Bret Michaels
Photo: George Napolitano/FilmMagic

He still feels pretty battered, but Poison singer Bret Michaels isn't going to sue the Tony Awards over the scenery mishap that left him with a fractured nose and split lip at the June 7 show.

Michaels, 46, who penned a long, emotional open letter to fans and the Tony folks last week, told People magazine, "All in all, I'd like to think I feel OK. But I got to be honest with you, I feel pretty beat up."

Michaels performed with the cast of the "Rock of Ages" Broadway show during the Tonys broadcast, and after a spirited run through his band's "Nothin' but a Good Time," a piece of scenery rapidly descended from the rafters and struck the singer on the face, knocking him to the ground.

"I want to make very clear to everybody that — first and foremost — I was honored to be asked to be at the Tonys," Michaels said. "I'd never done it before, and in all my life, it's not something I thought I'd be on. I was really excited. There's no lawsuit. I'm not doing any of that. I'm taking the high road."

Tonys host Neil Patrick Harris made light of the incident during the show, joking that it "gave head-banging a new meaning," and directly after the show, a Tonys spokesperson faulted Michaels for missing his mark on the stage. A spokesperson for the show has not returned MTV News' multiple calls for comment.

His brief foray into Broadway over, Michaels is gearing up for a summer tour with Def Leppard that kicks off June 23. He's also prepping the late-summer release of his tell-all autobiography "Roses & Thorns."

• Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels shows off his injuries on MySpace
Photo: myspace.com/bretmichaelsofpoison

On Tuesday night, Bret Michaels' reps released a statement ripping the Tony Awards for their casual dismissal of the "Rock of Love" star's injuries and for their attempt to blame those injuries on Michaels "missing a mark" during his performance.

Less than 24 hours later, Michaels let a pair of photos do all the talking for him.

The Poison frontman took to his MySpace page (we know) on Wednesday, posting two pictures of the injuries he sustained when he was hit in the head by a descending set piece at the conclusion of his performance on the Tonys telecast.

In the first photo, Michaels' nose is clearly swollen and features several scrapes. In the second, Michaels is lifting his upper lip, showing an inch-long gash. In the hours following the Tonys mishap, a spokesperson for Michaels told The Associated Press that the singer suffered "a fractured nose and a contusion to his lip that required three stitches," and that he was undergoing a CAT scan as a precautionary measure, as he had a previous neck injury.

Aside from the pictures, Michaels (or someone who updates his MySpace page) posted a brief — and decidedly nondescript — statement: "Photos of the injuries sustained from the incident at the Tony Awards have been added to the profile page, as well as the photo albums ... Thanks for your support!"

And support is what Michaels got, with fans offering their well-wishing ("God Love your heart :( Hope you get healed up fast") and hopes for a speedy recovery. Of course, to others, the pictures were a shock — seems they were unaware that he had been injured at the Tony Awards in the first place, because they "don't watch those shows."

The photos probably won't be Michaels' only comment about the Tonys incident, either. According to his reps, a full statement from the singer is still forthcoming.

• Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels at the Tony Awards on Sunday
Photo: CBS

Footage of Bret Michaels getting clocked in the kisser by a set piece during Sunday night's Tony Awards telecast has already become the stuff of Internet legend. But now, we learn that the old adage is true: No pain, no gain.

On Monday (June 8), a spokesperson for Michaels told The Associated Press that the Poison frontman/ "Rock of Love" superstud/ "Super Bowl" prognosticator suffered a fractured nose and a contusion to his lip after being hit in the head by a descending set piece at the Tonys, and that he's undergoing a CAT scan as a precautionary measure, since he's had a previous neck injury.

But while it sounds pretty serious, Joann Mignano — Michaels' publicist — told the AP that the singer is in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery. In fact, moments after being hit in the head by a descending set piece, Michaels was walking around backstage at the Tonys, posing for pictures with stars like Liza Minnelli and Angela Lansbury, and laughing when Tony host Neil Patrick Harris joked that Michaels' performance "gave headbanging a whole new meaning."

