I have always been a big fan of rock group Poison. Lead singer Bret Michaels is one of my favorite singers of all time.
http://www.tmz.com/2010/05/23/bret-michaels-celebrity-apprentice-finale-medical-staff/
http://www.bretmichaels.com/default.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_%28band%29
Lately he has been in and out of hospitals. He has had life threatening maladies.
The man is only 47 years old, and for as of now unexplained reasons, his body is just having a tough time.
Yes, rock stars have died young due to the “lifestyle.” Yet Mr. Michaels is a father to a couple of young girls, and he seems to be living a relatively clean lifestyle. He definitely wants to live.
Tonight he is one of two finalists along with Holly Robinson Peete to be the next Celebrity Apprentice. Ms. Peete, wife of retired NFL star Rodney Peete, is formidable. Yet I hope Bret wins.
I still remember the 1988 video for the song “Fallen Angel.” It was about somebody trying to live their dream in the entertainment industry, only to see it eventually go downhill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71gEULkXzec
“Just a step away, from the edge of the fall…caught between heaven and hell, where’s the girl I knew a year ago…Win big, Mama’s Fallen Angel…lose big, living out her lies…wants it all, Mama’s Fallen Angel…lose big, rolling the dice of her life.”
Bret Michaels made it not just as a musician in a rock band but as a businessman. He combines creativity with smart business savvy.
He also has used his fame for good.
He was caught backstage once sticking himself with a needle. Everyone who knew thought it was a typical rocker doing drugs. It wasn’t. Bret is diabetic. He was giving himself insulin. He went public and became a spokesperson for juvenile diabetes.
During the Celebrity Apprentice, he found out that his young daughter is diabetic as well.
In the last few weeks he has been hospitalized with a brain ailment, and a ministroke. Somehow, miraculously, he is still alive.
Bret has given so much to so many in the form of great music. While many 1980s rockers faded away, Poison continued. Many people do not know that Poison put out albums in 2000 and 2002, which were every bit as good as their 1980s heyday.
Poison even repeated the failed Hollywood dream with the song “Wishful thinking.”
“Mr. Smiley” is hilarious. It is about staying optimistic with all the chaos going around.
Sexually explicit songs were common, and well written. One had guitarist CC Deville singing, on the song “I hate every bone in your body…but mine.”
Their biggest hit was their love ballad.
“Every rose has its thorn…every night has its dawn…every cowboy sings a sad sad song…every rose has its thorn.”
The name of Bret’s team on Celebrity Apprentice was “Rock Solid,” which he came up with.
He has been rock solid through everything.
This should not be a sympathy choice. He has done the job. He won his task as project manager, and was often the de facto leder as other contestants turned to him to take the lead.
He is a special person, and I will always thank him for his contributions to my coming of age. When I was a broke guy in college, taking a girl out on a date meant taking her to the rooftop of my building and slow dancing under the stars to 1980s rock ballads. Between the night sky, the rooftop jacuzzi, and the music of Poison, I managed to have some great nights that broke guys often don’t have.
Bret is ill now, but every thorn also has its rose. He will get better, and continue to provide joy for millions while raising money for his charity.
Donald Trump has an easy decision tonight. Bret Michaels should be the next Celebrity Apprentice. Bret is Rock Solid, and deserves it.
Get well Bret, and thank you for everything you have brought this world. May God bless you always.
As you say in your song “Life Goes On,” “this last mile…I travel with you.”
We are all traveling on this road with you Bret.
Be well.
eric
Update: Donald Trump chose Bret Michaels as the Celebrity Apprentice.
Trump had a very difficult decision this time, and I was curious to see how he would handle it.
On a cold, logical, business level devoid of emotion (which I often advocate), Holly Robinson Peete raised the most money in the history of the show.
On an emotional level, which I have repeatedly stated should have nothing to do with the decision, Bret Michaels nearly dying and coming back to fight for his charity does matter.
Emotion normally should not be a deciding factor, but this case was a rare and appropriate exception.
Yet the problem is that since the winning charity gets $250,000, allowing sympathy for Bret Michaels to reign supreme would cheat innocent children that Holly Peete is fighting for.
Trump got this one perfectly right. I have admired him in the past, but this time he really showed the wisdom of Solomon.
He got the Snapple executives to match his $250,000, so both contestants saw their charities win. Once that was taken care of, the winner of Celebrity Apprentice was more symbolic.
Symbols do matter. Bret Michaels showed more character than many people in this world these last few weeks.
He was one of my music heroes as a teenager, but these past few weeks I have admired him as an adult even more than as a young rocker wannabe.
Holly is the best fundraiser in the history of the show. Bret is one of the best people in the history of the show. His heart shone through from day one.
Trump has been called heartless, but if he was, he would have picked Holly. Some will say that he would have faced a torrent of media criticism, but Trump has never shied away from making unpopular decisions.
I think that even though he has made his life engaging in projects to make money, he was genuinely moved by Bret Michaels.
I know I was.
I can’t wait to meet Bret Michaels one day and thank him. He has no idea what his music did for me as a kid.
I have said many prayers for him.
Trump got it right, and Bret Michaels will hopefully rock on for years to come.
The tears flowed from many, but as Bret reminded us in Poison’s first song, you gotta “Cry Tough.”
Nice job Mr, Trump.
Very classy Holly.
Rock on always Bret. God bless.
eric
Damn, you almost had me in tears.
Wishing Bret the best
Though never a fan of Michaels, Poison, Donald Trump, or any other useless self-promoters, I was certainly das to read about what Bret’s been going through. I never hated Bret, I was just ambivalent. But I’m not ambivalent about human suffering. The guys been through a truly reough stretch – his daughter diagnosed with diabetes, then Bret suffering an aneurism, a stroke… jeez! What a strech! I wish him well and hope he fuly recovers. I hope someday that people like Bret, but not so famous and wealthy, will be shown the same compassion for their ails even though they may well have brought them on themseves.
JMJ
“Though never a fan of Michaels, Poison, Donald Trump, or any other useless self-promoters, ‘
then you must freaking hate Obamas guts