Poison is an American glam metal band which originally achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

They have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. Poison began life in 1984 under the name Paris and consisted of lead vocalist Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. Moving to Los Angeles in 1985, they started playing the club circuit.

The name Poison was picked by the band after a T-shirt worn by drummer Mick Shrimpton in This is Spinal Tap, as the band knew that they fit the stereotypes of rock stars in the movie. When asked why they were named Paris, all the members said in unison, "Une prostituee Francaise suggere le nom," roughly translating to "A French prostitute suggested the name."

Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania. The band began auditioning replacement guitarists when Smith left the group. After narrowing down the candidates to three - Slash, who would later join Guns N' Roses, Steve Silva from The Joe Perry Project, and C.C. DeVille - the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the best choice.

The band began to gain notoriety on the Sunset Strip for its theatrical live shows and striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harleys and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling.

During this period, Poison's manager negotiated a deal under which West Hollywood club The Troubadour would pay for shows by covering the band's monthly rent and "recreation" bill. Ultimately, the shows drew sufficient crowds to enable the band to make a profit from them.