Sitting down to write this article is very personal to me. You see, Poison helped to give me my start in photography. Back in 1988 the band was opening for David Lee Roth and preparing for their first headline tour. They saw my photography and offered a hometown girl the opportunity to go on the road with them for a few days and take photographs. To this day, I remember those days with the band. I got the opportunity to know Bret and he is truly one of the most down to earth, nicest people you will ever meet. That has never changed over the years.
He recently did an interview with Lancaster Connects. Bret talked extensively about Central Pennsylvania and how much he loves coming back home. Of all the dates on his current Parti-Gras tour, the upcoming show at Hollywood Casino, Penn National Race Course on August 26th will be the biggest show of the tour. He plan on celebrating ‘all things Central PA’, including brining some of the bands that he grew up with here on stage to sing some Poison songs. As Bret stated, he will bring his “circus of awesomeness” home. He explained that this concert will not just be about playing music. Instead he is “building out an experience”. He shared how much he loves to see people having a good time. He mentioned that he wants to “celebrate people up”.
When asked when he knew that his dreams and talent were meant for big things, Bret shared that he always had the dream, but was also a realist. He learned to bet on himself. In March of 1984, Bret and the band decided to bet on themselves and go to LA. They loaded up a Chevette and Ford Pickup Truck and off they went. They lived behind a dry cleaner, sleeping in sleeping bags. They played all of the hot LA spots where bands got signed, yet Poison did not get signed. Bret stated it was the best thing that ever happened, because they created their own record label ‘Cyanide Recording’ with Enigma and retained all of their publishing rights. Believe it or not, the band themselves actually shrink wrapped many of the albums and cassettes for Look What the Cat Dragged In!
Listening to the interview, the one thing that stood out is that Bret believes in giving back. He was diagnosed at age 6 with Type 1 diabetes. During that time, friends and family learned what to do to support him and his family. This, along with the examples from his Mother and Father taught him to be grateful and to always give back. Bret shared some of his “Nuggets” for success: 1) Passion 2) Bet on yourself 3) Gratitude and 4)Refuse to carry bitterness.
Bret has a special place in his heart for our Veterans and Hometown Heroes. Hometown Heroes are the EMT, police, firefighters, nurse/hospital workers, teachers, and utility workers. Bret’s entire family has either served in, or is serving in the military. To honor these folks, Bret has given the Lancaster Connects community 10 pairs of tickets reserved for Hometown Heroes and 10 pairs for Veterans, along with a special VIP experience. The winners will be determined by the photo with the most likes or hearts, and they will be doing a drawing every week live on Mondays at 2pm up until August 7th. The first ticket drawing will take place on July 10th, and listeners are encouraged to share their entry on social media for more chances to win. All Contest Details Can Be Found Here: https://lancasterconnects.com/contest/ Photo Contest For Veterans: https://lancasterconnects.com/vets Photo Contest For Hometown Heroes: https://lancasterconnects.com/hero
The show is selling fast. Tickets to Parti-Gras on 8/26/23 – Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Grantville, PA may be purchased here :https://www.bandsintown.com/e/104445859
Watch the Lancaster Connects interview with Bret here: Lancaster_Connects_Bret_Michaels
