Poison’s Metal Hero Shows Human Side

Projecting an image of toughness is important in the macho world of metal and hard rock. Metal heroes are supposed to be invincible, with no chinks in the armor.

Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the popular metal band Poison, knows the rules of the game and has decided to scrap them .

Michaels, 26, has agreed to appear on the cover of the September issue of American Diabetes Forecast, a monthly magazine published by the American Diabetes Assn.

“The whole thing about rock ‘n’ roll is to put on this fake macho image, but there’s nothing wrong with having a human side,” said Michaels, who has had insulin-dependent diabetes for 20 years.

Speaking of Poison’s glam-metal look, Michaels told Pop Eye: “That image is part of me and speaking about diabetes is part of me. I don’t separate the two. I would have done it whether I was in Poison or not.”

Though such celebrities as jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie have appeared on the cover of the 250,000-circulation Forecast, many pop and rock stars have been reluctant to go public with this and other health conditions.

Dr. Sherman Holvey, president of the American Diabetes Assn., said that this reluctance is rooted in fear of discrimination.

“I’ve had celebrities say that they preferred not to be identified for fear that they wouldn’t get a job or insurance or that they would be looked at as being less capable as a result of having the condition,” he said.

In the feature interview, Michaels told writer Marcia Mazur that he tests his blood sugar anywhere from six to 10 times a day. “I have to know where my sugars are at all times because I have such a weird schedule,” he said. “Some days I get up at nine, some days at one. But I do the best I can.”

The story also quotes a doctor on the dangers to diabetics of tattoos--of which Michaels, like many metal heroes, has several. “I may have tattoos, but I’m not telling anyone else to get them,” Michaels said.

Holvey said that the main value of the piece is to young diabetics who may be fans of Poison, whose most recent album, “Open Up and Say . . . Ahh!,” has sold nearly 5 million copies and has yielded five Top 20 singles.

“It allows them to know that even people who keep erratic schedules and live in the tumult of the kind of life he leads can keep themselves in good diabetes regulation,” Holvey said.

In an interview, Michaels recalled reading stories when he was growing up about how Ron Santo, third baseman for the Chicago Cubs in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, coped with his diabetes.

“When you kind of look up to these people, you listen to what they say,” Michaels said. “And mostly, it’s just knowing that somebody else out there has the same condition you do.”