Glam metal band Poison started out life with the rather more cultured name Paris, before switching to a name reflective of the moral panic some parents suffered about rock music. Famously, the band held auditions for a guitarist during which they rejected Slash, who would go on to stardom with Guns N' Roses. The guitarist they chose, C. C. DeVille, won the gig thanks to his performance of "Talk Dirty To Me", which later became a hit from their debut album. Look What The Cat Dragged In (1986) sold two million copies, and also featured "I Want Action" and "I Won't Forget You". Open Up And Say…Ahh! was even more successful, selling around eight million albums worldwide, largely thanks to the success of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". The song was the group's first and only Hot 100 chart-topper, and did well internationally too. Flesh and Blood (1990) featured the hits "Unskinny Bop" and "Something to Believe In", but in 1991 the band went through changes when DeVille was sacked. His various substance addictions had caused sloppy performances and arguments within the group, culminating in a fist-fight between him and singer Bret Michaels. Without DeVille's hedonistic influence, Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue (1993), saw new guitarist Richie Kotzen strike a more serious tone with the music. It wasn't too popular with fans, who were mostly pleased when Kotzen was sacked from the band after he became involved with drummer Rikki Rocket's former fiancée.
While recording next album Crack A Smile, Michaels was involved in a serious car crash. After a long recovery, Poison's label Capitol decided they'd rather issue a Greatest Hits album instead of continuing to pay for sessions for the new record. In 1999, Michaels and DeVille reunited and the original Poison line-up toured their greatest hits. The tour was hugely popular and prompted Capitol to finally release Crack A Smile…And More! in 2000, to the delight of fans who declared it one of their best ever albums. With DeVille now back in the band full-time, Poison released Power To The People (2000) and Hollyweird (2002). Poison continue to tour and are planning a new album soon.
