Bret Michaels recently shared the story behind Poison’s guitarist audition process in the 1980s, revealing how the band chose C.C. DeVille over Slash, as reported by 107.3 The Eagle.
The Poison frontman reflected on the difficult circumstances the band faced during their early days in Los Angeles and the decision-making process that led to their final lineup.
“So here’s the story. We were living behind a dry cleaner so we could rehearse in downtown Los Angeles. And our first guitar player, Matt [Smith], was out there with us. We had no money. We were living on sleeping bags on the floor. I can’t make any of this up. I won’t embellish anything. We were living in sleeping bags, dry cleaner, downtown L.A.,” Michaels said.
He explained that their original guitarist, Matt Smith, left the band to support his pregnant girlfriend, which prompted the audition process.
“Our guitar player’s girlfriend had been out with us for a little bit. She was pregnant, and Matt did the right thing. We had no money. There’s no way they could have existed the way we were living. And he did the right thing as a good human being and went home. And so we started auditioning — Rikki [Rockett, Poison drummer], Bobby [Dall, Poison bassist] and myself — and the three guitar players that came down… There was a ton of ’em, ’cause Poison was a popular band on the club scene,” he continued.
Michaels revealed that the final decision came down to three guitarists, including the future Guns N’ Roses legend.
“But back then, you’re not making anything; you’re surviving. And that didn’t stop us. And the truth is, it came down to Slash, a guy named Steve Silva at that time that was playing with The Joe Perry Project, who was great. Slash was great, and C.C. [DeVille, current Poison guitarist]. And each of ’em learned a couple of the songs we had written,” Michaels said.
The band held a vote to make their final decision. Michaels himself was torn between the two finalists.
“And we had a band vote, and I was on the fence between Slash and C.C. I was on the fence. I’m, like, ‘But Slash has this style, and C.C. has this style.’ But in the end it worked out incredibly great for both Guns N’ Roses and Poison,” he concluded.
The decision ultimately shaped the trajectories of both iconic rock bands. Each guitarist found massive success with their respective groups.
This pivotal moment in rock history reveals the complex dynamics that influenced Poison’s final lineup decision and how close the band came to having a completely different sound.
Ultimate Classic Rock noted that while Michaels initially favored Slash and was impressed by his playing, other band members Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett preferred C.C. DeVille. The band also wanted an East Coast guitarist, which influenced their decision to choose DeVille over Slash.
The audition process itself was unconventional. WMMR reported that C.C. DeVille initially clashed with the band during his audition because he barely learned their existing songs and instead pushed his own material, including a song called “Talk Dirty to Me.” This bold move ultimately paid off. The track became one of Poison’s biggest hits, reaching number 9 on the Billboard charts.
Beyond musical considerations, image played a significant role in the final decision. Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted that Slash did not fit Poison’s glam metal aesthetic and eventually bowed out on his own, as he disliked the glam image the band embraced. This stylistic difference would later define the contrasting identities of Poison and Guns N’ Roses.
The choice of C.C. DeVille proved instrumental to Poison’s commercial success. Vocal Media detailed that DeVille’s contribution of “Talk Dirty to Me” played a significant role in the band’s early success, including their multi-platinum albums “Look What the Cat Dragged In” (1986) and “Open Up and Say… Ahh!” (1988). The decision, while difficult at the time, ultimately allowed both guitarists to find their perfect musical homes and contribute to defining the sound of 1980s rock music.
