Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy recently shared his thoughts on the intersection of music, politics, and religion, stating firmly that artists should keep their personal beliefs separate from their professional work.
During a new interview on the “On The Road To Rock With Clint Switzer” podcast, Pearcy was asked to weigh in on Poison vocalist Bret Michaels‘ recent decision to withdraw from the Freedom 250 concert series. On May 28, Michaels announced he was pulling out of the Washington, D.C. event, explaining that the festival had become increasingly divisive and raised potential safety concerns.
Addressing the situation, Pearcy explained his lifelong philosophy regarding political and religious statements in the music industry.
“Well, my opinion is I don’t mix politics or religion with music. Never have, day one, nor do I think anybody else should. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but the minute you start taking sides, you’re gonna start making enemies. And that’s just the way it is. So if you commit to something, you better believe in it or you’re gonna be dealt with the consequence, and that’s mixing politics and religion with music. And I think Frank Zappa, our godfather of music, said it straight, you know? Don’t do it. And me, I’m a firm believer. We never believed in it, taking sides for anything. All for one,” he stated.
This is not the first time the singer has openly criticized his peers for bringing political discourse to the stage. In March 2025, Pearcy called out Green Day after frontman Billie Joe Armstrong targeted U.S. vice president J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, and U.S. president Donald Trump during a live performance in Australia.
Following the incident, Pearcy took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote: “Why, no politics in music please. Never makes sense.”
While Pearcy avoids discussing politics in formal interviews, his social media activity has historically indicated support for Donald Trump. Responding to a September 2023 poll by The Epoch Times asking who the Republican nominee should be for the 2024 presidential election, he simply replied: “Trump“. More recently, when an X user asked followers in January 2026 to describe the politician in one word, Pearcy answered “TCB,” an acronym for “taking care of business.”
Outside of the political discourse, the Ratt vocalist is currently preparing to release his sixth solo studio album, The Dogg Mob. The record is tentatively scheduled to arrive this fall via his own Top Fuel Records label. The project follows his 2018 solo effort, View To A Thrill, and 2017’s Smash.
In April, Pearcy released “I Need U“, the lead single from The Dogg Mob. The track features Pearcy handling lead vocals and rhythm guitar duties, alongside guitarist Erik Ferentinos, bassist Matt Thorne, drummer Blas Elias, and an unnamed “special guest” on lead guitar.
Additionally, Pearcy has spent the past year playing a selection of sporadic live shows with his longtime Ratt bandmate, guitarist Warren DeMartini, performing under the Pearcy/DeMartini banner.
