Poison bandmates clash over rodeo animal cruelty

The Associated Press via Denver Post
07/04/2008

GREELEY, Colo.—Poison singer Bret Michaels says he was "shocked" to hear drummer Rikki Rockett's comments about animal cruelty at the Greeley Stampede and promised to "put on one hell of a big rock show" there despite Rockett's concerns.

Michaels was responding to Rockett's comments this week saying he wouldn't have agreed to play at the concert Saturday night if he knew the Greeley Stampede included a rodeo. Rockett said in statement released by a group called Showing Animals Respect and Kindness that Greeley's "huge rodeo" meant "an enormous amount of animal abuse."

Michaels said in a statement he did not agree with Rockett's comments. Rockett and Michaels founded the glam-metal band and had a string of hits in the 1980s, including "Talk Dirty to Me."

Rockett said he would still perform with Poison Saturday night.