"He had a great time performing for the Broadway audience," Mignano told the AP.

If you missed it, Michaels and his Poison bandmates kicked off the Tonys with a rousing performance of their iconic "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages," the hair-metal play that snagged multiple nominations. After the song, Michaels reportedly missed his mark and was hit in the head by a large piece of scenery that was descending from the ceiling of Radio City Music Hall.

At the time, People.com reported that the extent of Michaels' injuries were not known, but quoted a publicist as saying that the singer was planning on swinging by an emergency room for some precautionary X-rays before hitting the Tony afterparty.

• Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels
Photo: Rusty Russell/Getty Images

Poison singer Bret Michaels escaped serious injury Monday night when his tour bus was fired at in a drive-by shooting. Michaels was in Chicopee, Massachusetts, to perform at an invitation-only acoustic show at the Rumble Seat Bar and Grille and was sitting on his tour bus prior to the gig when a shot was fired from a white Ford F-150, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

The singer was struck in the face by broken glass, but was not seriously injured in the incident. "It is going to take more then a cowardice act like this to make me stop performing or stop my tour," Michaels said in a statement. "I plan on staying out and finishing the shows as scheduled. I want to thank all of my fans in the Chicopee area for staying out last night, and I will be back. Hopefully, with the help of many people, we will catch the person who did this and they will be brought to justice."

Though Michaels' camp said police don't feel the drive-by was a random event because the shot was fired into the living quarters at the rear of the tour bus, Captain William Jebb of the Chicopee Police Department said Wednesday there is no indication that Michaels was specifically targeted. "We don't have a suspect at this time, and we think it was probably just an act of vandalism," Jebb said. "We don't think he was targeted. From the many witnesses we interviewed on the scene, it seemed like it was just a motorist driving by."

Jebb said the investigation is ongoing but there are no suspects at this time. While police were downplaying the seriousness of the incident, Michaels' management said this is not the first time the singer has been targeted. According to his reps, Michaels has been the subject of "numerous death threats investigated by the FBI," including one from a person who fired bullets through photos of the singer and mailed them to him along with threatening notes to arenas in which Michaels was scheduled to perform. That person reportedly lives somewhere in the Northeastern United States.

Michaels is due to continue touring, playing a show at Annie's in Cincinnati on Wednesday (November 23) and at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, on Thanksgiving.

A reward has been announced for any information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the incident. Information can be given directly to the Chicopee Police Department at (413) 592-6341, or tips can be submitted via Michaels' Web site, www.bretmichaels.com.

• Bret Michaels
• Poison

Poison's Bret Michaels
Photo: MTV

Given Poison's history of indulging every whim during their '80s heyday, it's probably no surprise that frontman Bret Michaels is trying to scratch his solo itch while still waving the Poison banner.

Michaels is gearing up for a summer tour with Poison, Skid Row and Vince Neil while also making preparations for a fall solo excursion.

Each song on of Michaels' new solo LP, Songs of Life, focuses on an event or sentiment from the singer/songwriter's life. "It's a very personal record, as with all the music I've always written," he explained. "For me, it's what I write music about. It's things I see, things I feel. ... I got into music to express myself."

Nearly every track has a decidedly Poison feel, with lyrics about rebellion ("Menace to Society") and love and lust ("Bittersweet"), plus aggressive guitar riffs ("Loaded Gun," "Strange Sensation"). And because every rocker has a soft side, there are also ballads, including the 9/11 remembrance song "One More Day" and the tribute to veterans, "War Machine," partly inspired by Michaels' father, who served in the Korean War.

The album, due May 20, has been a long time coming. Opener "Menace to Society" was written when Michaels was 17. "I was working, I'll never forget, at Bob's Big Boy. It was just a very angry time for me because I really wanted to show people I can make it in music. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — not many musicians make it out of there."

