According to TMZ, POISON singer Bret Michaels has been approached by Chippendales but turned down the offer. The legendary all-male review recently approached the 50-year-old about a guest hosting gig for their show at the Rio in Las Vegas. TMZ says Michaels was flattered by the proposition, but sadly had to turn down the show because he’s already committed to a series for the Travel Channel called Rock My RV.
In other news, Michaels is returning to his native Pennsylvania next month for a special club concert to mark his 50th birthday which he celebrated on March 15th. He is delaying his annual birthday gig until April 6 at Goodfella’s Warehouse.
POISON singer Bret Michaels will release his new solo album, “Good Songs & Great Friends”, on February 26, 2013 via Poor Boy Records. The effort features some of the rocker’s famous friends helping him out on various tracks, including Ace Frehley (KISS), Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN), Phil Collen (DEF LEPPARD), Joe Perry (AEROSMITH), Loretta Lynn, Lil Jon, Bobby Capps (.38 SPECIAL), Sal Coz Costa (MY DARKEST DAYS), Jimmy Buffett, Edwin McCain, Miley Cyrus, Gary Rossington, Peter Keys and Rickey Medlocke (LYNYRD SKYNYRD), Leslie West (MOUNTAIN), Jaret Reddick (BOWLING FOR SOUP) and C.C. Deville (POISON).
Speaking to VH1 Radio Network‘s Dave Basner, Medlocke revealed how he became involved in the project. “[Bret's] doing a rendition of ‘Alabama’ and he wanted some guitar work on it,” he said. “He got a hold of me and Gary and we kind of went in, did a little bit of playing on it, on ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. It’s pretty cool. We played a little bit of leads, a little bit of chinky rhythms on it or whatever. But Bret‘s a good guy. He’s a good friend of ours.”
Asked how the song sounds, Rickey said, “It’s good. I mean, it’s different. It’s real different. And he took it away from what you would cop ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. He took it from that but he did a… I think he did a good rendition of it. It’s different. Different arrangement, but it’s cool.”
In a recent interview with Gimme Noise, Bret stated about his upcoming CD, “I’m really proud of what we’ve done with it. It’s really not just a Bret Michaels album. I had so many other talented artists come in and support that it’s really a ‘Bret Michaels And Friends’ album. There’s a staggering amount of talent on this album. . . It’s been such a fun project for me and I’m excited to share it with the fans.”
Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in February, Bret revealed that his new solo album will feature a remake of the POISON smash “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” as a duet between him and Loretta Lynn. He said, “For me, growing up in a family that my father loved country music and ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’, this is gonna be a really awesome time.”
POISON frontman BRET MICHAELS has issued the following update:
“After experiencing some life awakening medical events earlier today, it has once again put life into perspective in both my personal and professional life. Though the last few weeks have thrown me a curveball and have been rough to say the least, I refuse to become jaded. For all the loyalty that I have shown to people throughout my life and specifically over the last few weeks, to not have the same respect given back to me, it’s times like these when the people who matter the most become most clear. I am grateful once again to my family, friends and fans. Let’s rock this upcoming tour! (I also thank God for these RockBands, kickboxing and my motorcycle track for helping with my physical release… as for my mental release, I’m still a work in progress, lol.) Thank you to my awesome, family, friends & fans, you rock! Stay tuned, more to come…”
Catch Bret Michaels live at the following shows:
November
2 – Lone Star Motorcycle Rally – Galveston, TX
15 – Paramount Theatre – Asbury Park, NJ
17 – The Wiltsie Center – Hazleton, PA
18 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille – Warrendale, PA
23 – Arcada Theatre – Saint Charles, IL
December
5 – Sycuan Live – El Cajon, CA
6 – Sycuan Live – El Cajon, CA
8 – Choctaw Casino – Grant, OK
12 – Casino Regina Show Lounge – Regina, SK
13 – Deerfoot Inn & Casino – Calgary, AB
16 – McPhillips Station Casino – Winnipeg, MB
27 – Snoqualmie Casino-Ballroom – Snoqualmie, WA
28 – Northern Quest Resort & Casino – Airway Heights, WA
31 – Treasure Island Resort & Casino – Welch, MN
In a recent interview with the Austin American-Statesman, POISON singer Bret Michaels was asked why Slash wasn’t chosen to be the guitarist in POISON when he auditioned for the band prior to forming GUNS N’ ROSES in 1985.
