Okay, after the HUGE success of his hit VH-1 reality show, “Rock of Love With Bret Michaels,” the show that had a mansion full of 25 young women competing for the ultimate prize - his heart - you all know what a hot, sexy, funny, talented man he is. A songwriter, front man for his band Poison that has sold in excess of 25 million records, 15 Top-40 singles, he’s starred in and produced movies, appeared on the cover and inside Playgirl Magazine several times on their "Ten Sexiest Rock Stars" list, had a torrid love affair with Pam Anderson, not to mention that infamous tape, his solo career… I could go on forever.
Well, I had the chance to go out on tour with Bret this summer. We’ve been friends for nearly 20 years. I’ve stayed at his house in California a bunch of times, gone to parties with him, in the studio, on video shoots, been just about everywhere and done everything with this man. And he is just as wild and crazy as the rumors that have circulated throughout the years!
But there’s another side to Bret Michaels. He’s recently graced the covers of both Diabetes Health and Diabetes Forecast magazines. His struggle with life-long diabetes has been something he’s campaigned for over the years. He’s a wonderful family man. The sort of friend one would, and I do, honestly cherish in my life.
Playing to sold out crowds all summer with Poison to celebrate the release of their Top-40 CD “Poison’d,” and hot on the heels of his “Rock of Love” success, which airs Sunday’s at 9PM EST/8central, Bret and I cozied up on the tour bus and got down to some real conversation.
Carol Anne Szel: Bret, you had to go out and search for a woman? And you didn’t call me!
Bret Michaels: I know, I know. You think I’d have smartened up after we’ve known each other these many years, but no!
CAS: But seriously, how did “Rock of Love” come about?
BM: They had come up with this idea for the show. They basically called, they knew at that point that the course of my relationship is kind of on and off. So they called and said ‘what’s going on?’ And I said ‘right now it’s off’ and this is what’s happening. They said, ‘you’re the guy we want.’ And here’s the reason, this is what they said, they were real simple. They were like ‘look, we want you to come in and give us all your ideas of stuff that you want to do. Crazy stuff, there will be competitions, contests. What we’re looking for is a guy that will come in, who is energetic. What they said is funny, a guy who ‘still kept his looks!’ They wanted a legendary rocker that knew how to throw a party that people would recognize.
They said the problem was that all the other ones they thought of had done twelve thousand reality shows. In other words, you can rent them weekly for a new reality show. They were looking for someone who had never really done that. The only thing I’d really done was Nashville Star, which was basically the country music version of American Idol. But that’s not considered reality TV, that’s just considered a show.
CAS: And then what happened?
BM: So they told me what they wanted me to do and I went in and met with them. And I said, ‘but here’s what I won’t do.’ I didn’t want to make it that every night it’s an argument at the hot tub. I didn’t want phony arguments, I wanted girls to come in that were gonna be real, that are there to have fun, to make this experience an absolute throw-down of a party! I wanted outrageousness, I wanted to have contests that are funny.
CAS: Did they capture your real personality?
BM: I race motorcycles, so I called Fox racing and Kawasaki, and we got 25 bikes. You know what I mean? These girls really rode. They were great, they competed, and they kicked each other’s butts!
And this is what’s great about it, it was very, very real. There were cameras EVERYWHERE!
CAS: Did you tell them what you wanted the show to be about?
BM: I told them that I didn’t want to do anything scripted. It’s gotta be stuff that I would say and do. In other words, I don’t talk down to women. I have two daughters, and if what they were looking for was ghetto talk, I said to them that they’ve got the wrong guy. I said that if what they wanted me to be was Bret Michaels, I’ll do this.
CAS: Tell me about the women!
BM: The girls, as they got more heated up, argued more, fought more, they competed more.
And of course they got a lot of women that really didn’t like each other, which was great. Two of them got into an argument even before they got on set! Before they even got to the house they were arguing! They argued on the ride up there, they just hated each other!
These two girls actually went at it until it became a physical altercation. And it wasn’t faked or scripted, it was the real deal. I mean I knew they were gonna fight. They came back from riding and the two of them were just arguing. I said ‘you two are driving me f*cking crazy!’ And I can’t tell you much more, but they just physically started pounding on each other, it was brutal. And one of the girls was a body builder. So she put the one down and I had to hold her back. Because it went bad! At first I was like ‘are they faking this sh*t?’ And then I saw some of those punches and I said ‘they ain’t faking that!’ It was wild.
CAS: How did VH-1 find these women?
BM: They went through a lot of women from all over the country, they were from all over. They actually had real auditions, the women couldn’t be actresses or models, and they all had real jobs. They had to love rock music, but they didn’t have to know everything I’ve done. But they just had to know that they were with a guy that was in a rock band.
CAS: And just what are YOU looking for in a woman Mr. Michaels?
BM: You ready? Here’s what I was looking for. She had to be cool with my lifestyle. Knows I’m gonna be on the road a lot. Someone who is funny, sexy. You know you have to have a physical chemistry or it isn’t gonna work. I was looking for someone who was sexy and funny and smart. You know I love to get into stuff, I love to talk about everything. Basically it was pretty simple.
There was no particular type. I wasn’t like looking for someone with blond hair or red hair or dark hair. I’ve dated all of the above. But you’ve got to have that physical chemistry. I mean if you find someone whose gorgeous, then when you talk to them they can’t string a sentence together, that’s bad news. I mean if you’re talking to them and you say to yourself, ‘okay that will be sex for a night.’ I’ve had that, and believe-you-me first you say, ‘this is awesome, she looks hot.’ And then the next morning you’re trying to saw your own arm off to get out from underneath her and run out of the room!
CAS: And did you find her?
BM: I think I have. I can’t say more than this. I’ll put it this way, I found something. So we’ll see what actually comes of it.
CAS: Musically, you are an inspiration to new musicians as a testament to longevity in this business. What do you attribute that to?
BM: The magic in me is… and believe me I’ve had as many misses as I’ve had hits! But here’s the thing. I don’t care about what anyone thinks, I just keep going out and keep on keepin’ on. If you like what you do who gives a shit? Just keep doing it and eventually one of those things is gonna hit. If you give up I can guarantee you this. If you give up you are done.
CAS: I know first hand that you’re a great guy, always focusing on your music, other projects, your family, your career. Can you tell me what really makes you tick?
BM: I’m not a boring rocker that’s for sure. The blessings I have are this. I’m not jaded. Here’s what I ask every day. I go ‘please don’t allow me, no matter how angry I get,” because I can get pretty angry. No matter how angry I get, never allow me, ever. This is what I ask God for every day. I go don’t ever let me become one of those angry, bitter guys.
CAS: You truly live life to the fullest!
BM: I just love life, getting out there and getting into it. And I think that’s why with the show, people are gonna be like… I mean this is pretty hard core real. People always know when something’s scripted. Trust me, there wasn’t an actor among us!
CAS: And this summer so far has been awesome for you!
BM: Yeah, this summer is killer. Then I’ve got the solo tour in September. The theme song for the show is the song I wrote “Go That Far.” It’s the “Rock of Love” theme song. Let me finish with this about the show Carol. They wanted a guy who plays his own music to come in and rock and play. A musician who knew how to throw a real party! And they got exactly what they were looking for!
POISON TOUR DATES in Southern Ca…
Fri Aug 10 Salinas, CA Salinas Sports Complex
Sat Aug 11 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 12 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 14 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheatre
bretmichaels.com
rockoflove.vh1.com
poisonweb.com
myspace.com/BRETMICHAELSOFPOISON
