FROM THE ARCHIVES: Poison's Bret Michaels (2003) interview with Darren Paltrowitz

Bret Michaels first found international fame as the frontman of Poison in the mid-1980s. Poison's string of mainstream hits continued into the early 1990s, and the band found a secondwave of success after reforming in the late 1990s with guitarist C.C. DeVille. Michaels found success outside of a Poison as the star of the VH1 series "Rock Of Love," a cast member on "The Apprentice," an author, an entrepreneur and also a solo artist. In fact, one can argue that the mid-2000s brought Michaels more mainstream recognition than he had ever had before.

In 2003 -- 4 years before "Rock Of Love" premiered -- I had the pleasure of interviewing Bret Michaels about his then-new album "Songs Of Life," the upcoming Poison summer tour, and other then-upcoming projects. That led to discussion about his then-3-year-old daughter Raine, charitable causes he was passionate about, and where he saw Poison eventually heading.

Were my interviewer skills as an 20 or 21-year-old great? Nope.

But Bret was indeed patient with me, and it was a pleasure to speak with an entertainer whose work I have enjoyed for decades.