Bret Michaels claims the possibility he'll replace Simon Cowell on American Idol's judging panel has some legs to it.

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"We have a meeting in L.A. in a couple weeks and we're going to sit down and talk," he told Parade magazine in an interview published Monday.

"They did a poll and I think it was Madonna, P. Diddy, Howard Stern, and myself, and I took 50% or 60% of the vote and that's tremendous. I would love to be a judge on American Idol. I think I would bring a lot to the table."

The Celebrity Apprentice third-season winner and former Rock of Love star previously told the crowd at a concert in Biloxi, MS that "next year they asked me to possibly be the judge on American Idol" -- and he thinks he'd bring something different to the table than Cowell.

"I'm not built exactly like Simon Cowell, but, at the same time, I respect what he did. But I would have to bring my own personality," he told Parade.

"I think if they have someone in there to try to imitate Simon, it would be a mistake; he's an original. Bring Bret Michaels in to be original to who and what I am. Bring someone who can bring a little grit, true grit back to the show."

Adding fuel to the fire that Michaels could join the American Idol judging panel was that Cowell suggested him as a replacement when talking to reporters after the ninth-season finale last month.

"I love the fact that Simon gave me great kudos. He said that I would be a great judge," Michaels told Parade.

"What he sees in me is the fact that I have lived this career from the basement up. I've played pool halls with four people in them and I've managed to be one of the few non-casualties, financially, in the music business."

While Michaels answered "hell yeah" when asked if he would have auditioned for American Idol as a young rocker, he said potential exposure from the show isn't all positive for contestants.

"The great thing about today, with the Internet and American Idol, is that you get instant exposure to millions of people," he explained to Parade.

"Here's the downside: it's also easily disposable if you don't let people find out more about your personality and who and what you are. In other words, you can get easily exposed and then easily disposed if you're not careful. And I'm going to try to build new talent that will be around like Poison, Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks and Lynard Skynard. You can say what you want about us classic bands, but we're still out here selling out arenas. That's what I hope to bring to American Idol --some of those years and years of experience and true grit to the show."

Michaels won The Celebrity Apprentice and appeared on American Idol's finale after a month of major medical problems that included an emergency appendectomy, a massive brain hemorrhage, and a warning stroke that revealed a hole in his heart.

VH1 subsequently announced Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, a new docu-reality series that is slated to premiere this fall.

"Fans have asked for years to get a glimpse into my life, of what I do outside the craziness of Rock of Love or just being on the road. And I think they're really going to enjoy it because the show is all about my daily existence of finding balance in my life," he told Parade about the new project.

"I absolutely love my family. I'm a very hands-on father. I'm close with my kids and we have fun together. Kristi and I love and respect each other. But in the same sentence, I also love what I do. I love being on the road and I'm passionate and I don't' think there's anything wrong with that. The trouble is finding the balance of making both work."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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