Dating & Relationship status

In March 2007, DeVille and his wife Shannon Malone became parents with the birth of Vallon Deville Johannesson.

In 2005 and 2006, DeVille starred in a popular TV series South of Nowhere on The N. He played the role of Raife Davies, the father of Ashley Davies and Kyla Woods. Also in 2006 when Poison celebrated their 20th anniversary, DeVille starred in The Surreal Life on VH1. He also starred in the spin-off series The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007. In 2002, DeVille had a brief cameo appearance as “Lloyd”, a member of the airband GFK Groovecart, on the last episode of season 6 of Just Shoot Me! (titled “The Boys In The Band”).

In 2001, DeVille became the inspiration for rock & roll comic C.C. Banana. A twisted homage to DeVille, C.C. Banana speaks in a cartoonish parody of DeVille’s voice and wears a large yellow banana costume. C.C. Banana has interviewed numerous rock stars and made many TV appearances.

Samantha 7 was a short-lived band composed of guitarist DeVille, guitarist Ty Longley, bassist Krys Baratto, and drummer Francis Ruiz. They played at Woodstock 1999. Originally the band’s name was The Stepmothers, but the band was forced to change their name following a legal dispute with another band of the same name. DeVille can be heard referring to this band as The Stepmothers in a Behind the Music interview. Samantha 7 released the self-titled album Samantha 7 in 2000, and toured the US and UK in support of the record that was released on Columbia/Portrait Records.

He has also acted in both reality television and television drama shows. He starred in The Surreal Life season 6 and The Surreal Life: Fame Games. DeVille also formed a band in 1998 called Samantha 7. In 2015, DeVille was ranked at number one by VH1 as the most underrated hair metal guitarist of the ’80s.

DeVille regained contact with his Poison bandmates in 1996 for their Greatest Hits reunion tour in 1999. Several shows were recorded and released as a hybrid studio & live album release in 2000 titled Power to the People. DeVille continues to record and perform with Poison.

While touring in support of Flesh and Blood, and despite Poison’s success, substance abuse and tensions with other members of the band, particularly lead singer Bret Michaels, led to conflict within the band. Leading up to the release of the live album Swallow This Live conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards after DeVille played the wrong song, playing “Talk Dirty To Me” instead of “Unskinny Bop”, and being high and intoxicated during the performance. Asked to quit, DeVille left Poison and was replaced by guitarist Richie Kotzen.

In 1990, Poison released the multi-platinum selling Flesh & Blood, an album which was again largely written by DeVille.

DeVille co-wrote Poison’s debut album with Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett. Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. It included the hits “Talk Dirty to Me”, “I Want Action”, and “I Won’t Forget You”. Sales for the album topped 3 million copies in the US. DeVille also wrote much of the material for Poison’s second album, the multi-platinum selling Open Up And Say… Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 and would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. It included the hit song “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, co-written by DeVille, and Poison’s only number 1 single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”.

DeVille began studying music theory at New York University, but never completed his studies. Instead, he moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and played in various bands, including Screaming Mimi, Lace Slip, and St. James, before auditioning for Poison.

C.C. DeVille (born Bruce Anthony Johannesson; May 14, 1962) is the lead guitarist of the multi-platinum-selling rock band Poison. His work with the band has sold over 45 million records worldwide, including 15 million in the US. He named himself after his favorite car, the Cadillac Coupe Deville.