Bret Michaels

[Erika]

http://www.tvfunspot.com/forums/images/realityshows/celebrityapprentice3/bret.jpg

Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels is, if nothing else, a true survivor. He has survived a life-long battle as an insulin-dependent diabetic, a well-publicized near-fatal car crash and the countless musical trends and fads of the last two decades.
The 46-year-old award-winning, multi-platinum superstar singer, songwriter, producer, director and actor has been in the business for over 20 years and continues to move at warp speed.

Michaels' "Rock of Love" television series is one of the most successful in VH1's history. With three record-breaking seasons under his belt, Michaels is currently embarking on several other television projects, including the upcoming "Bret Michaels Show."

As front man for the legendary rock band Poison, Michaels has sold 25 million records and scored an amazing 15 chartbusting Top 40 singles including "Talk Dirty to Me," "Something to Believe In," "Nothing But a Good Time" and the timeless #1 smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," which he is currently in the studio re-recording with Miley Cyrus and producer John Shanks for her upcoming album.

In the new millennium, Poison's music has been featured in such big screen flicks as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Grandma's Boy" and "Deuce Bigelow-European Gigolo." They continue to be one of the industry's top-grossing concert attractions and their "20 Years of Rock" CD was a bona fide Top 20 smash.

Michaels has also produced and written material for other artists, including Stevie Nicks. He wrote and produced the song "Love's a Hard Game to Play" which appeared on Nicks' platinum album "Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks." More recently Michaels could be heard providing background vocals along with Phil Vassar on the Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker duet single "Last Night Again."

Always creating, Michaels formed a film production company with actor Charlie Sheen. The partnership ultimately led to Michaels' writing, directing and starring in several films including "A Letter from Death Row" which he executive co-produced with Sheen.

As an actor, Michaels has made regular appearances on such hit television shows as "Yes Dear," "Martial Law," "The Chris Isaak Show" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics." He has also co-hosted "Access Hollywood" and been a judge on the wildly popular "Nashville Star" program.

Setting his musical sights beyond Poison, Michaels released his debut solo album "Songs of Life" in 2003 followed by the Americana flavored sophomore record "Freedom of Sound" in 2005 and "Rock My World" featuring the smash hit "Go That Far" in 2008.

Michaels will release his autobiography, "Roses and Thorns: The Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy to My Reality" in 2010. He also tours constantly with his solo band.
"I would play music whether I made it in the industry or not," Michaels told a journalist and it's that commitment to his art that continues to keep him at the forefront of the entertainment industry.

Question and Answers
1. What are your weaknesses? 1. A confident, sexy, smart, beautiful woman...2. Always late. 3. A sucker for my daughters.
2. Are you a team player or more of a lone leader? I am very loyal and try to be a respectful team player, but I am also very good at getting stuff done on my own.
3. Is there anything you won't do to get your way? Sell somebody out. I would handle it my way.
4. How do your past experiences differ from the other contestants and how will this help you win? My passion and my drive are unstoppable, however my occasional moments of common sense, street smarts and people skills help.
5. Do you think your public persona will help or hurt you in some of the challenges? Both.
6. How do you feel about Donald Trump? Smart, confident, funny with an uncanny ability to be both businessman and celebrity.
7. How up to date are you in pop culture and current affairs? (Note-answer has intentional humor) Molly Hatchet's new album rocks.
8. What is your favorite part about business: the money, the people, or the marketing/ad campaigns? All of the above for different reasons.
9. Do you think formal education will play a big role in this competition? I hope not. I only made it to the 11th grade... Yes I have a GED and street smarts.
10. Would people describe you as self-disciplined or a loose cannon? A loose cannon with a method to my madness.

Source: NBC.com

[Alrak]

As much as I like Brett and I wanted him to pull off a win tonight I just don't see him lasting very long in that shark tank called the boardroom. He is a hard worker and may help with the challenges but the first time he shows a weakness they will eat him alive.

[alexandra]

I think his team is judging him too much on his appearance and I don't see why they don't respect him after his team won while being PM. I think he is willing to work hard and has some good creative ideas.

[kungfuhippie]

He's pretty insane, but he does have some good ideas. Hes just so nervous and self concious.
I sort of like him though. I'm surprised you do Alrak, since he's really just a male version of Pamela Anderson :lol

[Erika]

Bret Michaels hospitalized after `warning stroke'

By SANDY COHEN
The Associated Press
Friday, May 21, 2010 6:16 AM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bret Michaels is back in the hospital.
The rocker and reality TV star suffered what doctors call a "warning stroke" and has been diagnosed with a patent forum ovale, or hole in the heart, according to a report Thursday on his website. Michaels' publicist, Joann Mignano, confirmed the report.

Michaels was hospitalized after experiencing numbness on the left side of his body, particularly in his face and hands.

Doctors said the condition is operable and treatable and likely unrelated to the brain hemorrhage the 47-year-old suffered last month.

Michaels' neurosurgeon said that while the Poison frontman has a "fantastic attitude" about making a full recovery, "Bret's brain and body are not quite 100 percent yet, especially with the hole found in his heart."
Additional tests were being conducted to determine the best course of treatment. Doctors said Michaels is currently being treated with a daily injection of a blood thinner to reduce the risk of clots.

His website said Michaels was "up, walking, talking, continuing his daily rehab and very happy to be alive."

"He has made it clear he is sick and tired of being in the hospital and is ready to rock again," the site says.

Michaels was expected to appear at Sunday's finale of Donald Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" in New York. NBC said in a statement that the network is "cautiously optimistic" that Michaels can attend the live season finale.

"Ultimately, it's up to Bret and his doctors if he should attend," the statement said.

