NASHVILLE – Minutes before Poison was expected to perform at Tennessee’s Nissan Stadium, the band announced lead singer Bret Michaels had been hospitalized
The rest of the hard rock group took the stage late Thursday afternoon to break the news and apologize, a Live Nation representative confirmed. No reason for Michaels’ hospitalization was given.
Poison is part of The Stadium Tour, a lineup that includes Motley Crue and Def Leppard with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Michaels, 59, has been a Type 1 diabetic since age 6.
“I’m a grateful guy,” he told USA TODAY before the tour. “To be on the good side of the dirt after all I’ve been through … I live to be on the road. It’s my freedom. It’s good for my soul.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Michaels’ representatives for further comment.
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He described controlling his blood sugar on the road through diet and dedication to exercise, working out in his mobile gym in the hours of road travel between tour dates.
“I come from a family that likes to party, but as a diabetic, I have to find more balance,” he told USA TODAY.
Aside from the announcement on stage, there has been no public acknowledgment of the cancellation. Michaels’ and his band’s social media accounts have not been updated.
“The Origins of Bret Michaels,” a multipart documentary drawn from the musician’s 2020 memoir “Auto-Scrap-Ography Vol. 1,” is expected on A&E in November.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY
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