Rock frontman forced to cancel tour after undergoing surgery for painful condition

Roisin O'ConnorTue, August 25, 2026 at 10:20 AM UTC

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Bret Michaels, frontman for the US rock band Poison, has cancelled all of his planned solo shows after undergoing surgery.

The 63-year-old singer behind hits such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Talk Dirty to Me” returned to the stage for his first show since surgery for kidney stones last Friday (21 August).

However, following advice from doctors, Michaels said it had been decided that he requires additional rest and time to recover.

“Bret will be taking the next several months off to heal and get back to 100 per cent,” a statement to his Instagram page said.

Back in June, Michaels played three live dates in the US, during which time he said he had been in “intense pain” due to a kidney stone.

After concluding the third show in Washington, he was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery to have the kidney stone removed and a ureteral stent placed.

Michaels told his fans that the operation was “done” and he was out of post-op recovery, “doing everything within my power to feel better”.

His doctors added their own statement to his latest Instagram post, explaining: “We will be pulling Brett off the road for the time being.

“He wanted to attempt this show, but we feel there is a much-needed period of rest and slow recovery ahead, especially considering the heat and humidity during the summer months and the effect it can have on his blood sugar levels.”

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Michaels had been scheduled to play further shows on his Bret Michaels Live and Amplified tour in Texas, Ohio, Vancouver and Minnesota.

In a follow-up post, Michaels expressed his gratitude towards his family, friends, fans and colleagues for their well-wishes: “They truly gave me the strength I needed to remain unbroken,” he wrote on Monday (24 August).

“As you know, I always choose victory over being a victim to my disease. I truly felt I would be able to do all these shows in site of the recent medical domino effect that has occurred.”

Michaels vowed to return to the Mountain Music Festival in Tennessee, which he was also forced to pull out of, either 2027 or 2028 to deliver “the best show ever”.

“Right now, I’ve been working diligently with my doctors and physical therapists (who have been beyond incredible) on Saturday, today and will again on Monday, adjusting all the new medication and factoring in what I did not the other day,” he said, citing the current summer heat in the US.

He concluded: “You’ve gotta know that my energy and my soul really want to play music. Hopefully, I will get this figured out much sooner than later. If I could, I would be back out there tomorrow. Sincere love to all…stand strong, rock on and remain Unbroken!”

Earlier this summer, Michaels pulled out of president Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 celebration at the Great American State Fair amid controversy over the event.

Michaels told his followers that it was a “difficult” decision to make: “When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honour our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers, and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” he explained.

However, the show apparently evolved into “something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of”.

Michaels is the subject of a new biography, Unbroken Then, Now and Forever, along with a biopic of the same name, scheduled for release later this year.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”