When you think of the name Bret Michaels, it’s not uncommon for your mind to immediately gravitate toward his 80’s rocker party image with the hair, the tattoos and the many headlines that would follow over the past few decades. He has seen it all over the duration of his career. With three seasons under his belt of his reality TV dating show, Rock of Love, and years spent burning up the road all over the world both as the frontman to Poison and with his own successful solo career, there is no question that Bret Michaels is a complete rockstar.

However, while all of those components are all part of who makes up the man, the myth and the legend who is Bret Michaels, some may not realize the incredible heart also behind that same man. As someone who has been privileged enough in my own career to get to see the Bret out of the spotlight over the years, I can assure you, his heart is as big as they get.

“One of the most fun battles I have is when you battle that image between rockstar and explaining to people where I come from – that I am truly one of those people where I am sincere,” Bret explains to Tunes Magazine. “It’s true. It’s real. I take full responsibility of the also crazy side,” he is quick to add with laughter. “I want to make sure I’m not denying that crazy side that likes to have fun. I don’t deny it, but at the same time, the real me is sincere. You know me … If your car broke down somewhere along the road and we were near you or in town, I’d come get you. I mean that for real. It’s tough to explain to people.”

Perhaps with the release of Bret’s new Auto-scrap-ography: My Life’s Scrapbook in Pictures & Stories, fans will get a better idea of the whole picture … literally. The book, being released as the first of three volumes, is a picturesque journey through the singer’s life dating as far back as birth. “I’m one of the few humans born butt cheeks first,” laughs Bret. “They couldn’t flip me around, so I came out breech. That’s how the whole thing starts, and then boom – you’re into the book.”

Throughout the book, Bret shares stories and personal photographs of many untold stories from over the years including a near fatal run-in with the wrong group of guys at age 16, another near-death experience where he came close to drowning off the shores of Venezuela after going out for an afternoon swim and reflecting on the Malibu fires in 1993 which came close to burning his home to the ground. 

“Hands down, this is not a traditional autobiography,” Bret says, smiling. “What I wanted to create was basically a scrapbook diary, but real stories that was completely written by me, and I would go in and find the photos and literally scotch tape them to the piece of paper … this photo’s got to go with this story. Every picture tells a story, and every single story has a picture to time-stamp the moment. It may be a combination of OCD and some other things, but I’ve managed to focus it and make it make sense [laughter]. It’s a good, fun read with a lot of photos.”

While the Auto-scrap-ography was announced prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bret couldn’t be more pleased with the timing of the book’s release in a world where happiness and fun is desperately needed. “The world is jonesing for hope right now,” Bret says. “Health comes first. I want to be adamant about that – safety and health. But the world is hoping for the media to show us things we can do as we live. So I hope this book helps people find that joy right now.”

Plans are already in the works for both Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 of the series. “And who knows,” Bret says with a grin, “it may continue from there!”

Pre-sales of Bret’s Auto-scrap-ography sold out in record time, so prior to printing the next batch, Bret was able to add in a few more current bits of information, including his recent run on FOX’s The Masked Singer, which he had a successful run withas the beloved Banana in Season 3.

“The show is great with the performances, the masks and the singing, but I’m an amateur detective in my mind,” Bret says. “Watching the first two seasons, I was always like wait a minute … let me see, arm size, no … too tall, can’t be them … you know what I’m getting at? I would listen to voices that I thought I was positive I knew who it was, and then they would do something that would throw me off.”

Being part of the show was a whole new experience for Bret, which he admits wasn’t always the easiest, especially when he would see familiar faces backstage in the hallway. “The toughest part of the show was not the sweaty outfit; the toughest part of the show was not being able to speak to people,” he laughs. “It drove me crazy. I’d walk past people who I’ve known for 20 years, and they had no clue it was me. I wanted to give them a hug and be like, ‘Hey, it’s Bret, how have you been?!’

“It’s complete secret service when you walk around,” he adds with laughter. “From the moment you leave your house, you are completely Darth Vador masked. You can’t expose any skin … no hands, no ankles. You’re in all black. It was wild. The whole experience was incredible, and I am so thankful I was able to finally make it work.”  

As far as new music goes, Bret has continuously been writing and recording demos over quarantine so when it’s time to hit the studio once again, he will be prepared to give his fans some new tunes. “I’ve got more demos on my phone that I could probably do one of those 1,000-song boxsets [laughs]. I’m always working on music,” he says, revealing that one he just finished titled “Time” will be coming soon. “I can’t wait for people to hear it.”

In the meantime, fans can check out the video for “Unbroken,” which Bret recorded with his now 16-year-old daughter Jorja. “That song will lift your soul,” says the proud father of two, which also includes his 21-year-old Sports Illustrated swimsuit model daughter, Raine. “I’m just crazy proud of both of them!”

While tour plans for 2020 didn’t quite pan out the way Bret had hoped for his stadium trek with Poison, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, he eagerly awaits the moment when he can reunite with his friends, family and fans on the road coast-to-coast. 

“When it’s healthy and safe for the fans, the bands and the crew, I will be out on the stadium tour and solo tour. So when we know everyone’s good, that will go,” says Bret. “You know me … I’m a road dog. I will be traveling hard and heavy!” 

The stadium tour is now slated to kick off on June 16, 2022 in Atlanta, GA and continue on through September 2022. Bret’s solo dates are expected to filter in around the same time frame. 

Until then, his continued focus on his health in check after a rocky run with various complications over the past several years. Bret’s managed to remain in top shape amidst the unprecedented times the nation is facing, especially as a Type 1 diabetic. “All things considered, I am rockin’ right along,” he beams, hopeful things will return to normal in the near future. “And I say that not just physically, but mentally, too! I can’t wait to get back out there on the road and be on stage and with my fans. And I promise you, nobody is more ready for that moment than me!”