Bret Michaels: From 'Billboard' to Boardroom

'DIRTY' CLEANS UP With Bret Michaels on lead vocals, L.A. hair metal band Poison released its debut album, Look What The Cast Dragged In in 1986. The multiplatinum effort included hits like ''Talk Dirty To Me,'' ''I Want Action,'' and ''I Won't Forget You.'' —Dan Snierson

'GOOD TIME' BAND Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988) stands as Poison's best-selling album, going platinum eight times. In addition to fist-pumping hits like ''Nothin' But a Good Time'' and ''Fallen Angel,'' Open Up offered up the wildly popular ballad ''Every Rose Has Its Thorn.'' —DS

'UNSKINNY' GOES OVER BIG The band's third album, 1990's Flesh and Blood, went on to sell more than 7 million copies, thanks to hits like ''Unskinny Bop,'' ''Ride the Wind,'' and the ballad ''Something to Believe In.'' —DS

A STUD...AND HIS HORSE Soon after hitting it big on the charts, Michaels began hitting it big with the ladies, establishing himself as one of glam rock's most eligible sex symbols. It was a persona that would follow him well into his 40s, when women continued fighting for his affections. — Kate Ward

ROCK AND ROLE Michaels launched a solo career in 1998 with A Letter From Death Row. He also directed, wrote, and starred in a movie of the same name, which featured appearances by Martin and Charlie Sheen. — DS

Watch the trailer for A Letter From Death Row here

COUNTRY COMFORT After focusing on rock for nearly two decades, Michaels switched gears in 2005, recording a country album titled Freedom of Sound. The album included a country version of ''Every Rose Has Its Thorn,'' but garnered more attention for "All I Ever Needed," a single recorded with singer Jessica Andrews that found its way onto the Billboard charts. — KW

REALITY...WHAT A CONCEPT! Michaels got his first taste of reality stardom as a judge on Nashville Star, CMT's answer to American Idol. The gig might not have won him fame of Simon Cowell proportions, but it paved the way for Michaels' future reality TV career, which took off when he accepted an offer to star in...— KW

'ROCK OF LOVE' In 2007, VH1 announced that Michaels was to star in a Bachelor-esque series, Rock of Love. He didn't quite find his rock — winner Jes Rickleff had left him by the time of the series' reunion show — but he found an audience: The finale of the first season attracted a whopping 5.4 million viewers, and cleared the path for a season 2, which also proved to be a hit. — KW

'BUS'? STOP! After his relationship with season 2 winner Ambre Lake didn't work out, Michaels decided to take his show on the road, transforming Rock of Love into Rock of Love Bus. And the rebranded series had wheels: Rock of Love Bus scored rockin' ratings for VH1, and Michaels scored with Penthouse model Taya Parker, who he crowned the winner. Their relationship, however, didn't last long, and Michaels declared his days of TV dating over. — KW

TONY AWARDS ACCIDENT Michaels had a great time performing ''Nuthin' but a Good Time'' — a song used in the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages — at the 2009 Tonys...until he suffered a fractured nose and cut lip when a portion of the set knocked him on the head. — KW

TRUMP CARD Bret Michaels' days of looking for love in front of a television audience might have been over, but the musician was hardly finished with reality TV. He decided to flex his business muscles on the third season of The Celebrity Apprentice, where he played for his charity, the American Diabetes Association, making it to the final two. — KW

MEETING WITH MILEY After the rocker rubbed elbows with the Donald, he collaborated with yet another big name: Miley Cyrus, who had already covered Poison's ''Every Rose Has Its Thorn.'' The two recorded a duet, ''Nothing To Lose.'' — K.W.

GIVING BACK Michaels, a diabetic, has been passionate about giving back to organizations dedicated to research of the disease. The musician, who played for the American Diabetes Association on The Celebrity Apprentice, even earned a ''Father of the Year'' award from the organization. (The rocker has two daughters, Raine Elizabeth Sychak and Jorja Bleu Sychak.) —KW