Poison’s Bret Michaels' Summer of big hair kicks off

By Stone Martindale Jun 10, 2007, 18:30 GMT

CC Deville - Timeline Movie Premiere - Mann National Theatre - Westwood, CA © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

Poison’s Bret Michaels resurrects the eighties metal rockers and goes back out on the road.

‘It’s extremely over the top,’ says the rocker of his new show to Billboard.

EMI America Records/Capitol just released “Poison’d,” which features Michaels and original bandmates C.C. DeVille, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall serving up covers of such classic-rock tracks as Alice Cooper’s “I Never Cry,” the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” and the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See.” Poison is supporting the album on a 55-date summer tour, kicking off June 13 in Greenville, S.C.

Cross marketing his rock mojo, Michaels' “Rock of Love With Bret Michaels,” premieres July 15 on VH1.

Michaels will introduce music from his new solo album, due this fall on VH1 Records. The first single, “Go That Far,” is the show’s theme, and Michaels plans a country single as well.

In addition to his planned solo album, Michaels is working on a movie, and plans a solo tour in October.

Michaels told Billboard why he went to TV reality: "I had to be able to play my solo music in the show and I had to do everything unscripted. I did not want to be told who I was. And I told them the show could not be shot in my house. It’s extremely over the top. A couple of the girls got in actual fights. There’s motorcycle racing and motorcycle wrecks. There’s full-contact lingerie mud football ... It’s crazy."

Michaels explained why he and his mates did covers of classic songs: "I always want to do an original record. The covers record would not have been my first choice, but since me and Bobby (Dall) had a little altercation onstage in Atlanta, we figured it might be fun just to do some cover songs and be creative in the studio. We had a lot of fun making the record, and we got to work with Don Was. He’s (produced) Garth Brooks, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt. He’s a real music-driven guy."

Michaels explained the resolution of his famous fight with C.C. DeVille at the MTV Music Video Awards in 1991: "We are brothers through thick and thin. I don’t know any band who has been together for 20 years and hasn’t had a few knock-down drag-outs. We beat each other up, and the next day we are having a beer and discussing life."

Michaels has opened a production shingle with Charlie Sheen, called Sheen/Michaels Entertainment, he tells Billboard his plans:  "The tentative title is “Between a Rose and a Thorn.” I’ll work on it all summer long as far as scripting it and then go into production. It will basically be my life story, not only in the music business but what happened as a child. If (I) could take the humor of “Spinal Tap” and the emotion of a movie like “Ray” and combine it, I would make a dramedy."