The #76 Guitarist of the Rock Era: C.C. DeVille

We've learned the identities and the stories 24 of The Top 100 Guitarists of the Rock Era*.  We can really admire the great skill that each of these elite players have.  Some play extremely fast, some have played guitar for 50 years, some offer incredible riffs or melodic guitar playing.  The #76 guitarist has many of those abilities, plus he's a great entertainer, which I think as fans we really appreciate when someone shows emotion and looks like they're having fun!

#76:  C.C. DeVille, Poison

32 years as an active guitarist

(guitar solo on Live, Raw & Uncut DVD)

C.C. DeVille (real name Bruce Anthony Johannesson) was born May 14, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York.  He is famous for being the lead guitarist of Poison and has also done solo work.

C.C. was inspired musically after watching the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show when he was two.  He began playing guitar at age five after he was given a Japanese Telecaster copy.  He began listening to Led Zeppelin, the Rolling tones, Aerosmith, Queen, Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Black Sabbath and especialy liked Kiss.

DeVille formed his first band called Lace.  He began studying music theory at New York University but never completed.  Instead, C.C. moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and began playing in many bands, including Screaming Mimi, Lace Slip, St. James and Roxx Regime (which later became the acclaimed group Stryper). 

DeVille auditioned for Poison and won the job, beating out Slash, who would later join Guns N' Roses.  The riff he played would eventually be featured in the Poison single "Talk Dirty to Me", which DeVille had written.  Poison's album Look What the Cat Dragged In was released in August of 1986 and sold over three million copies.  DeVille also wrote many of the songs on the group's second album Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which sold eight million.  C.C. again wrote most of the material on the 1990 album Flesh & Blood, which also went multi-platinum.  Meanwhile, he provided the lead guitar part on Warrant's song "Cherry Pie". 

Hoever, substance abuse and tensions with other members of the band, especially lead singer Bret Michaels, led to DeVille being asked to quit Poison.

DeVille joined a band called Needle Park but he soon succumbed to cocaine and alcohol addictions and would not leave his house.  Year later, C.D. underwent rehabilitation.  He eventually conquered his addictions and launched several solo projects but none of DeVille's bands were near as successful as Poison.  And Poison wasn't the same without DeVille.

In 1998, DeVille re-established contact with Poison and made a successful return to the group for their Greatest Hits reunion tour of 1999.  DeVille continues to record and perform with the group.


C.C. has played the GMP V Series guitar, the Matty Baratto Flying V, a custom-made Stratocaster with disco-ball mirrors on it, an ESP Les Paul with a whammy bar and Washburn guitars, a Strat-style N-2 and a lime green Dimebag Darrell Signature model.  DeVille has used Peavey Triple XXX amps for bigger venues.  He also uses a Marshall JCM 800, a Carvin Legacy, a Doldano Hot Rod 100 and a Matchless SC-30 in various 4 x 12 cabinets.  C.C. uses the Rocktron Hush LLC noise gate and the Home Brew Electronics HBE "Power Screamer" Overdrive Pedal.

DeVille also has the speed and great melodic riffs.  But he's one of the best showmen in our feature.  C.C. comes in at #76 for the Rock Era*.