You might say Bret Michaels has taken a page out of Tim McGraw’s playbook. True, the Poison front man and country superstar seem miles apart musically. Yet Michaels’ recent life-threatening illnesses, including a brain hemorrhage, made him completely reexamine his life and embrace a McGraw catchphrase.
“You know, it’s like Tim McGraw says: ‘Live Like You Were Dying,’ said Michaels, mentioning McGraw’s hit song. “Since the age of 6 [as a juvenile diabetic], I’ve lived with dying being a very real aspect in life. … What the brain hemorrhage did was make me hold my daughters a little tighter, love my family and friends a little more. In actuality, while [the hemorrhage] was the scariest thing you can imagine, it provided me the opportunity to show my daughters that at all cost, you get back on your horse and ride.”
| Onstage |
| Bret Michaels |
| » When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday |
| » Where: Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria |
| » Info: $59.50; ticketmaster.com; 202-397-SEAT |
Not that Michaels has ever taken it easy in his professional life. Besides his fame with Poison, he has also has made a name for himself as a solo artist, reality TV star — including as a winner on “Celebrity Apprentice” soon after the brain hemorrhage — and entrepreneur.
His nonstop schedule has surprised many. Yet Michaels believes he has no time to waste.
“I believe what I took away from [the illness] was an enhancement of what I have already believed and how I lived my life,” he sad. “I have spent every day [of my life since age 6] taking precaution in my actions, exercise and eating habits, yet I have also embraced that it can all be taken away from you.”
That’s one reason why Michaels said he also has been quick to stay on the road with Poison while touring and recording with his own band.
