Jump to content

Bret Michaels: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Line 263: Line 263:
[[fi:Bret Michaels]]
[[fi:Bret Michaels]]
[[sv:Bret Sychalk]]
[[sv:Bret Sychalk]]

He rocks

Revision as of 18:22, 1 May 2010

Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels (born Bret Michael Sychak, March 15, 1963) is an American singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single. He has also starred in the VH1 reality show Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and its sequels, and as a judge on the talent show Nashville Star. He is a contestant on NBC's reality show Celebrity Apprentice 3.

Early life

Michaels was born Bret Michael Sychak, to Wally and Marjorie Sychak, in Butler, Pennsylvania.[1] He has two sisters, Michelle and Nicole.[2] He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of six (as Michaels later attested in the Behind the Music special, backstage photos of the singer injecting insulin led many to think that he was a heroin addict). When he was a child, his family relocated to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where he attended Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School.

Music career

Michaels' music career began with the creation of the band Paris, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1983. After several lineup changes his band was renamed Poison, and moved to Los Angeles later that same year. Poison became one of the biggest glam metal bands in the world and also recorded several hit albums such as the multi-platinum selling, Open Up and Say...Ahh!.

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" and "Bittersweet". Michaels also 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" and the hit single "All I Ever Needed" (featuring Jessica Andrews). 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 and the album charted at #40 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Independent Albums.[3] In December 2008 Bret 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.[4]

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.[5] 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."[6]

In 2010, Michaels released a new single called "Nothing to Lose" from his upcoming new studio album titled "Custom Built". The song featured the guest vocals of Miley Cyrus.[7]

Rock of Love

In February 2007, the cable TV network VH1 announced that Michaels would star as the bachelor in the reality television dating competition series Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.[8][9] Jes Rickleff was the winner of the first season of the series. However, she announced during the 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.

Michaels went on to star in the second season of Rock of Love, which premiered on January 13, 2008. On April 13, 2008, Michaels selected Ambre Lake as his "Rock of Love". Lake and Michaels have since broken up.[citation needed]

A third season, Rock of Love Bus premiered on January 4, 2009. 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."[10]

Other television and film appearances

File:Gh3 bret.jpg
Bret Michaels singing "Talk Dirty to Me" in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

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 Bret Michaels also directed. Their company also produced the feature film Free Money, starring Marlon Brando and Mira Sorvino, and the surfer movie In God's Hands.

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

In 2010, Michaels currently appears as a contestant on the NBC reality television series Celebrity Apprentice on NBC.

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.[11]

In other media

Michaels was portrayed in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which features him singing "Go That Far" and Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me".

Charity work

Michaels has also been seen touring with the USO in Kuwait in 2007 for soldiers deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.[citation needed]

Personal life

Michaels has two daughters with Kristi Lynn Gibson whom he dated from 1994 to 2005. Raine Elizabeth Sychak was born on May 20, 2000, and Jorja Bleu Sychak was born May 5, 2005. As of 2005, Michaels and Gibson are separated and share custody of their children.[12]

Michaels was involved with Pamela Anderson. An abridged version of an explicit sex tape the couple made appeared on the Internet[13] and was released on DVD on September 7, 2005, by Metro Studios. Michaels later stopped the sexually explicit tape from being distributed, although the "teaser" version of it is still widely available on the Internet.[citation needed]

Michaels is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League and the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.[14] He has a personalized guitar bearing the Steelers' logo, and played the national anthem at Three Rivers Stadium.[15] His favorite player was Jack Lambert, and Michaels has been a member of fan club "Lambert's Lunatics."[16]

On April 12, 2010, Michaels was rushed to the hospital after suffering intense stomach pains, and an emergency appendectomy was performed.[17] On April 22, 2010, Michaels was again rushed to the hospital, this time with an "excruciating" headache. Doctors discovered that he had suffered a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage.[18] He was in critical condition,[19][20] and while some reports suggested that his condition had stabilized,[21] others later stated that this was premature.[22] On April 28th, Michael's representatives reported that he was conscious and speaking, albeit slowly, for the first time since he was hospitalized.[23]

Discography

For a discography as a member of Poison, see Poison discography.

