Editing C.C. DeVille (section)

==Musical career==
DeVille's audition impressed [[drummer]] [[Rikki Rockett]] and [[bassist]] [[Bobby Dall]], but angered vocalist [[Bret Michaels]]. DeVille refused to play the songs that had been given to him as preparation, and instead jammed with a guitar riff he had written. The riff, which would eventually be featured in the Poison single "Talk Dirty to Me", would ultimately launch the band's career.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

DeVille co-wrote Poison's debut album with Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett. ''[[Look What the Cat Dragged In (album)|Look What the Cat Dragged In]]'' was released on August 2, 1986. It included the hits "[[Talk Dirty to Me]]", "[[I Want Action]]", and "[[I Won't Forget You]]". Sales for the album topped 3 million copies in the United States. DeVille also wrote much of the material for Poison's second album, the multi-platinum selling ''[[Open Up And Say... Ahh!]]''{{fact|date=October 2023}}, which was released on May 21, 1988 and would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. It included the hit song "[[Nothin' But a Good Time]]", co-written by DeVille, and Poison's only number 1 single "[[Every Rose Has Its Thorn]]".

In 1990, Poison released the multi-platinum selling ''[[Flesh & Blood (Poison album)|Flesh & Blood]]'', an album which was again largely written by DeVille. 

===Leaving Poison===
While touring in support of ''Flesh and Blood'', and despite Poison's success, substance abuse and tensions with other members of the band, particularly lead singer Bret Michaels, led to conflict within the band.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Ribhu |date=2021-12-18 |title='The Substance Abuse Was Taking A Toll On All Of Them': Inside The Rise And Fall Of Glam Rockers Poison |url=https://okmagazine.com/p/poison-band-break-up-reelz-documentary/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=OK Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Leading up to the release of the [[live album]] ''[[Swallow This Live]]'' conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the [[1991 MTV Video Music Awards]] after DeVille played the wrong song, playing "[[Talk Dirty To Me]]" instead of "[[Unskinny Bop]]", and being high and intoxicated during the performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hopper |first=Alex |date=2023-08-09 |title=5 Rock Performances that are Notorious for Going Awry |url=https://americansongwriter.com/5-rock-performances-that-are-notorious-for-going-awry/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}</ref> Asked to quit, DeVille left Poison and was replaced by guitarist [[Richie Kotzen]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Phares |first=Heather |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/richie-kotzen/biography/ |title=Richie Kotzen Biography - Yahoo! Music |publisher=New.music.yahoo.com |access-date=2012-03-06}}</ref>

Following his departure from Poison, DeVille formed Needle Park, a band that also featured vocalist [[Spike (musician)|Spike]] of [[The Quireboys]], bassist [[Tommy Henriksen]], and drummer [[James Kottak]] (later of [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]), and recorded "Hey, Good Lookin'" for the soundtrack to the [[Pauly Shore]] movie ''[[Son in Law]]''.

===Samantha 7===
[[Samantha 7]] was a short-lived band composed of guitarist DeVille, guitarist [[Ty Longley]], bassist [[Krys Baratto]], and drummer Francis Ruiz. They played at [[Woodstock 1999]]. Originally the band's name was The Stepmothers, but the band was forced to change their name following a legal dispute with another band of the same name. DeVille can be heard referring to this band as The Stepmothers in a Behind the Music interview. Samantha 7 released the self-titled album ''Samantha 7'' in 2000, and toured the US and UK in support of the record that was released on Columbia/Portrait Records.

The Samantha 7 song "I Wanna be Famous" would later be used in the opening of the reality show ''[[The Surreal Life: Fame Games]]'', in which DeVille starred.

===Return to Poison===
DeVille regained contact with his Poison bandmates in 1996 for their Greatest Hits reunion tour in 1999. Several shows were recorded and released as a hybrid studio & live album release in 2000 titled ''[[Power to the People (Poison album)|Power to the People]].'' DeVille continues to record and perform with Poison. In 2022, the band completed The Stadium Tour, a 36 date tour with Def Leppard, Joan Jett and Mötley Crüe in football stadiums across the US which grossed $173.5 million in ticket sales.{{fact|date=October 2023}}