The Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame (CPMHOF), in conjunction with Michaels Entertainment Group, has announced the inclusion of POISON singer, Central Pennsylvania native and iconic entertainer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Bret Michaels as an individual inductee.
Brandon Valentine, president and founder of the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame, said: “As a non-profit organization focused on music education for the local youth, the CPMHOF is honored to recognize Bret Michaels in a positive light. Bret has always held a special place in the hearts of Central Pennsylvanians, and this fall, he’ll officially be immortalized in our local Hall Of Fame.”
Michaels, who will play Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania tonight (Tuesday, July 12) with his bandmates in POISON as part of this summer’s “The Stadium Tour” with MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, will return in the fall to personally accept this great honor.
Bret Michaels says about being inducted and tonight’s show: “Being born and bred in Pennsylvania, I am proud to be inducted as an individual into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame, with POISON also having also been inducted on the first-ever ballot.
“I am beyond excited to be playing Hersheypark Stadium this evening. Come rain or shine. It’s going to be a party and the people of Pennsylvania always rock my world.”
Born in Butler and raised in Mechanicsburg, Michaels and his sisters Michele and Nicole were part of a family that were fixtures in the Central Pennsylvania community, with their father, a veteran, posted at the Mechanicsburg Naval Supply Depot and their mother at White Hill Correction Facilities. He has long spoken of his love for the state, the sports teams and its people — his fellow “yinzers.”
“As the son of a veteran, my mother and father taught me the importance of hard work through a blue-collar Pennsylvania upbringing,” Michaels added. “I was raised with an unbroken fighting spirit who never gives up in the pursuit of making dreams a reality. If you don’t bet on yourself, nobody else will.”
The Hall Of Fame sought to acknowledge Michaels for his extraordinary individual merits and achievements as a solo musician, singer/songwriter in addition to his outstanding accomplishments as a reality TV producer and star, and an entrepreneur who won “Celebrity Apprentice” and partnered with brands such as PetSmart, Overstock and The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, to name a few. His achievements as a type 1 diabetic go far beyond just the music, though, as he helped to pass a state bill in the California Senate for education and affordable medicine for diabetics. He also has a career-long dedication to giving back through his Life Rocks Foundation, which saw him twice recognized as the Humanitarian Of The Year and also as a World College Radio Ambassador.
Michaels will return to the area for his solo band’s record-setting “Nothing But A Good Vibe/Parti-Gras Tour” and official acceptance of the induction.