“Slash is one of my all-time favorite guitar players and I believe he would have steered our sound a little more in the AEROSMITH direction,” Bret said. “He was basically the same guy he is today. What you see is what you get. It never really had a chance to work out or not. The band decided C.C. [DeVille] was the best choice for us.”
In a 2010 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Slash explained how his POISON audition came about, stating, “I was living in L.A. and I had just gotten done working in a band with Axl [Rose], actually, called HOLLYWOOD ROSE. Steven Adler was in that band as well. I just quit. I told Axl I couldn’t handle it anymore and I walked. That was right after the first time Axl and I ever worked together. Matt, the original guitar player for POISON, who was actually a pretty cool guy, had gotten his wife pregnant or they were getting married or something like that. He was moving back to Pennsylvania. He goes, ‘You should try out for POISON.’ I hated POISON but in those days you did whatever you had to do to keep moving. Being very ambitious, as I was, I went and auditioned for POISON. I ended up being one of two guitar players left that they were going to pick from. I remember kicking the shit out of the songs they had. There was no denying that I could play them but there was an issue about makeup and stuff. Bobby Dall [POISON bassist] asked me what kind of shoes I was going to wear. I was like, ‘What?’ It was kind of obvious that this was going to go nowhere. As I was walking out of the audition, C.C. DeVille was walking in. He had on pancake makeup and a ton of hairspray. I actually remember thinking right then, ‘That should be the guy.’ The next day I got a call from Bobby and he said, ‘You know, you are great and all but I think we are going to pass on you and go with this other guy.’ It was C.C. and it really did make all the sense in the world. I was in a couple of bands after that and then we started GUNS N’ ROSES.”
POISON singer Bret Michaels recently finished creating “Rock Bands”, an exercise routine he uses daily both on and off the road. He says, “[It is] simple and anyone can use it.”
“Rock Bands” is expected to launch this Christmas.
Speaking to Celebuzz, Michaels shared some of his fitness secrets, specifically how he gets those famously chiseled abs.
“No excuse, put it to use,” he said.
“I get my six pack with mountain biking, kick-boxing, strength training, running and a lot of situps.”
Bret previously told Star magazine that he maintains a regular workout routine, whether he’s on or off the road.
“Strength training is key so I can keep up my energy on stage, so I literally bring my gym with me,” the 49-year-old explained. “I have my own gym that we carry behind the tour bus.”
For Bret, working out is not just about looking sexy shirtless — as a lifelong diabetic, he is also predisposed to other life-threatening illnesses such as hypertension, coronary artery disease and obesity.
“Every day is a battle,” he admitted to Star. “You have to accept that you have diabetes because it is the card you’ve been dealt.”
He added, “I work to enjoy my life like a regular human being while keeping my blood sugar levels as decent as possible. It’s a fine line, a catch-22, a balancing act.”
Bret told Celebuzz: “If I have pizza and beer during one meal, I’ll exchange it for vegetables and a piece of chicken in my next.”