Albums

Year Album details Peak chart
positions
US US
Rock 		US
Indie
1998 A Letter from Death Row
  • Release date: August 25, 1998
  • Label: Ugl Records
 — — —
2001 Ballads, Blues & Stories
  • Release date: 2001
  • Label: Poor Boy Records
 — — —
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
 — — —
2008 Rock My World 40 16 4
2010 Custom Built
  • To be released
  • Label: Poor Boy Records
 To be released
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

EPs

Year Album
2000 Country Demos
2008 Bret Michaels: Acoustic Sessions

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
1998 "Party Rock Band" (with C.C. DeVille) — A Letter from Death Row
2003 "Raine" — Songs of Life
"Bittersweet" —
2004 "All I Ever Needed" (with Jessica Andrews) 45 Freedom of Sound
"Right Now, Right Here" —
2005 "Open Road" —
2007 "Go That Far" — Rock My World
"Fallen" —
2008 "Start Again" —
"Driven" (rock mix) —
2010 "Nothing to Lose" (with Miley Cyrus) — Custom Built
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Filmography

Features:

References

  1. ^ a b "Bret Michaels". Biography.com. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  2. ^ "TV Guide biography".
  3. ^ "The Billboard 200 and Top Independent Albums chart". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
  4. ^ "2008 digital singles". BretMichaels.com.
  5. ^ "Time Life Video: Hard & Heavy confidential featuring Bret Michaels". TimeLife.com.
  6. ^ "Bret Michaels Acoustic Sessions: Music Review". RollingStone.com.
  7. ^ "Nothin' To Lose Songfacts".
  8. ^ "StarPulse.com News".
  9. ^ "VH1 Rock of Love". RealityBlurred.com. December 6, 2006.
  10. ^ "Bret Michaels: Poison frontman talks music, 'Rock of Love' and new book". Coloradodaily.com.
  11. ^ "Poison". TheGauntlet.com News.
  12. ^ "ohnotheydidnt: After Bret Michaels picked Ambre Lake". LiveJournal.com.
  13. ^ "Celebrity sex tapes". WCBS-TV. CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
  14. ^ "Bret Michaels". Bretmichaels.com. It was also said that Bret could be considered the front man for the Steelers for his devotion and love for the team.
  15. ^ "Bret Michaels". Bret was asked to sing the national anthem at one of the last Steelers games held at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium before it was demolished
  16. ^ Linda von Wartburg (September 22, 2008). "Bret Michaels, Diabetic Lead Singer of". Diabetes Health. When Bret was a kid, his most influential role model was a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker by the name of Jack Lambert. Says Bret, "He was one of these people that just had this ferocious go-for-it attitude. And that's the attitude that helped to develop my thinking. When they would be losing games, you could just see him come on the field and motivate that team to win. Finding a way. You're not going to win every game, you're not going to have a platinum record every time you put a song out, but it's the going for it that is really the pot of gold. As I've gone along, as I've experienced life, I've learned that it's the going after it that's the really awesome thing.
  17. ^ "Former Poison rocker released from San Antonio hospital". San Antonio Business Journal. April 14, 2010.
  18. ^ "Bret Michaels in ICU with Brain Hemorrhage". Star Magazine. April 23, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  19. ^ Cruz, Anne Marie (23 April 2010). "Bret Michaels Rushed to ICU with Brain Hemorrhage". People. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  20. ^ Goodman, Dean (23 April 2010). "Rocker Bret Michaels Has Brain Hemorrhage: Report". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  21. ^ "Bret Michaels - Stabilized". TMZ.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  22. ^ "Bret Michaels still in critical condition, according to his official website". EW.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  23. ^ "Bret Michaels conscious and speaking". people.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  24. ^ "Rock Of Love 2". VH1 Blog.

He rocks

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bret_Michaels&oldid=359484858"