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Private Notes
Bret Michaels and his band of brothers left home in Pennsylvania with a rock-n-roll dream and a desire to taste the good life on L.A's notorious Sunset Strip. It was the 80's, hair metal was thriving and Poison soon exploded onto the scene. Living fast and partying hard, Bret took decadence to a new level. Drugs, booze, women and more women -- anything and everything happened. A diabetic, Bret's self indulgence took its toll, but not even collapsing on stage could slow him down. The lifestyle also cost Bret a valued romantic relationship (he turned his heartbreak into the hit power ballad "Every Rose Has It's Thorn") and a trusted friendship, as he and bandmate CC Deville came to legendary blows. One of the biggest groups of their time, Poison soon crashed and burned. Bret then turned to the bottle and, driving under the influence, nearly lost his life after a brutal crash. This served as a wake up call and Bret cleaned himself up, starting a successful solo career and even dabbling in film production, writing and starring in 1997's "A Letter From Death Row." Making amends with a now sober CC Deville, Bret triumphantly reunited with Poison but the best was yet to come. In 2007, he starred in his own reality show, VH1's "Rock of Love." Over the course of three plus seasons, Bret showed fans a different side of him and once again skyrocketed into a mainstream star, completing a long and turbulent road living in and out of the spotlight.
Scarred by her parents divorce, Pink (who grew up Alecia Moore) was a troubled, angst-ridden teenager who rebelled against authority, experimented with drugs and often ran away from home. Music was her one salvation, and after toiling underage in the rough and dangerous Philadelphia club scene, she caught her first break. Joining the all female R-n-B group Choice, Pink soon broke out on her own and became a bonafied pop star. But she was hardly satisfied. Determined not to be boxed in and stereotyped, she went against the wishes of her record label, collaborated with childhood idol Linda Perry, and delivered Misundastood, a defining record that started her evolution as a thoughtful and expressive songwriter. She also found love with motocross star Carey Hart and their turbulent on again / off again relationship became the fuel for the most emotional and cathartic songwriting of her career. Now 30 years old, Pink has come to grips with the demons that haunted her youth, repaired the relationships that damaged her past and is primed to continue breaking new ground as a songwriter.
Growing up in the tough, poverty stricken projects of Roxbury, MA, Bobby Brown was a bad boy from the start. He experimented with drugs and idolized the gang leaders who ruled the neighborhood. He was also enormously talented. A naturally gifted singer and dancer, he became a child superstar with New Edition and lived the good life, travelling the world and enjoying the spoils of success. But Bobby quickly grew tired of New Edition's squeaky clean image and began to rebel. He wanted a tougher image, more control, and to be the undisputed lead singer. Tensions soon boiled over and Bobby was kicked out of the group. This hardly slowed him down. He thrived as a solo artist and behind the smash single, "My Prerogative," took his success to new heights. Bobby lived life fast, spending his money on women and a growing cocaine habit. And then he met Whitney Houston. When the Bad Boy of R-n-B married America's Pop Princess, it became instant headlines. Bobby soon retreated from the spotlight, deferring to his wife's career, and found himself mired in an increasingly nasty drug habit, feeling "alone." His well documented and turbulent relationship with Whitney quickly deteriorated and when they divorced, Bobby was left with nothing. His life continued to spiral out of control; the low point coming when video vixen Karrine Stephans filmed him passed out on her couch and released the clip on the internet. Humiliated, Bobby slowly began to pickup the pieces, got clean and sober, and resurrected himself with a stirring performance on the CMT reality series, "Gone Country." Inspired to be on stage again, Bobby is now back together with former New Edition members Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gil in a group they call Heads of State. Bobby also has a new romantic interest, welcomed a baby boy into the world in 2009 and, perhaps most importantly, is at peace with himself.
T.I, aka Clifford Harris Jr, grew up on the tough streets of Atlanta's Bankhead neighborhood, an area filled with crime, violence and drugs. By the time he was 18, he was a high school dropout who was behind bars for dealing crack.
