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After playing with various rock bands in the early 1980s, C.C. DeVille became the lead guitarist for Poison, who wrote 1988's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," a No. 1 hit.
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Play NowC.C. DeVille. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:46, May 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359.
C.C. DeVille. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359 [Accessed 18 May 2013].
"C.C. DeVille." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 18 2013, 03:46 http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359.
"C.C. DeVille," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359 [accessed May 18, 2013].
"C.C. DeVille," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359 (accessed May 18, 2013).
C.C. DeVille [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359.
C.C. DeVille, http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359 (last visited May 18, 2013).
C.C. DeVille. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/cc-deville-20854359. Accessed May 18, 2013.
Synopsis
C.C. DeVille was born as Bruce Anthony Johannesson on May 14, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. DeVille fell in love with music at a young age, beginning to play guitar at age 5. After playing with various rock bands in the early 1980s, DeVille landed a spot as lead guitarist of glam-metal band Poison, replacing original band member Matt Smith. Poison went on to receive wide acclaim—including the No. 1 single,
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (1988). DeVille left the band in the early 1990s, when he was battling with drug and alcohol addiction, and reunited with the band in 1999.
Early Life
C.C. DeVille was born as Bruce Anthony Johannesson on May 14, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. DeVille fell in love with music at a young age, beginning to play guitar at age 5. Some of his earliest musical influences include Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Van Halen and Queen.
Lead Guitarist
Not long after enrolling at New York University to study music, DeVille quit school and moved to the West Coast. There, he played music with various rock bands, and eventually, , in the early 1980s, landed a spot as lead guitarist of glam-metal band Poison. DeVille replaced Poison's original lead guitarist, Matt Smith.
Along with Poison bandmates Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett, DeVille co-wrote the music for the band's premier album with DeVille, Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)—one of the band's best-selling albums overall, bring in nearly $4 million in revenue. Poison went on to receive further acclaim with the No. 1 single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (1988).
Drug Addiction
DeVille left Poison in the early 1990s, following a string of heated arguments with lead singer Bret Michaels, which were spurred by Michaels' and DeVille's different musical styles and DeVille's increasingly problematic drug and alcohol addictions. The dissolve of their relationship was most apparent in 1991, when DeVille began playing the wrong song during the band's performance at the MTV Video Music Awards; the incident reportedly triggered a fight between Michaels and DeVille.
After leaving Poison, DeVille founded the rock band Samantha 7, in which he sang and played guitar. The band produced only one album, and in 1999—after overcoming his drug abuse—DeVille was asked by Bret Michaels to reunite with Poison.
Recent Projects
In 2006 and 2007, DeVille starred on the VH1 shows The Surreal Life (Season 6) and The Surreal Life: Fame Games, respectively. Also in 2007, DeVille became a father. He had a son, Vallon Deville Johannesson, with girlfriend Shannon Malone.
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