Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Bret Michaels
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bret Michaels made an impact.
Bret Michaels, born Bret Michael Sychak, is an American rock musician best known as the frontman of the band Poison. Poison has achieved significant commercial success, selling over 65 million albums globally, with 30 million in the United States. The band has had ten singles in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40, including six Top 10 hits and the number-one single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Michaels's career is defined by his role in Poison and their contribution to the rock music scene.
1983: Formation of Paris
In 1983, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett, Bobby Dall, and Matt Smith formed the band Paris in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
1984: Paris changes name to Poison and move to Los Angeles
In early 1984, the band tired of playing the Pennsylvania bar circuit, changed their name to Poison and moved west to Los Angeles to seek fame on the Sunset Boulevard scene.
1987: Success of "Talk Dirty to Me" and Health Scare
In 1987, Poison filmed a video for "Talk Dirty to Me" which led to their album going platinum. In March 1987, Bret Michaels collapsed on stage due to insulin shock but was misreported as a drug overdose.
December 1988: Release of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
In December 1988, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was released as a power ballad single and became an '80s anthem about heartbreak.
1991: Departure of C.C. DeVille from Poison
In 1991, after a fistfight with Bret Michaels and erratic behavior at the MTV Video Music Awards, C.C. DeVille left Poison.
1998: Release of "A Letter from Death Row" Soundtrack
In 1998, Bret Michaels recorded and released his soundtrack album "A Letter from Death Row", which was the soundtrack to the movie he directed, wrote, and starred in.
1998: Soundtrack Album to "A Letter from Death Row"
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, Poison reunited with original guitarist C.C. Deville and embarked on a successful greatest hits reunion tour.
2000: Release of Country Demos EP and "Show Me Your Hits"
In 2000, Bret Michaels released a country demos EP and the album "Show Me Your Hits", featuring re-recorded Poison classics.
2001: Release of "Ballads, Blues & Stories"
In 2001, Bret Michaels released a unique storytellers CD titled "Ballads, Blues & Stories", featuring Poison and Michaels solo tracks along with recorded stories about each song.
2003: Release of "Songs of Life" Album
In 2003, Bret Michaels released his rock album, "Songs of Life".
2003: Release of "Songs of Life" Album and Music Videos
In 2003, Bret Michaels released his studio album "Songs of Life" featuring the singles "Raine" and "Bittersweet." He also released music videos for "Raine" and "Menace to Society," plus a 9/11 tribute song called "One More Day".
2005: Judging Nashville Star and Release of "Freedom of Sound"
In 2005, Bret Michaels appeared as a judge on the talent show Nashville Star and released his country-influenced rock album "Freedom of Sound".
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 "Rock My World" album, featuring music from his reality television series "Rock of Love", including the singles "Go That Far", "Fallen", and "Start Again".
December 2008: Release of "Driven" and Re-release of "Fallen"
In December 2008, Bret Michaels released a single version of "Driven" (rock mix) and re-released the single "Fallen" with acoustic, piano, and demo versions.
2008: Release of "Hard & Heavy Confidential" DVD and "Acoustic Sessions" CD
In 2008, Bret Michaels released a 30-minute DVD called "Hard & Heavy Confidential" featuring acoustic versions of several songs and interviews. The same acoustic performances were also released on a CD titled "Bret Michaels Acoustic Sessions".
2008: Success of "All I Ever Needed"
In 2008, the music video for Bret Michael's song "All I Ever Needed" appeared on Billboard's "Hot Videoclip Tracks" chart.
April 2010: Release of "Lie to Me" Single
In April 2010, Bret Michaels released the single "Lie to Me" from his upcoming album, "Custom Built".
May 2010: Release of "Wasted Time" Single
In May 2010, Bret Michaels released the single "Wasted Time" from his upcoming album, "Custom Built".
May 31, 2010: Preview of "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It" Aired
On May 31, 2010, VH1 aired a preview of the series "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It". Filming for the series had begun before Michaels' health issues and was suspended after his hospitalization.
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 "Custom Built" Album
On July 6, 2010, Bret Michaels released his album "Custom Built", which became his highest-charting solo album to date.
August 4, 2010: Performance 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: Hosted Miss Universe 2010
On August 23, 2010, Bret Michaels co-hosted the Miss Universe 2010 pageant along with Natalie Morales.
October 7, 2010: Release of "Riding Against the Wind" Music Video
On October 7, 2010, the music video for "Riding Against the Wind" from Bret Michaels' "Custom Built" album was released exclusively at Billboard's. The video also doubles as the theme song for his VH1 reality show, "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It".
October 18, 2010: Premiere of "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It"
On October 18, 2010, Bret Michaels' reality show "Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It" officially premiered on VH1.
2011: Recording "Hit and Roll" for Top Gear
In 2011, Bret Michaels recorded the song "Hit and Roll" for the U.S. version of the TV series Top Gear, including a music video featured on the series.
December 31, 2011: New Year's Eve Concert in Springfield, IL
On December 31, 2011, Bret Michaels celebrated New Year's Eve with a concert in Springfield, IL, from the "Get Your Rock On" solo tour.
January 7, 2012: "Get Your Ride On" Premieres on SPEED TV
On January 7, 2012, Bret Michael's song "Get Your Ride On" premiered on SPEED TV with an exclusive video and served as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Opener all season.
January 9, 2012: Release of "Get Your Rock On"
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"
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 a new single "They Don't Make An App For That (The App Song)" through his official Bret Michaels App, described as a fun, tongue-in-cheek country crossover tune that takes on today’s social media culture.
January 2013: Release of "You Know You Want It (Featuring Peter Keys)"
In January 2013, Bret Michaels released a new 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 features collaborations with various artists. The album reached #13 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart.
April 1, 2014: Release of "A Beautiful Soul" Single
On April 1, 2014, Bret Michaels released his new solo single, "A Beautiful Soul", with a music video being released the next day.
April 7, 2015: Release of "Girls on Bars"
On April 7, 2015, Bret Michaels released "Girls on Bars", co-written with Luke Laird. The song 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, which features a collection of 21 new and classic hits.
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