Poison frontman Bret Michaels has broken his silence after being forced to cancel all of his solo shows, addressing fans directly in a statement shared on Instagram. The update comes after Michaels had already postponed several solo band dates following complications from kidney stone surgery. He later announced the cancellation of his remaining shows.
In his message, Michaels thanked fans, friends and fellow musicians for their support. He also explained the medical setbacks that led to the cancellations, including a missed appearance at The Mountain Music Festival.
“There are not enough words to ever say how grateful I am for all the well wishes of family, friends, fans, bands, crews…and Larry, as well as the incredible get well shoutouts from my musician friends on stage The Mountain Music Festival,” Michaels said. “They truly gave me the strength I needed to remain unbroken.”
He went on to express his disappointment at having to miss the festival, while noting his intention to return in the future.
“As you know, I always choose victory over being a victim to my disease,” Michaels continued. “I truly felt I would be able to do all these shows in spite of the recent medical domino effect that has occurred. I was truly upset that I could not play The Mountain Music Festival as I love the fans, the outdoors and Tennessee. And I vow to return in ’27 or ’28 and make it the best show ever, plus I wanted to see the rumored BearSquatch & rock with so many great bands, fans and crew.”
Michaels also detailed the specific factors that complicated his recovery, including heat, travel and medication adjustments.
“Right now, I’ve worked 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, which was the heat factor in Awesome Atlanta, and, as it was my first show back and I wanted to give every ounce of energy I had in me, with my excitement, I also forgot to factor in the coast to coast flight, which had an effect on my blood sugar & blood pressure with the new medicine adjustments, including my insulin,” he said.
He closed his statement with a message of encouragement to fans, reaffirming his commitment to returning to the stage.
“You’ve gotta know that my energy and my soul really want to play music,” Michaels said. “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!”
Michaels’ road back to the stage has been a bumpy one, marked by a string of medical complications that began weeks before this latest setback.
The trouble first surfaced in late July, when Michaels pushed through three concerts on his Live & Amplified World Tour while battling severe kidney pain. He waited nearly a week in hopes the stone would pass on its own, but ultimately underwent emergency surgery rather than cancel his commitments. Doctors placed a stent and ordered him to take three to four weeks off the road to recover before it could safely be removed.
That recovery window set the stage for his return performance at The Bowl at Sugar Hill, which was meant to mark his comeback. Instead, doctors and paramedics determined immediately following the show that Michaels still needed additional rest. This prompted his team to pull him off the road for the time being and cancel his remaining 2026 dates.
Michaels now points to the cascading effects of that surgery, paired with the unexpected demands of travel and performing again so soon, as the root of his most recent health scare. His statement makes clear that the combination of heat, a coast-to-coast flight and adjustments to his insulin and blood pressure medication proved to be more than his body could handle just weeks removed from surgery.
Despite the setbacks, Michaels has remained defiant in his messaging throughout the ordeal. He has consistently framed his health struggles as obstacles to overcome rather than reasons to step away from performing altogether.
No further show dates have been announced. Updates on Michaels’ recovery and return to the stage are expected in the coming weeks.
