Rock ‘n’ roll’s own reality television star, spokesperson, businessman, and philanthropist Bret Michaels is currently taking his 2012 solo tour across North America.Bret Michaels does more jobs in a single day than most people do in an entire lifetime. Depending on the hour of the day …he’s a cultural icon, a rock god, an entrepreneur, a TV star, a father, the face of the American Diabetes Association, a supercross enthusiast, solo artist, Poison front man, and a generous donor to a myriad of charitable causes.
Michaels first rose to fame as the front man of Poison. As one of rock’s most iconic and enduring bands, Poison defined the fast, gritty, and glamorous rock ‘n’ roll scene. Since the band’s beginning, Poison has achieved massive success- releasing eight studio albums, four live albums, and selling over 30 million records worldwide and 16.5 million records in the U.S., alone.
The band has charted 10 singles in the Top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100 including the number-one single, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn.” Twenty-five years after their debut, Poison is still recording music and performing together. The Poison 25th Anniversary took 2011 by storm wrapping-up with a special November 5 Down’s Syndrome Foundation of Florida benefit concert in Orlando.
Michaels’ solo career has been equally successful: his most recent solo album, “Custom Built” (2010), topped the charts, reaching #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock list.
He has achieved success in the realm of reality TV as well. His “Rock of Love” television series is one of the most successful in VH1′s history. VH1 and Bret Michaels teamed-up again for his family-oriented 2010 docu-series “Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It”. He went head-to-head with some of the brightest minds in business on Donald Trump’s NBC hit, “Celebrity Apprentice” and went on to “Trump” the competition with his Trop-A-Rocka Snapple drink. The drink raised $250,000 for Diabetes research and has since become a permanent staple flavor for Snapple.
Philanthropy remains an important facet of Michaels’ career. A lifelong diabetic, he partnered with the American Diabetes Association in 2010, acting as a spokesperson and sponsor. He helped Ford raise an additional $400,000 for diabetes research at a recent Barrett-Jackson auto auction. Additionally, he has supported the Muhammad Ali Foundation, the Barrow Brain Tumor Foundation and the Camelot Therapeutic Ranch among many others. Michaels is also a proud supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and recently raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charity. He also recently donated his vacation time to help the Gibbs family of Iowa on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Michaels continues to stretch himself and challenge himself to take on new projects in music, business, and beyond. He recently partnered with legendary guitar company Dean Guitars to design his first ever signature Bret Michaels series and is sharing his love of animals through an exclusive Pet Smart line for the retail giant that will launch later this year. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Michaels announced the launch a new line of easy-to-send digital greetings that can be delivered straight to your inbox. The line will feature a variety of fun, edgy digital greetings for all occasions.
Bret Michaels will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Saturday February 18, 2012.