Songs of Life's first single concerns one of Michaels' greatest achievements since finding his way out of Harrisburg and onto the stage. "Raine" was written for his 2-year-old daughter, and it's the first song off the disc to be made into a video. Directed by Michaels, the "Raine" clip features 8 mm film from the singer's childhood.

"I got a lot of treatments from different producers and directors and it became a little impersonal to me," Michaels said, "because everything they wanted to do [involved filming] me in a big warehouse with throw rugs, because they said that's what would make me look modern. And I said, 'Well, I'm not concerned about looking any certain way. I wanted to tell a story.' ... I'm not going to fool anybody by trying to be what I'm not. I've been around too long for that, so I just did it myself."

Michaels will hit the road in October after finishing a summer Poison tour that kicks off May 23. Don't expect to hear any Songs of Life tracks at the Poison shows.

"A Poison [show] is meant to be a Poison show," Michaels insisted. "The fans come to a Poison show, [so] I don't want to force anything on them. I want them to come and enjoy Poison."

Poison, Skid Row and Vince Neil tour dates:

• 5/23 - Mankato, MN @ Midwest Wireless Civic Arena
• 5/25 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
• 5/28 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
• 5/30 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music
• 5/31 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
• 6/1 - Columbus, OH @ Germain Amphitheatre
• 6/3 - Toronto, Ontario @ Molson Amphitheatre
• 6/4 - Darien Lake, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
• 6/6 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
• 6/7 - Maryland Heights, MO @ UMB Bank Pavillion
• 6/8 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless
• 6/10 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post Gazette Pavillion
• 6/11 - Hartford, CT @ Meadows Music Theatre
• 6/13 - Wantagh, NY @ Tommy Hilfiger/Jones Beach
• 6/14 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
• 6/15 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
• 6/19 - Burlington, IA @ Steamboat Days
• 6/20 - West Fargo, ND @ Red River Valley Fair
• 6/21 - Sioux City, IA @ Sioux City Auditorium
• 6/22 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
• 6/24 - Casper, WY @ Casper Events Center Arena
• 6/26 - Boise, ID @ The Big Easy Concert House
• 6/27 - Idaho Falls, ID @ Sandy Downs
• 6/28 - Missoula, MT @ Western Montana Fair
• 7/3 - Universal City, CA @ Universal Amphitheatre
• 9/5 - York, PA @ York Fair
• 9/6 - Allegan, MI @ Allegan County Fair

• Bret Michaels
• Poison

In the latest twist in the ongoing Pam and Tommy Lee sex tape saga, the Internet Entertainment Group has posted what it says is the agreement signed by the Lees which allowed the company to market their X-rated video.

IEG, which is being sued by Pamela and her ex-beau Bret Michaels over its plans to market an X-rated tape of them, hopes the posting refutes comments Pamela Lee has made denying that the agreement even existed. The document, dated November 25, 1997, does not specify any financial terms, but does specify confidentiality except for filing tax returns or to enforce its terms in a legal proceeding.

All eight pages of the document, complete with what the company claims are the signatures of Pam and Tommy Lee, can be found at IEG's website at www.clublove.com/lee.

• Tommy Lee
• Bret Michaels

All is not well on the Mötley front.

While drummer Tommy Lee sits behind bars on charges of spousal assault, child abuse, and weapons possession, and bassist Nikki Sixx prepares to give a pre-trial deposition in an assault case, now frontman Vince Neil apparently has something to worry about.

Neil is the latest rocker to surface in a homemade sex tape that the Internet Entertainment Group plans to market. I.E.G. unearthed and successfully brought the now-infamous Tommy Lee and Pamela Lee sex tape to stores. The company is currently in a legal battle to market a similar tape of the then-Pamela Anderson and her ex-boyfriend, Poison frontman Bret Michaels.

I.E.G. says that it plans to make a tape of Neil and two women in what the company calls a "Hawaiian holiday romp" available to those who visit their website.

• Vince Neil
• Tommy Lee
• Mötley Crüe
• Bret Michaels