Poison (band) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Poison
Poison performing in 2008
Background information
Also known as	Paris
Origin	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Glam metal hard rock heavy metal
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Enigma EMI Capitol Cyanide
Members	Bret Michaels C.C. DeVille Rikki Rockett Bobby Dall
Past members	Matt Smith Richie Kotzen Blues Saraceno

Poison is an American glam metal band that started in 1983 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The most famous members are lead singer Bret Michaels, drummer Rikki Rockett, lead guitarist C.C. DeVille, and bassist Bobby Dall. The band became very popular from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. They have sold over 55 million albums around the world!

Poison is well-known for their hit song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which reached number one on the Billboard charts. Other popular songs from the 1980s and 1990s include "I Won't Forget You", "Nothin' but a Good Time", "Fallen Angel", "Unskinny Bop", and "Something to Believe In".

Their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, came out in 1986 and sold millions of copies. Their next album, Open Up and Say... Ahh!, sold even more. Their third album, Flesh & Blood, was also a huge success. In the 1990s, music styles changed, and glam metal became less popular as grunge music grew. However, Poison's album Native Tongue still sold well, and their first collection of hits, Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996, sold millions of copies too.

The original band members got back together for a tour in 1999. In the 2000s, they released new albums like Crack a Smile... and More! and Power to the People. In 2006, they celebrated their 20th anniversary with a tour and a new album, The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock. This album brought them back to the top 20 on the Billboard charts. Band members have also released solo music and appeared on TV shows. Since 1986, Poison has released seven studio albums and many hit singles. In 2012, VH1 named them the number one "Hair Band of the '80s".

Band's Journey: How Poison Started

The group's logo

Early Days: Forming Paris (1983–1985)

The band Poison first started in 1983 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Back then, they were called Paris. The first members were lead singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, and drummer Rikki Rockett.

Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett had played together in other bands before. In 1980, they joined with Matt Smith and bassist Bobby Dall to form Paris. They started playing rock cover songs in local bars. The band's sound was heavily influenced by guitarist Matt Smith. While Smith focused on the music, Rockett and Michaels worked on the band's stage show and overall look.

Paris became popular in Pennsylvania, but they wanted to find bigger success. So, in March 1983, they changed their name to Poison and moved to Los Angeles, California.

New Guitarist: C.C. DeVille Joins (1985)

Once in Los Angeles, Poison's exciting stage shows started getting a lot of attention in the famous Sunset Strip club scene. The band lived together in a small apartment, and many fans would bring them food and help clean just to spend time with them.

Their first manager, Vicky Hamilton, helped them get regular shows at a popular club called The Troubadour. This helped the band develop their image even more. They recorded demo songs for Atlantic Records, but the record label decided not to sign them.

By 1985, guitarist Matt Smith was feeling unsure about the band's future, especially since he was about to become a father. He left the band and went back to Pennsylvania. This left Poison needing a new guitarist. The band tried out several guitarists in Los Angeles. They narrowed it down to two choices: Slash and C.C. DeVille. Even though the band members had some disagreements with C.C. DeVille's personality, they were very impressed with his guitar playing and strong desire to succeed. They decided he was the best choice to join Poison.

Big Success: Albums and Tours (1986–1989)

Poison in 1986. Left to right: Bobby Dall, C.C. DeVille, Bret Michaels, and Rikki Rockett.

Poison signed with a smaller record company called Enigma Records in 1986 for about $30,000. This was much less money than other bands were getting at the time. Their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, was released on May 23, 1986. The band members even helped pay for some of the recording themselves.

This album was a surprise hit! It produced three popular songs: "Talk ... to Me", "I Want Action", and "I Won't Forget You". The album became the best-selling record in Enigma's history. With their music videos playing often on MTV, Poison went on tours with other popular bands like Ratt and Cinderella. They also played at a big music festival called Texxas Jam. In 1987, the band recorded a cover of the Kiss song "Rock and Roll All Nite" for a movie soundtrack.

Poison's second album, Open Up and Say...Ahh!, came out on May 21, 1988. It reached number two on the American music charts. This album included their biggest hit, the number one song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". Other popular songs from this album were "Nothin' but a Good Time", "Fallen Angel", and a cover of "Your Mama Don't Dance".

More Hits and Changes (1990–1992)

Poison continued to work hard and play hard. Their third album, Flesh & Blood, was released on June 21, 1990. It was also very successful, selling millions of copies in the U.S. and Canada. The album's success led to another world tour. This album had two gold singles: "Unskinny Bop" and the emotional song "Something To Believe In". This song was dedicated to the band's security guard and friend, James Kimo Maano, who had passed away. Other singles from the album that charted were "Ride the Wind" and "Life Goes On".

