Michael Des Barres had several shots at the big time, as an actor, a member of a variety of different bands, and as a solo artist, but failed to break through for reasons unknown. Born
Michael Philip Des Barres in England on January 24, 1948, the future singer/actor grew up in the town of Surrey, and eventually attended drama school, where he acted in several plays.
Des Barres eventually landed a bit part in the 1967 classic Sidney Poitier movie To Sir With Love. By the early '70s, he had appeared in another film (albeit far less successful), I Monster, before forming a glam rock outfit,
Silverhead. With
Des Barres as their flamboyant frontman,
Silverhead was picked by many to follow in the footsteps of
David Bowie and
T. Rex straight up the charts. But, despite favorable press, the group managed to only issue a pair of overlooked cult classics during their short career, 1972's self-titled debut and 1973's
Sixteen & Savaged, before splitting up. Just prior to their breakup,
Silverhead was offered a cameo appearance in a movie called Arizonalism (which has never been released). It was on the movie set that
Des Barres met his future wife, notorious groupie
Miss Pamela, who he wed in 1977 (the pair would divorce in the late 80s, with
Pamela penning a tell-all book in 1991 that chronicled their relationship among other things, I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie).
Des Barres wasted little time landing his next musical gig, as he formed the
Led Zeppelin-esque
Detective in the mid-'70s, even signing to
Zep's label, Swan Song. But, like
Silverhead,
Detective failed to break through commercially despite high hopes, as they too managed to only issue a pair of albums during their short career: 1977's self titled debut and 1978's
It Takes One to Know One.
Des Barres landed a recurring role in the popular TV series WKRP in Cincinnati, and by the dawn of the '80s was able to successfully nip a dangerous substance addiction in the bud. Around the same time, the singer issued a solo debut,
I'm Only Human, before forming a "supergroup" along with such musicians as bassist
Nigel Harrison (a former member of
Blondie, and a one-time bandmate of
Des Barres' in
Silverhead), drummer
Clem Burke (ex-
Blondie), bassist
Tony Sales (ex-
Iggy Pop), and guitarist
Steve Jones (ex-
the Sex Pistols), called
Chequered Past. Predictably, the group lasted for a short time, issuing a lone self-titled release in 1984. But it was as a member of
Chequered Past that
Des Barres befriended
Duran Duran (when
Des Barres and company opened several dates for the British new wave hit makers), which would soon lead to the singer's next project.
With
Duran Duran taking a breather in 1985, its members pursued side projects, with bassist
John Taylor and guitarist
Andy Taylor forming
the Power Station alongside former
Chic drummer
Tony Thompson and singer
Robert Palmer. The band was an immediate hit, on the strength of such smash singles as "Some Like It Hot" and a remake of
T. Rex's "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," but when it came time for the group to tour,
Palmer bowed out.
Des Barres replaced
Palmer shortly thereafter, which included a performance at the mammoth Live Aid benefit concert in 1985, but
Des Barres failed to record with the group since they split after honoring their previously planned touring schedule. It was also around this time that a track that
Des Barres had co-penned a few years previously with songwriter
Holly Knight, "Obsession," was covered by the new wave synth-dance outfit
Animotion, who scored a massive hit with it.
A year later,
Des Barres returned as a solo artist, issuing a five-track EP, 1986's
Somebody Up There Likes Me, which faded from view upon release. This would prove to be
Des Barres' final solo musical offering, as he focused primarily on acting, landing roles in such movies as Ghoulies, Pink Cadillac, Midnight Cabaret, and others; as well as such TV shows as The New WKRP in Cincinnati, Melrose Place, MacGyver, Roseanne, Just Shoot Me, Lois and Clark, and Nash Bridges. In 2000,
Des Barres lent his vocals to an
Elvis Presley tribute,
A Special Tribute to Elvis, credited to
the Swing Cats (which also featured members of such '80s rockabilly revivalists as
the Stray Cats and the Polecats).
–
Greg Prato, Rovi