What is Rikki Rockett's Net Worth?
Rikki Rockett is an American rock musician who has a net worth of $5 million. Rikki Rockett is most famous for being the drummer for the rock band Poison. Much of Poison's arena-filling success of the 1980s and 1990s can be attributed to Rockett, whose drumming was always given prominence on Poison's studio albums. A perhaps more obvious example of Rockett's contribution to the band can be seen on the cover of their 1990 album "Flesh and Blood" – the tattoo seen on which is Rockett's. And not only is it a real tattoo, but the original album cover had Rockett's blood pictures right after the tattoo was administered! This album cover was eventually censored, though, and remains a rarity today. To date, Poison has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.
Early Life
Rockett was born on August 8, 1961, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and given the name Richard Allan Ream. He is the youngest child of Norman and Margaret Ream. He attended Cedar Cliff High School and enjoyed listening to and playing music from a young age. He particularly enjoyed rock music. Throughout his childhood, he was friends with Bret Michaels, who was also from Mechanicsburg.
Poison
In 1979, around when Rockett finished high school, he formed a band called the Spectres with his longtime friend, Bret Michaels. The two soon after teamed up with Bobby Dall and Matt Smith to form a band called Paris. They started playing in the club circuit and mainly focused on covering rock socks in local bars. Smith was considered to be the best musician in the group, while Dall focused on business. This left Rockett and Michaels to focus on the band's onstage presence and overall image. After having a hard time developing a strong fan base in Pennsylvania, the band made the decision to move to Los Angeles. In March of 1983, the band decided to change their name to Poison and left for California.
Smith subsequently lost interest in the band and decided to return to Pennsylvania, prompting the remaining three guys to hire C.C. DeVille. This remained the band's main lineup during the height of their success. Poison experienced initial success when they signed with Enigma Records in 1986. They released their debut album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In," in May of that year. The album became a surprise success and spawned three chart-topping hits: "Talk Dirty to Me," "I Want Action," and "I Won't Forget You." It became the biggest-selling album in Enigma Records' history. Due to its success, Poison landed touring spots with bands like Ratt, Cinderella, and Quiet Riot.
Poison released its second album in May of 1988, "Open Up and Say…Ahh!" The album peaked at number two on the American charts and featured the number one hit single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Throughout the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s, Poison became one of the most popular rock bands in the United States and around the world. Some of their most prominent hit songs include "Fallen Angel," "Your Mama Don't Dance," "Unskinny Bop," "Ride the Wind," and "Life Goes On," among others.
As glam rock began to grow less popular in the 1990s, Poison became less successful and also experienced a few changes in its original lineup. In 1993, Richie Kotzen was playing as the band's guitarist. However, due to the fact that Kotzen was having a relationship with Deanna Eve, whom Rockett was engaged to at the time, Kotzen was kicked out of the band.
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Outside of Poison
Outside of his career with Poison, Rockett has pursued a few other interests as well. In 1995, he co-created and colored a six-issue comic book series called "Sisters of Mercy." It was published by Maximum Press. In January 2007, Rockett released his first solo album, "Glitter 4 Your Soul," which was distributed online. The sound of the album was a tribute to 1970s glam rock. He was also featured as a guest musician on the Britny Fox album "Bite Down Hard."
In April of 2007, Rockett announced he was creating Rockett Drum Works Inc. The company focuses on manufacturing drums and specializes in the creation of ultra-custom drum kits, snare drums, and accessories. Before creating his own company, Rockett had been working at Chop Shop Custom Drum but departed after having conflicting opinions with the founder of Chop Shop, Brian Cocivera. When starting his own company, Rockett recruited many of the staff members at Chop Shop to come work for him.
In 2015, Rockett formed a rock supergroup called the Devil City Angels, along with guitarist Tracii Guns from L.A. Guns and bassist Eric Brittingham from Cinderella. The lead singer and rhythm guitarist was Brandon Gibbs of Cheap Thrill. The group released a self-titled debut album in September 2015.
Personal Life
In October of 2008, Rockett married longtime girlfriend Melanie Martel. In July of 2009, they had their first child together whom they named Jude Aaron Rockett. In March of 2013, they had a second child, a daughter named Lucy Sky. Both of the children are named after songs by The Beatles – "Hey Jude" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." The couple decided to separate in July 2015 and finalized their divorce in June 2017.
Rocket is interested in martial arts. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trains at Street Sports Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Santa Monica, California. He is also a vegan. In December 2015, Rockett announced that he was currently in the middle of a battle with throat cancer. After treatment, he announced in July 2016 that he was cancer-free.
Real Estate
In November 2016, Rikki sold a home in Castaic, California, for $1.05 million.
His current home is a different Castaic property, which he acquired in 2011 for $665,000. Soon after buying the 4.7-acre property, Rikki began renovating the 3,800-square-foot mansion.
