At 60, Bret Michaels is ‘still fast, still fun,’ but needs ‘a little more maintenance’

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Resilience, thy name is Bret Michaels.

The flaxen-haired Poison singer, solo rocker, businessman (from candles to bandannas) and exceptionally cheerful human being has celebrated innumerable triumphs in music but also endured some tough health concerns.

As he prepares to turn 60 on Wednesday, Michaels credits his “unbroken, fighting, positive spirit”’ for continuing to push him.

He’s lived with Type 1 diabetes since childhood; suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2010; had a hole in his heart repaired in 2011; and underwent kidney surgery in 2014.

Bret Michaels takes a break to hit the waves during a solo tour in Australia.

He’s also a road warrior who plays upward of a hundred shows a year, either with Poison or the Bret Michaels Band. The indefatigable Michaels just returned from an ’80s-themed cruise where he loved playing bartender (Coke and whiskey or vodka and cranberry juice are his simple specialties) as much as playing music.

Last summer, Michaels and his Poison bandmates, along with Motley Crue, Def Leppard and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts stormed the country on The Stadium Tour, which grossed a staggering $173 million.

This summer, he’s packed up some pals for a series of Partis Gras amphitheater shows and later this year, Michaels is the subject of an installment of A&E’s “Biography.”

The self-deprecating multihyphenate caught up with USA TODAY recently to chat about health, touring and gratitude:

Oscars in review:Brutally honest ranked reviews of music performances

Question: So how does sexy at 60 look on you?

Answer: I feel more passionate and just as excited as ever. I went back and pulled out a photo of me and my sister Nicole on a motorcycle (as kids) and I haven’t changed. It’s like me riding my wheelie during The Stadium Tour. I feel more energetic and grateful. With all of the crazy diabetes and the brain hemorrhage, I’ve been through a lot of adversity and I’m still here.

Bret Michaels, a Pennsylvania native, waves the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Terrible Towel" during a stop on The Stadium Tour in 2022.

Even as good of shape as you’re in, there must be some modifications to your lifestyle, right?

It’s called adapting. So obviously, I’m not going to be trying out for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, but I can go play flag football with my friends. I adapt and change with what my body can do. There is no magic pill. I am like a true muscle car – still fast, still fun to ride, but I just need a little more maintenance.

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