In an era fueled by party anthems and power ballads, a little group called Poison reigned supreme with their fun lyrics, crazy onstage antics, and makeup of epic proportions. During a time of emerging heavy metal, Poison was a band you either loved, or loved to hate.
Poison, originally called ‘Paris’, was formed by aspiring singer, Bret Michaels, drummer Rikki Rockett and bassist Bobby Dall. They had one goal, as Michaels later explained: to be the loudest, most obnoxious band of the time. Little did they know that their opportunity was just around the corner.
While on a short tour, the band began their search for a lead guitarist.The musician later to be dubbed Slash was turned down because he didn’t fit the image of Poison. The band, instead, went with wildman C.C. DeVille, who helped bring Bret’s dream of being loud and obnoxious to life.
The band settled in Los Angeles, where it seemed all heavy metal
dreams could come true. After record companies took chances on L.A.- based acts like Motley Crue, Ratt and Quiet Riot and struck gold, local club bands were being signed left and right. Poison quickly went to work, following in the steps of the bands before them. The guys became one of the hardest working bands around, spending every spare minute promoting their next show by posting flyers all over Sunset Strip. The hard work payed off when the band began selling out clubs, attracting a fan base and eventually established themselves as the hottest act in town. It all became official when the foursome was signed to Enigma Records in 1986.
Their first album \"Look What the Cat Dragged In\" was released in 1986, and went on to sell two million copies that year. The album was a fast-selling favorite with hits such as \"Talk Dirty to Me\" and the title track.
By 1987, Poison was well-known thanks to the good old invention
known as MTV. The band became a fan favorite, tearing up the airwaves with their many guest appearances and flashy, over-the-top videos. They began touring all over the country as the opening act for bands such as Ratt and David Lee Roth in 1988.
Their sophomore album \"Open Up and Say…Ahh!\" was released in
1988 and quickly went platinum with the release of \"Nothin’ But A Good Time\" and their first number one single, \"Every Rose Has Its Thorn\".
The band rang in the new decade with another hit album, \"Flesh
and Blood\", but soon after release, the band’s deterioration process began.
Arguments between Bret and C.C. became regular, as both wanted
to be in control of the ever-popular group. The two stuck it out long enough for a live performance on MTV, which ultimately brought the band closer to the breaking point.
Bret and C.C. were still walking on eggshells with each other when
Poison was to perform live on MTV. C.C., in all his madness, played half of \"Talk Dirty to Me\" with his guitar unplugged and kept switching off between songs, causing the band to look and sound awful. Later,backstage, a fight between Rikki, Bret and C.C. broke out. Soon after, the band fired the now pink-haired guitarist for his growing cocaine addiction and non-cooperative attitude. He was replaced by guitarist Richie Kotzen in 1993.
All seemed to be going well for the band with the release of their
1993 record \"Native Tongue\". Rikki Rockett was engaged to girlfriend Dionne, only to find that she had had an affair with Richie Kotzen. Kotzen was immediately fired and replaced by guitarist Blues Saraceno.
The band went to work on their next album \"Crack a Smile\" in
1994, but progress was soon halted when Bret Michaels lost control of his Ferrari in May of that year. He suffered a broken nose, upper jawbone and ribs as well as a few broken fingers and the loss of his four front teeth.
After a year of recovery, the band went back to work only to
find that Capitol Records had put the album on hold to instead prepare a Greatest Hits compilation and use a few \"Crack a Smile\" tracks as bonus songs on the record.
The band remained dormant for a few years when the impossible
occurred. Bret and C.C. made up over the phone in 1998. The following summer, the original four band members packed up and went on tour for the first time in six years.
The reunion concert became one of the hottest shows of the season
and their new \"VH1 Behind the Music\" special was watched by over five million viewers that summer.
\"Crack a Smile\" was finally released in 2000, as well as a live album entitled \"Power to the People\". Their latest album, \"Hollyweird\", was released in 2002.
The band continues to tour today, opening for KISS on their summer
2004 tour.
Poison may not be at the \"hard rock\" level of Van Halen or Dio, but
what they represent is an era of a \"no worries\" environment. A time where it was okay for a band to wear more makeup and tighter spandex than the groupies who worshipped them. A time all about letting loose and enjoying yourself, because life’s too short to play it safe. When you hear a Poison song, you think of that ‘80s sense of freedom when the world wasn’t as complicated as it is now. And that’s why Poison leaves a good taste in my mouth.
Bio written by: Journalist |
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