Photo below courtesy of Bret Michaels‘s Facebook page
DEF LEPPARD kicked off their Rock Of Ages tour with POISON (and opener LITA FORD) last night (June 20th) in Salt Lake City, UT at the USANA Amphitheater. Check out set-lists below:
Def Leppard’s setlist:
‘Undefeated’
‘Rocket’
‘Let It Go’
‘Foolin”
‘Animal’
‘Love Bites’
‘Gods of War’
‘Two Steps Behind’
‘Women’
‘It’s All About Believin”
‘Let’s Get Rocked’
‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’
‘Hysteria’
‘Armageddon It’
‘Photograph’
Encore:
‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’
‘Rock of Ages’
Poison’s setlist:
‘Look What the Cat Dragged In’
‘Ride the Wind’
We’re An American Band’ (GRAND FUNK RAILROAD cover)
‘Your Mama Don’t Dance’ (LOGGINS & MESSINA cover)
Guitar Solo
‘Fallen Angel’
‘Unskinny Bop’
‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’
Drum Solo
‘Talk Dirty To Me’
‘Nothin’ But a Good Time ‘
The Rock Of Ages schedule is as follows:
June
22 – Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
23 – Las Vegas, NV – Red Rock Amphitheatre
25 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
27 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
29 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
30 – Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Times Forum
July
2 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
3 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
6 – Cleveland, OH – Quickens Loan Arena
7 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
10 – Baltimore, MD – Merriweather Pavilion
11 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
13 – Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Pavilion
14 – Atlantic City, NJ – Revel
16 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
17 – Hamilton, ON – Copps Coliseum
19 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
21 – Omaha, NE – Red Sky Music Festival
22 – Cadott, WI – Rock Fest
August
9 – Sunrise, Florida Bank Atlantic Center
12 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live
15 – Hershey, PA – Hershey Park Stadium
17 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
18 – Boston, MA – Comcast Center
22 – Bangor, ME – Bangor Waterfront Pavilion
24 – Noblesville, IN – Klipsch Music Center
25 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
29 – Lampe, MO – Black Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
31 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
September
1 – Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
3 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
6 – Monterrey, Mexico – Arena Monterrey
8 – Mexico City, Mexico – Ciudad de México
12 – Tucson, AZ – Anselmo Valencia Ampitheatre
15 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
’80s hard rock queen Lita Ford and members of DEF LEPPARD, POISON and KISS were among the attendees at last night’s (Friday, June 8) premiere of the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical “Rock Of Ages” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The soundtrack to “Rock Of Ages”, which showcases popular rock songs from the ’70s and ’80s, features the cast — Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough — singing some of the greatest hits of the “hair-band” era, is likely to sell between 12,000 and 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on June 5 via WaterTower Music.
“Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” features the following track listing:
01. Paradise City (Tom Cruise)
02. Sister Christian/Just Like Paradise/Nothin’ But a Good Time (Diego Boneta)
03. Juke Box Hero/I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll (Diego Boneta)
04. Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
05. Waiting For A Girl Like You Diego Boneta
06. More Than Words/Heaven (Diego Boneta)
07. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Julianne Hough)
08. I Want To Know What Love Is (Malin Akerman)
09. I Wanna Rock (Diego Boneta)
10. Pour Some Sugar On Me (Tom Cruise)
11. Harden My Heart (Julianne Hough)
12. Shadows Of The Night/Harden My Heart (Julianne Hough)
13. Here I Go Again (Diego Boneta)
14. Can’t Fight This Feeling (Russell Brand)
15. Any Way You Want It (Julianne Hough)
16. Undercover Love (Diego Boneta)
17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Diego Boneta)
18. Rock You Like A Hurricane (Julianne Hough)
19. We Built This City/We’re Not Gonna Take It (Russell Brand)
20. Don’t Stop Believin’ (Diego Boneta)
In a recent interview with Playboy.com, Cruise stated about his first attempt at singing, “I knew I could hold a note. I sang in a glee club when I was 14 years old and in a high school musical. But I never had a singing lesson. No one ever taught me how to use my voice.
It was previously reported that Cruise was preparing for his role by training with Axl Rose‘s vocal coach. “He was an opera singer who taught me how to control my voice,” Cruise said. “It’s like learning a new sport or a skill for a character. I had to find out how to move air through the vocal cords and where to place it in my head, in the chest. It’s something you have to do every day to strengthen your voice.”
The first song Cruise sang in front of a crowd was “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, with members of DEF LEPPARD watching him.
