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What do you get the man who has everything? Hit records, a literal harem of reality-show women, a vast collection of bandannas and motorcycles — and it’s still not enough for Bret Michaels. You would think Poison’s 1988 power ballad “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” would be the high point of Michaels’ career, which it was — up until July 2007. That, of course, is when the utterly magnificent Rock of Love with Bret Michaels debuted on VH1, ushering in a new generation of Michaels fans — ones too young to have, when the world was a simpler place, teased their Jersey-girl hair and donned neon, zebra-print spandex on the Sunset Strip every Friday night. Hair metal has been dead for nearly two decades, yet Bret Michaels is still touring extensively behind his solo records. His fan base now comprises soccer moms who once had a wild side (not to mention a mountain of hair) and 20-somethings who watched every episode of Rock of Love, hoping for a chance to party with Michaels. Somewhere, Michaels is cracking a sly smile — not to mention a bottle of whiskey.