In the episode, Trump's boardroom revelation of the winner will air live. The rest of the show was taped last year, including the final challenge segment.
———
Online:
Bret Michaels, www.bretmichaels.com (http://www.bretmichaels.com/)
———
AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report.

Source: AP

[toque]

Hopefully this is the incentive he needs to slooooow down. I understand he wants to continue off of the success of the apprentice, etc. but planning a tour as early as he was just didn't seem like a good idea. :(

[AIW]

Goodness, I wish him all the best. I'm glad the Apprentice has been able to show a different side of him, apart from his Rock of Love days.

The Apprentice is in between and rock and a hard place with this finale!

[toque]

:giggle Good one, AIW!

[Alrak]

He's pretty insane, but he does have some good ideas. Hes just so nervous and self concious.
I sort of like him though. I'm surprised you do Alrak, since he's really just a male version of Pamela Anderson :lol

OMG How dare you !!!
Ok So he has long blond hair..and it might even be dyed :raisebrow...and I concede that he wears too much eye make-up:p..but thats were I draw the line. :noway

[Bambi]

LOL Alrak and KF!!! I never even knew who he was (since my music is strictly 40's to the early 70's), until I saw that Rock of Love show. And then as I do now, anybody who has a show on MTV or VH1, really just want's to make more money!:)

After Apprentice, I have much more respect for him than I did before while watching him in Rock of Love. And, with the bands I grew up with in the 60's, the long hair doesn't bother me a bit and the makeup, well one of my favorites is and always will be, "cough, cough", David Bowie. Talk about eye makeup! :giggle

I hope he recovers from all these health problems.

[Erika]

'Celebrity Apprentice' champ Bret Michaels: I thought I was being fired



By Christopher Rocchio, 05/24/2010

After a month of major medical problems including an emergency appendectomy, a massive brain hemorrhage, and a warning stroke that revealed a hole in his heart, Bret Michaels attended last night's live The Celebrity Apprentice finale with the goal of winning -- however he thought Donald Trump was going to fire him.
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http://aa.realitytvworld.com/x/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=7&n=a6e526b8"In your heart you go out there to win," said Michaels during a Monday appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly.

"At the end of it, when he looked over -- I know his pattern from the boardroom -- he went boom, boom, boom and I went, 'Oh my god, he's going to fire me.' I'm like, 'I have a hole in my heart, this is going to be bad. I'm on medication, you can't do this to me!'"

Instead, the former Rock of Love star and Poison frontman was crowned The Celebrity Apprentice's third-season winner when Trump decided to hire him over actress Holly Robinson Peete.

"It took me a minute. It was live TV, so I'm like, 'I'm just going to act like I won,'" said Michaels, explaining he was initially unsure if Trump told him he was hired or fired.

"It was the hardest, best work I've ever done. I was happy to do it."

Even without taking into consideration that he was readmitted to the hospital last week following the warning stroke, Michaels said he thought the subarachnoid hemorrhage he suffered on April 21 would have prevented him from attending the live finale.

"When I had the hemorrhage, I thought it was over. At that point, it was three days until I came out of the semi-coma, whatever condition I was in. It was a week later until I was up and moving and walking," said Michaels during a Monday morning appearance on NBC's Today.

"I was so happy to have been there and I set my goal on it. Then last week I had this little mini stroke and I've got to be honest, in all my life I never thought about the hemorrhage, anything."

Michaels said his neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Zabramski advised him against attending the finale.

"The doctors said, 'It's not very smart to be here,' but I'm not a very smart guy in that capacity," said Michaels on Today.

"Dr. Zabramski -- who who's been with me since the beginning -- said, 'I've got to tell you that I don't think it's a great idea that you go there. It's a high risk.' I was kidding, but I said, 'With the luck I've been having, it seems like getting out of a chair is a risk lately.' So I really knew that I wanted to be there."

Despite all of his recent medical problems, Michaels' doctors have told him that they are not connected.

"Here was the scariest part for me. When I had the emergency appendectomy, I thought, 'That's a lot of pain.' But it's an appendectomy. You get it done, you move on," he explained on Today.

"But I think the 40 years of diabetes and some complications with the wear and tear of your body's internal organs. Maybe it's a domino effect."

The latest domino to fall was the warning stroke that revealed the hole in his heart, and Michaels said that was frightening since he thought his heart was healthy.

"When I went into the hospital again this last week, the strangest thing is the last test they did was for a hole in the heart," he said on Today.

"I was sitting there and I go, 'There's nothing wrong with my heart. I'm great.' You know when you look at somebody and their eyes get all serious, they were showing me on the ultrasound the air passing through my heart. I'm like, 'You've got to be kidding me.' I laugh about a lot of things, it's how I sort of defend myself. But that was pretty scary."

Despite the fact that he's "not back 100% yet," Michaels said he's "very driven" and plans to hit the road this weekend to continue his concert tour with a stop in Mississippi.

"I don't know that I'm ready yet and I'm going to take it in baby steps. I'm going to do a show and see how it goes," he said on Today.

"I've had so many amazing fans -- generations of fans for so many years. I've got to be honest with you, I'm ready to get out of the hospital and on the road. I don't want to be back in the hospital."

Due to all of the medications he's currently taking, Michaels will have to wait until the fall to have an operation to repair the hole in his heart. In the meantime, he's happy that he was able to finish what he started on The Celebrity Apprentice.

"When I went in there to do the show, I was committed 100%," he told Today.

"There's no other way to go onto The Celebrity Apprentice because everyone there is an A-type personality, everybody wants to win for their cause. I went in there and I had no intention to hurt anybody, My intention was to do the best job I could do."

Source: RTVW

[AIW]

What I liked so much about Brett was that he was good, and he was good without playing dirty. Both of the past winners played a little dirty, as did Holly.