“I was down in Miami, recording different songs, and Adam [Shankman, director] called and said, ‘DEF LEPPARD‘s coming by the set,’” Cruise told Playboy.com. “I said, ‘Man, that’s cool.’ Then I paused. ‘Wait, I’m rehearsing their song tomorrow.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah!’ [laughs] So we started right in the deep end, and that was the first scene I shot in the movie. It’s a great song, and I grew up listening to them. They went to the back of the Bourbon Room, and I looked at my band and was like, ‘Hit it.’ All the crew was watching them watching me. . . [After the song was done] the lead singer, Joe Elliott, points at me and goes, ‘Fuck you! Fuck you!’ Then I saw big smiles on their faces, and I realized I’d gotten their stamp. It was a very cool moment. It was important they knew I was honoring their music and not making fun of them.”
DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen recently told VH1 Classic Rock Nights that Cruise “was a super-lovely guy” when they met. Collen added, “I was so impressed because he hadn’t sung before and he had vocal lessons. He was literally doing five hours a day, five days a week, like truly real, getting in there and doing it. And we saw him and he was amazing, it was like Iggy Pop meets someone else and he’s in great shape and it was like, ‘What!?!’ It was surreal, but he really pulls it off and it was like he’s a total rock star.”
Tom Cruise stars in “Rock Of Ages” as Stacee Jaxx, an aging musician whose glory days are long past.
Adam Anders, executive music producer for the film and album, recently told The Hollywood Reporter about Cruise‘s vocal skills, “He had never sung in his life. He was like, ‘I need to know that I can do this before I sign on.’ So I went to his house to hear him sing and even though he was completely green as a singer, his vocal cords were amazing. He had this voice that blew me away. It was the most powerful voice I had ever heard. So loud. He could do anything and go as high as we wanted. It was like a kid discovering he had a new toy. I left there super-pumped knowing that not only could we make him pass as a singer in the movie, but we would blow people away with what he could do.”
He added, “[Tom's] confidence kept growing as we worked together. I think he started off a little nervous, as anybody would who has never done this, but he just bought it 110%. He works harder than anybody I’ve ever met in my life. By the end of this movie, the guy was just phenomenal. I remember telling him, ‘You’re a singer!’”
“Rock Of Ages” also stars Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman and many others. It scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 15.
“Rock The Rhythm, Beat The Odds” is set to gather nearly 10,000 students and community members in a collaborative, music-making world-record attempt today (Friday, May 18). Mickey Hart of THE GRATEFUL DEAD will lead the gathering’s drum session in support of music education at COC-Valencia’s Cougar Stadium.
On May 18, the community including 7,600 middle school students from Santa Clarita Valley will join together for a simultaneous rhythm. Joining Hart on stage will be John Densmore of THE DOORS, Jessica Simpson‘s drummer Gorden Campbell, Bruno Mars‘ drummer Eric Hernandez, Janelle Monae‘s drummer Mike Phillips, POISON‘s Rikki Rockett, and Teddy Campbell, the drummer from Jay Leno‘s “Tonight Show”. The group will shine a national spotlight on a community-partnering model that supports sustainable art programs in schools. Each sixth and seventh grader in the Santa Clarita Valley receives instruction that helps maximize his or her creative expression, build social and emotional skills, and emphasize the process of learning over performance.
For more information about the “Rock The Rhythm, Beat The Odds” initiative or to find how to participate, visit www.rocktherhythm.org.
Rocker and philanthropist Bret Michaels thanks the hospital who saved his life on a new medical web site, Barrow50.org.
Michaels suffered from a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in 2010 and was rushed to Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix for treatment. The hemorrhage left the musician in critical condition and he remained hospitalized at Barrow for the duration of his treatment.
Michaels will kick off a special tour with his band POISON and DEF LEPPARD in June, release a solo album called “Get Your Rock On” this summer and launch a line with PetSmart called the Bret Michaels Pets Rock Collection on June 18.
“I want to thank all of my good friends at Barrow who saved my life,” says Bret. “Without them I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute, located in Phoenix, Arizona, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012. Patients like Michaels travel from all over the United States and the world for the special neurological expertise available at Barrow. The hospital has treated a long list of public figures including Michaels, baseball great and broadcaster Joe Garagiola, a Saudi Arabian queen and a host of professional athletes. The new interactive web site is part of Barrow’s commemorative activities this year.