Stuck in a cell, he channeled his frustration and sadness into rhymes, talking about "life in the trap." Paroled, he quickly turned those rhymes into a rap career and inked a deal with LaFace Records. But after his first album flopped, he was dumped from the label and was back to square one. This time, T.I took to the streets with his own independent mix tapes and generated enough buzz to get a second chance. Signing a new deal with Atlantic Records, he broke thru with the successful 2003 release "Trap Muzik." But once again, just as T.I began to make progress, he ended up on the wrong side of the law. Busted for gun possession, he spent another six months in jail. Upon his release, his career took off and by 2006, T.I was on top of the world. Then tragedy would rock his world forever. When a bar room brawl escalated into a shoot out, T.I watched his close friend, Philant Johnson, die. Riddled with guilt, T.I went into a tailspin and suddenly his life as a celebrity was filled with paranoia and threats against his life. To protect himself, he began collecting a vast array of weapons. In 2007, while attempting to buy another firearm, T.I was set up in a sting operation and busted by federal agents. Facing 30 years in prison, T.I settled on a unique deal: one year behind bars and 1500 hours of community service. Using his charismatic personality, T.I has thrived in his role of mentor, reaching out to troubled youth and preaching against the very mistakes he once made. T.I is admittedly a reformed man, and while he says he will never get over the death of his friend, he is at peace with past, is currently serving his prison sentence and looks forward to working for a "higher cause."
Curtis Jackson III, aka 50 Cent, grew up on the violent and drug infested streets of Jamaica, Queens. His mother was murdered when he was 8, and by the time he was a teenager, he was following in her footsteps, dealing crack to make ends meet. Several arrests led to hard time in a "shock incarceration" boot camp. Headed down the wrong road, 50 Cent gave up the hustle and chased a new dream: to become a hip hop star. But his road to superstardom wouldn't be easy. With gritty street rhymes, 50 attacked the industry and his bad boy reputation grew as fast as his list of enemies. A public feud with fellow Queens' rapper Ja Rule led to a brawl and 50 got stabbed. Then, in May 2000, nine bullets nearly ended 50 Cent's life. Facing his moment of truth, 50 persevered thru intense physical pain, emotional self doubt and came back to the game even stronger. Teaming up with Dr Dre and Eminem, his first two albums, Get Rich or Die Trying and The Massacre, were hugely successful. 50 Cent parlayed his street hustle instincts into an empire, forming the G Unit business enterprise and inking a lucrative deal with Vitamin Water that reportedly earned him over 100 million dollars. Always a target, 50's street cred was attacked as he engaged in feuds with everyone from Fat Joe to his protégé, The Game. The beefs only fuel 50's drive. Older and wiser, he hasn't lost the edge he honed on the streets of New York as he continues his relentless quest for success.
By the time he was 11 years old, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., aka Lil Wayne, had lost his virginity, dealt drugs, snorted cocaine and nearly shot himself to death after accidentally pulling the trigger on a gun he found in his mother's bedroom. That was life in the dangerous, poverty stricken neighborhood on New Orleans 17th ward, where Lil Wayne grew up. A musical prodigy, hip hop was Wayne's ticket to a better life. As a nine year old, he began recording rhymes with his surrogate family and mentors, Baby and Slim Williams, who owned the fledging label, Cash Money Records. Together, they shared in Wayne's success, first as a teenage sensation with the Hot Boys, then as a solo artist. But Wayne's path to stardom was littered with personal challenges. The violence of New Orleans struck again as his stepfather was gunned down when Wayne was just 14. To support his mother he dropped out of high school and put everything he had into jumpstarting his music career. A year later, at 15, Wayne became a father and now had a family to support. Then, just as his solo career was taking flight, his hometown was decimated by Hurricane Katrina, a tragedy that profoundly affected Wayne. Rumors of an addiction to prescription cough syrup and an arrest in New York City for gun possession only fueled the controversy surrounding the outlaw rapper. Regarded as a renegade, Wayne then released a prolific and game changing record, Tha Carter III. Almost instantly, Lil Wayne rocketed to superstardom and became the pop icon of 2008. The self proclaimed "greatest rapper alive" received the ultimate validation when Wayne walked away with four Grammy Awards, completing a remarkable journey for the 27 year old.
