Bret Michaels was hospitalized moments before he was set to take to the stage with his band Poison on Thursday night in Nashville.
The 59-year-old rocker was being treated in a local hospital after suffering from an apparent reaction to COVID-19 medication caused by his diabetes, according to TMZ, which noted that Michaels' bandmates went on stage to inform concertgoers of the situation. Hours later, Michaels released a statement on Twitter thanking his "incredible fans" for their support and apologizing for not performing.
"I was truly fired up to get on stage in the Music City and perform, but due to an unforeseen medical complication & following hospitalization, it was not possible," Michaels wrote. "I send my deepest apologies for being unable to rock the stage tonight!!! I'm working on being back 100% very soon & hope you rocked hard with my friends Motley/Leppard/Joan and Classless Act!!!"
Poison is currently on tour with Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Michaels has had some health scares over the years.
In 2014, he was hospitalized six times in two weeks after kidney surgery and had two stents put into his body, his longtime guitarist and friend, Pete Evick, told fans at the time, according to Page Six. That did not stop Michaels from getting back on stage as soon as he could, despite the doctor's orders.
In 2010, Michaels had an emergency appendectomy and, shortly after, suffered a hemorrhage at the base of his brain stem. That same year, the rocker, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, went on to win "Celebrity Apprentice" and donated his winnings to the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), according to Yahoo Lifestyle.
"It’s supposed to be a curse. It ends up being a blessing in some strange way," he said of his diabetes. "I’ve been beat up, but I’ve never felt defeated," he added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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