Bret Michaels Unmasked as the Banana on ‘The Masked Singer’
Fans figured it out weeks ago, and guest judge Sharon Osbourne figured it out instantly. On Wednesday night (April 22), viewers got confirmation that it was rocker-turned-country-singer Bret Michaels behind the wild-eyed banana costume on the Masked Singer on Fox.
Michaels was eliminated on Wednesday night after a performance of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." The song ended up being an ironic choice. In an exit interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 57-year-old points out that April 22, 2020 is the 10-year anniversary of his brain hemorrhage, a moment that resulted in emergency brain surgery. He didn't know the performance would air on that date when it was recorded.
Michaels says he worked hard to disguise his voice through performances of "Achy Breaky Heart" and "A Little Less Conversation." His version of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" gave him a way to longtime fans. During the conversation with EW, he points out that many watching recognized the way he closed the song as the way he sings Poison's "Something to Believe In." The song was important to him, as it honored his late father, who died last August.
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Overall it was a fun experience for Michaels, a singer who bounces between gigs with Poison and solo sets as a country artist. While he has not scored a major hit on country radio, he's ingratiated himself into the Music City community, with legends like Loretta Lynn calling him a friend. Taste of Country was at Hometown Rising in Kentucky last September, where he talked openly about his battle with diabetes and how his new song "Unbroken" was inspired by his daughter.
It's widely believed country singer Hunter Hayes is the astronaut on the Masked Singer, but the character's identity has not yet been revealed.
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