For many of Poison's contemporaries in the early '90s, this meant trading in the leather chaps and scarves for the laid-off factory worker/woodsman look. But for Poison, that was really not an option. "With rock 'n' roll, we've always embraced what came along," Michaels says. "If you're passionate about what you do, then you stick to your guns and don't run around chasing everything, because then you just look like a dog chasing its tail."
Years later, the fickle public would embrace all things '80s, and a revival of sorts would happen for the hair bands of their day. Poison has continued playing sold-out arenas and plans to tour from 2005 until 2010 to celebrate its 20-year anniversary. But for now, Michaels is hitting the open road solo on the "Songs of Life" tour. "Playing in a club is absolutely a thrill for me," Michaels says. "I want it to be intimate. I want it to be the fans sweaty and up close."