In USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether at home, on the set, or on the road.
Bret Michaels is calling a few minutes late for the most un-rock-star reason.
His glucose level had dropped a bit so he needed to find some orange juice to give it a boost.
The Poison frontman and captain of a thriving solo career with his eponymous band has lived with Type 1 diabetes since childhood and is vigilant about maintaining his health through vigorous activity. It might be jogging in place at home watching a Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game, hiking the mountains in California or Arizona or whipping through a game of extreme dodgeball.
“I’ve never complained about getting old,” says Michaels, who turned 62 March 15, “because I’ve known so many friends who never had the chance.”
The indefatigable Michaels will blast through a trove of Poison hits (“Talk Dirty to Me,” “Unskinny Bop,” “Every Rose Has its Thorn”) at amphitheaters and theaters starting April 11; play alongside Alice Cooper, Shinedown, Nickelback and others at the May 18 Boardwalk Rock festival in Ocean City, Maryland; and reconvene with pals Def Leppard for shows in June and July in between his own dates.
He’s also readying the fall release of a photo journal, “Then, Now and Forever,” which tracks his formative years in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, (he shouts out JoJo’s Pizza & Pasta in nearby Mechanicsburg as an enduring favorite) through his evolution as a rocker and businessman.
The gregarious musician and “entrepreneurial free spirit” chatted candidly about his unyielding allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers, why he listens to Christmas music year-round and how his trademark bandana is his “super power.”
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Bret Michaels says he ‘can’t live in fear’
Given his unconventional lifestyle as a touring musician whose creed is to provide fans with “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” Michaels is extra-mindful of monitoring his health needs. He wears a glucose monitor 24/7 and his morning routine consists of taking an insulin shot, brewing coffee, having a bite to eat and working out for about 30 minutes of weights and cardio.
As a guy who loves to engage in outdoor activities, Michaels is always prepared.
“If I’m hiking or mountain biking, I always have a backpack with (food and drinks). You’re never alone. You’re always with some form of maintenance equipment,” he says with a laugh. “But I cannot stay in a hotel room. I can’t live in fear.”
Michaels also offers support to kids with diabetes through his Life Rocks Foundation.
Bret Michaels is optimistic about the Pittsburgh Steelers
The self-proclaimed “rock and jock” is an unabashed “Steelers Believer” who grew up rooting for the NFL team, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins (he also loves his “East Coast Pennsylvania teams” – the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers).
As a personal friend of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (the two share a birthdate), Michaels has adopted inspiration from one of the winningest coaches in professional football.
“I’ve learned to live my life as, ‘Don’t be a victim, be victorious.’ Own it. If you own it, you never have to look over your shoulder,” Michaels says.
He’s pumped for the 2025 season and supports the return of quarterback Mason Rudolph (“he’s a big guy who can take a hit”) as well as the addition of former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.
“He is unbelievable,” Michaels says. “That signing was a win. Now all we have to do is move that ball 11 yards at a time!”
Bret Michaels listens to everything from AC/DC to Dean Martin
While the volcanic roar of AC/DC is usually the “instant motivator” backdrop for his workouts, Michaels takes the notion of music as a universal language beyond an affinity for rock, country and pop and delves into … Christmas music.
“I’m not a preachy faith guy. I’ve always said each finds their own (religion), provided you’re not hurting anybody,” he says. “But if I’m having a down day, I seek out traditional Christmas music.”
Michaels is dedicated to his family – wife Kristi, daughters Raine, 24 and Jorja, 19 and their rescue German shepherds Draco and Nova – and finds Christmas songs a reminder of “the spirit of giving, family, fun (and) laughter.”
He leans to toward classics from Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Andy Williams and loves to listen in the summer heat so “mentally, I feel cooler!”
Bret Michaels calls his trademark bandana his ‘super power’
From the time he was a kid and saw Jimi Hendrix rocking a headscarf, Michaels realized the coolness factor to the accessory.
“It’s my super power. It’s my own feeling of identity. Somehow I became ‘Bandana Man,’” he says with a chuckle, also citing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant as an inspiration in forehead-wear.
Even Michaels’ 2020 run on “The Masked Singer” revealed him as the “Bandana Banana.”
But there is a practical dual purpose to his cranial complement.
“It keeps all of the sweat out of my eyes when I’m exercising or performing,” he says. “And I sweat.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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