The band even received a letter from the Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, thanking them for donating 20,000 CDs of Flesh & Blood to help boost the spirits of U.S. troops during Desert Storm.

Poison played at the Monsters of Rock festival in England on August 18, 1990. After two years of touring, the band members started having disagreements. In November 1991, Poison released their fourth album, Swallow This Live, which featured live songs from their first three albums and four new studio songs. One of the new songs was the single "So Tell Me Why". These were the last songs recorded before C.C. DeVille left the band later that year.

New Sounds and Comebacks (1993–2000)

After C.C. DeVille left, guitarist Richie Kotzen joined the band. Poison's fourth studio album, Native Tongue, was released on February 8, 1993. This album had a different sound, leaning more towards blues-rock instead of their usual glam metal party songs. It included the singles "Stand" and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice)". The album received good reviews and sold well, but sales were slower compared to their earlier albums because grunge music was becoming very popular.

During the tour for Native Tongue, Richie Kotzen left the band. He was replaced by Blues Saraceno in November 1993. Saraceno finished the world tour with the band, including big concerts in Brazil where they played for over 165,000 people.

Poison started recording their sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. However, recording stopped when Bret Michaels was in a car accident in May 1994. He was injured and needed time to recover. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. But the album's release was delayed. Instead, the record company released a Greatest Hits album in November 1996, which included two new songs with Blues Saraceno on guitar. This greatest hits album sold very well, reaching double platinum status.

After some time apart, Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille settled their differences, and C.C. DeVille returned to Poison in 1996, replacing Saraceno.

In 1998, Bret Michaels made his acting debut in the movie A Letter from Death Row, which he also wrote and directed.

The Greatest Hits reunion tour happened in the summer of 1999 with the original band members. Many shows sold out, and the band also appeared on VH1's Behind the Music. On March 14, 2000, Crack a Smile...and More! was finally released. It included the single "Shut Up, ... Love" and the song "Be the One".

New Music and Anniversaries (2001–2006)

After the Poison reunion, C.C. DeVille released his solo album, and Bret Michaels released a solo album that featured new versions of Poison classics. Poison also released Power to the People, their first album with C.C. DeVille back in nine years. This album had five new studio songs, including "Power to the People" which had a music video.

In May 2001, Poison released the song "Rockstar" online as a preview for their next album. They then went on tour with Warrant.

Poison's sixth full studio album, Hollyweird, was released on May 21, 2002. This was their first album of all new songs with C.C. DeVille back in the band. The album received mixed reviews. Some critics felt it had poor sound quality, while others, like AllMusic, called it "one of Poison's best records." The album included a cover of The Who song "Squeeze Box" and "Shooting Star" as singles.

Poison live at Holmdel, New Jersey, in 2006

After the Hollyweird world tour, Poison released their second collection of songs, Best of Ballads & Blues, in 2003. This album featured new acoustic versions of "Something to Believe In" and "Stand." Bret Michaels also released his second solo album, Songs of Life. Drummer Rikki Rockett released his first solo album, Glitter 4 Your Soul, after almost 20 years with Poison.

In the summer of 2004, Poison opened for Kiss on their "Rock the Nation" tour. Poison was less active in 2005, during which Bret Michaels released his third solo album, Freedom Of Sound, which had a country-rock style.

After a year off, Poison returned to music. They celebrated their 20th anniversary with a "20 Years Of Rock" world tour in the summer of 2006. This tour was very successful, with about 10,000 people attending each night. To go along with the tour, the band released an anniversary album, The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock, in April 2006. This album included a new song, a cover of Grand Funk Railroad's "We're An American Band", which also had a music video. The album debuted at number 17 on the charts, marking Poison's return to the top 20 for the first time since 1993.

On August 1, 2006, Capitol Records released updated versions of Poison's first three albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say...Ahh!, and Flesh and Blood, to celebrate their 20th anniversary. All three included extra songs.

Cover Songs and Live Shows (2007–2009)

On January 3, 2007, Poison asked their fans on their official MySpace page to help them choose classic rock songs for a new album of covers. Fans suggested songs like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" and AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long".

In 2007, Poison went on a summer tour with Ratt. They released their covers album, titled Poison'd!, on June 5, 2007. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 32. The first single, "What I Like About You", had a music video. A sold-out show in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 2, was filmed for a live concert DVD and a TV special called Poison: Live, Raw & Uncut.

The band played at the Rock2Wgtn rock festival in Wellington, New Zealand, in March 2008. They also played at the Sweden Rock Festival 2008.

