Bret Michaels on the Foo Fighters, Being the Susan Lucci of Rock and Roll, and Drealism

Supporting them is something close to Michaels' heart, though he says, "In no way, shape or form am I going out promoting a warmonger; that's not my thing." Rather, he notes, "I'm just extremely grateful to our troops and the sacrifices they make." His entire family has served at some point or another, including his father and cousin Bobby who goes on the road with him and has two Purple Hearts from Vietnam.

A few months ago, Bret performed with Poison who opened for Motley Crue. He's now touring solo. He enjoys both playing with the band and alone. "I love them both." he assured. "I am extremely thankful. We all grew up as friends. We've had a long and great career together." Even through ups and downs, "We all respect each other and have a great time."

When he tours alone, he doesn't leave out the Poison hits, but he offers his own twist to each. He intersperses the older songs with classic rock covers and solo work. The crowds are multi-generational and he calls the shows "a party."

A Big Foo Fighters fan, he really related to Dave Grohl's Grammy speech. Of his and Grohl's style, he says "I don't want to say old school, I'll say real school." During shows, he pointed out, "I still go on a stage, I have no in-ears, I still use the monitors. I've got no click track, no Pro Tools. There's nothing going on but our band playing. It's truly a raw experience."

Creating music on the spot makes it special. "It's always a different show. Anything can happen, and I think that's what makes rock and roll fly by the seat of your pants." But he doesn't judge other artists who use the help of technology. "I realize that a lot of pop art is more about the visual than the music. And it's not a disrespect, but a lot of their show is pre-programmed, and I get it because they're doing dance moves. A lot of audiences love that." But when it comes to rock and roll and country, he firmly believes it should be kept real. 

Michaels headlined the The Grammy Foundation's live music kick-off party. Even though he hasn't snagged a Grammy yet, "Eventually, it's coming," he joked, "I'm the Susan Lucci of rock and roll."

That's not all Michaels has been up to. He's got a line with Pet Smart called the Pets Rock collection. They approached him about the project. "They know I love pets, they're based out of Scottsdale, Arizona where I'm from." Apparently, it's a huge success. Michaels is a big animal lover. His first pet was a German shepherd he named Parcus Aurilicus. "I've got like a zillion Polaroid pictures of me in the worst bell bottom pants ever, hugging my big German shepherd dog." Since then, he moved on to a guinea pig, a garden snake, and now he owns horses and other dogs, "You name it, I've got it."

He's very appreciative of those who have supported him along the way. When breaking out to do solo work, he found a partner in the Hard Rock casinos. "Much love and respect to the Seminole Indian tribe, who's taken a lot of chances on me, and we've had much success over the years at the Hard Rock venues," he says.

It's also Michaels who takes a lot of chances, and drealist that he is, he's made life a busy and rewarding one for himself and many others.