his 2003 single, "Raine."

2019: Announcement of Book Release and Title

In 2019, Bret Michaels announced that his autobiography would be released in 2020 and titled Unbroken: My life in Pictures & Stories, to coincide with his single release "Unbroken".

2019: Release of "Unbroken" Music Video

In 2019, Bret Michaels released the official music video for his new single "Unbroken", co-written with his daughter, Jorja Bleu. The song is about mental and physical strength over adversity.

April 22, 2020: Elimination from The Masked Singer

On April 22, 2020, Bret Michaels, competing as "Banana", was eliminated from the third season of The Masked Singer, finishing in seventh place.

Loading Video...

May 2020: Release of Autobiography

In May 2020, Bret Michaels released his autobiography, Bret Michaels: Auto-Scrap-ography Volume 1: My Life in Pictures & Stories, the first in a series of trilogies. He also signed a deal with the United Talent Agency.

December 2022: Announcement of the 2023 Parti-Gras Tour

In December 2022, Bret Michaels announced the 2023 Parti-Gras Tour, featuring Jefferson Starship and Night Ranger, with appearances by Steve Augeri and Mark McGrath.

January 2023: Release of "Back in the Day" single

In January 2023, Bret Michaels released his new solo single, "Back in the Day", a throwback road-trip anthem, with the video premiering on January 18.

August 6, 2023: 2023 Parti-Gras Tour End

On August 6, 2023, the 2023 Parti-Gras Tour, headlined by Bret Michaels and featuring Jefferson Starship, Night Ranger, Steve Augeri, and Mark McGrath, concluded.