Poison at Sweden Rock Festival 2008

A live concert DVD called Live, Raw & Uncut was released on July 15, 2008. It was filmed in St. Louis during their 2007 tour. This DVD/CD set included behind-the-scenes footage and a live audio CD.

On June 7, 2009, Poison performed at the 63rd Tony Awards, playing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of the musical Rock of Ages. During the performance, Bret Michaels was accidentally hit by a moving set piece and suffered a broken nose and a cut lip.

Solo Projects and Tours (2010–Present)

In 2010, a book about Poison called A Shot of Poison was released.

On April 12, 2010, Bret Michaels had an emergency appendectomy (surgery to remove his appendix). On April 22, 2010, he was rushed to the hospital again with a severe headache. Doctors found that he had a serious brain bleed. He was in critical condition, but doctors later said he was conscious and speaking. On May 5, 2010, doctors announced that Michaels had been released from the hospital and was expected to make a full recovery.

In the same year, Michaels released his solo album Custom Built. It included the song "Nothing to Lose" featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus. Custom Built reached number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, which was the highest chart entry for a Poison member since 1990.

On March 1, 2011, Poison announced a summer tour with Mötley Crüe and New York Dolls to celebrate their band anniversaries. For Poison's 25th anniversary, a double CD called Double Dose: Ultimate Hits was released on May 3, 2011.

In 2012, Poison and Def Leppard went on the Rock of Ages tour. Bret Michaels also continued his solo tour.

After the Rock of Ages tour, the band members focused on their own projects. Michaels continued touring, mostly playing Poison's hit songs with his solo band. He released Jammin' with Friends in 2013, which featured new versions of Poison and Michaels' solo songs. In June 2014, Rikki Rockett co-founded a band called Devil City Angels. In 2015, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett performed together without Michaels as a band called The Special Guests. At the end of 2015, drummer Rikki Rockett was diagnosed with oral cancer, which put joint band projects on hold for his treatment.

In 2017, Poison went on a co-headlining tour with Def Leppard and special guest Tesla to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The Nothing But a Good Time Tour started in May 2018 and ended in July of that year, with opening acts Cheap Trick and Pop Evil.

In 2019, Michaels announced his autobiography, Unbroken: My Life in Pictures & Stories, which was released in May 2020 as Bret Michaels: Auto-Scrap-ography Volume 1: My Life in Pictures & Stories.

Poison toured North America as an opening act for Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard with Joan Jett for The Stadium Tour from June to September 2022. The tour was originally planned for 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the tour, Michaels shared that he doubted the band would record another full album, but he hoped they would write and record another song that sounded like their classic hits.

Meet the Band: Poison Members

Current Members

• Bret Michaels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica (1983–present)
• Rikki Rockett – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1983–present)
• Bobby Dall – bass, piano, backing vocals (1983–present)
• C.C. DeVille – lead guitar, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals (1985–1991, 1996–present)

Former Members

• Matt Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals (1983–1985)
• Richie Kotzen – lead guitar, keyboards, piano, mandolin, dobro, backing vocals (1991–1993)
• Blues Saraceno – lead guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1993–1996)

Touring Musicians

• Will Doughty – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2007–present)

Former Touring Musicians

• Jesse Bradman – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1993-1994)

Timeline of Members

Poison's Music: Albums and Tours

Poison performing in 2006

Studio Albums

• Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)
• Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988)
• Flesh & Blood (1990)
• Native Tongue (1993)
• Crack a Smile... and More! (2000)
• Hollyweird (2002)
• Poison'd! (2007)

Concert Tours

• Look What the Cat Dragged In Tour (1986–1987)
• Open Up and Say Ahh! Tour (1988–1989)
• Nothing but a Good Time Down Under Tour (1989)
• Flesh & Blood World Tour (1990–1991)
• Native Tongue World Tour (1993–1994)
• Greatest Hits Reunion Tour (1999)
• Power to the People Tour (2000)
• Glam, Slam, Metal, Jam Tour (2001)
• Hollyweird World Tour (2002)
• Harder, Louder, Faster Tour (2003)
• Rock the Nation World Tour (2004)
• 20 Years of Rock World Tour (2006)
• POISON'D Summer Tour (2007)
• Live, Raw & Uncut Summer Tour (2008)
• 42-city Summer Tour (2009)
• Glam-A-Geddon Tour (2011)
• Rock of Ages Tour (2012)
• 30th Anniversary North American Comeback Tour (2017)
• Nothing But a Good Time Tour (2018)
• The Stadium Tour (2022)

Awards and Nominations

American Music Awards

Metal Edge Readers' Choice Awards

See also

In Spanish: Poison para niños