RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Billboard — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sources
Bret Michaels has been forced to cancel all his remaining 2026 solo band shows due to an extended recovery from two recent surgeries. In an Instagram post on Saturday (Aug. 22), Michaels, 63, posted a note explaining that after the singer tried to get on stage on Friday (Aug. 21) at a show in Sugar Hill, Ga. following the two procedures, after speaking to his physicians, he made the hard choice to cancel the rest of this year’s gigs.
“Following Bret Michaels’ comeback show at @thebowlatsugarhill, doctors and paramedics determined immediately after the show that he still needs additional rest and recovery from his recent surgeries. Bret will be taking the next several months off to heal and get back to 100%,” read the message.
Quoting his doctors, Dr. Abby Borhan and Dr. Patel, it read: “We will be pulling Bret 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.”
Michaels, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently had surgery to remove a kidney stone and to implant a ureteral stent and from the sound of the message from his doctors, the singer needs more time to heal from those procedures.
In his own note in the same post, Michaels thanked fans for their well-wishes and promised that he would be out there doing his thing again as soon as he is physically able. “There are not enough words to tell you how much your incredible messages mean to me,” he wrote. “In my nonstop spirit to go out & do what I love – which is to play music and to see all of you, all my family, friends and fans & meet everybody…it’s what I truly love – I may have just chosen to go sooner than I should have. We will come back better than ever. And I say this with much love and respect to everybody!”
Last month, the solo star and Poison singer told fans that he’d had surgery to remove a kidney stone , which required pausing his Live & Amplified world tour after experiencing kidney pain during several shows. The situation came to a head after a private show in Spokane, Wash. on July 18, which he finished, before being rushed to a hospital after trying, and failing, to pass the stone. It was at that point that Dr. Borhan said that Michaels was diagnosed with a “complicated obstructing kidney stone” that required immediate surgery and the placement of a ureteral stent.
At the time, Michaels’ medical team said he was restricted from performing for three or four weeks to properly heal. Before calling them off, Michaels had a run of North American shows scheduled from July 30 through Aug. 29 and his official website listed shows through a Nov. 14 gig in Harris, Mich.; he was slated to headline the Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tenn. on Saturday (Aug. 22).
In addition to managing his Type 1 diabetes since childhood, Michaels has suffered a number of serious health issues over the years, including a life-threatening brain hemorrhage in 2010 and a related warning stroke before that, as well as surgery to repair a hole in his heart in 2011 and kidney surgery in 2014.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.