- Born
- Birth nameMichael Phillip Des Barres
- Height1.74 m
- Michael Des Barres is a European Marquis, raised in England and living in Los Angeles. As the host of Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM Radio Channel 21, he is heard by more than six million listeners, five days a week (5am-8am and 9pm-midnight PT). He has appeared in over 150 hours of American television and more than 40 feature films, and has sold over 7 million albums as both a recording artist and songwriter.
Over the past five decades, Michael has appeared in numerous feature films such as "To Sir With Love" with Sidney Poitier, "Pink Cadillac" with Clint Eastwood, "The Man From Elysian Fields" with Mick Jagger and "Diary of a Sex Addict" with Rosanna Arquette as well as countless television shows such as NCIS, Bones, CSI, Seinfeld, Frasier, Roseanne and Melrose Place, and as Nicolas Helman, former mentor to infamous assassin Murdoch, on MacGyver.
Michael Des Barres was also the touring singer for the Duran Duran spin-off group, The Power Station, performing at Live Aid with one of the most iconic live acts of the mid-1980s. From 1982 to 1984, Michael was a member of Chequered Past, which included Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison of Blondie. In 1983, Michael penned the song "Obsession," a number one hit in 27 countries for LA new wave group Animotion.
Recently, Michael narrated the one-night only performance of Frank Zappa's legendary 200 Motels with the LA Philharmonic, released a live follow up to his 2012 album Carnaby Street called Hot 'n Sticky, and co-starred alongside Gene Simmons of KISS on an episode of CSI: Las Vegas. His latest album, "The Key to the Universe" was released in 2015 on FOD Records and was produced by Bob Rose.- IMDb mini biography by: Kitty Page
- SpousesBritta Hayertz(December 21, 2018 - present)Pamela Des Barres(October 29, 1977 - July 18, 1991) (divorced, 1 child)Wendy Hamilton(1974 - 1975) (divorced)
- Replaced Robert Palmer as lead singer of Power Station when Robert Palmer was unable to tour with the group in 1985.
- He appeared on MacGyver (1985) as "Murdoc", an insane and ruthless villain who always seems to come back from the dead. His was originally slated to be a one-time appearance. Yet because he did such a good job, producers Henry Winkler and John Rich gave Michael Des Barres a recurring role.
- Admits that, from time to time, he still meets Sidney Poitier - with whom he starred in Les anges aux poings serrés (1967). And, according to Des Barres, "...He STILL yanks my shades off whenever we trip over each other" (a running gag in the film, as Michael's character habitually wore sunglasses in "Thackeray's" classroom).
- Appeared on the original WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) as "Sir Charles 'Dog' Weatherbee," member of the fictional British hard-rock band "Scum of the Earth." Fourteen years later, he became a regular cast member of The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991) as disc jockey Jack Allen.
- Des Barres formed his first band Silverhead in England in 1972. They recorded two albums and toured the U.S., Europe and Japan, before disbanding in 1974.
- [on turning down Queen's offer to have him as their new lead singer] Freddie Mercury's shoes are very hard to fill. What threw me off, more than anything else, were the high heels.
- When fans ask me for advice, here's what I tell them: "Never listen to advice - down to and including my own."
- I've been told I'd be a natural for the title role in "Phantom of the Opera". While that's a huge compliment, there's one small issue: Who'd host my radio show while I was playing Eric?
- [on entertainment magnate Lord Lew Grade] For three decades, he practically *was* the British television industry.
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