Rikki Rocket of Poison Beats Cancer - Noise11.com
Rikki Rockett

Rikki Rocket of Poison Beats Cancer

by Roger Wink, VVN Music on July 15, 2016

in News

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett says that, for the first time in a year, he is officially cancer free.

Rockett made the announcement via Instagram, showing a picture of him with his arm around Dr. Ezra Cohen and the message “Because of this man, I am cancer free!!!”

Rockett announced that he was battling cancer of the tongue last December during an appearance on Eddie Trunk’s Sirius/XM show. Doctors, at the time, told him “You picked one of hell of a cancer to get. It is very treatable, it’s very curable, but it is a son of a bitch to treat, and I’m gonna hurt you.”

Rockett originally underwent radiation and chemotherapy but the tumor returned and took over two lymph nodes. The initial assessment was that he would have to have his tongue removed before he was advised to apply for a clinical trial for cancer immune therapy at UC San Diego, a fairly new treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight the cancer.

Rikki started the treatments in March and, by late June, there was just a small amount of tumor left. Now, according to his post, that has also been eradicated.

Rockett, 54, was one of the founding members of Poison with Bret Michaels, Matt Smith and Bobby Dall. Formed in 1980, they didn’t release their first album until 1986 with Look What the Cat Dragged In. They’ve had six top ten hits including Every Rose Has Its Thorn (1988 / #1), Unskinny Bop (1990 / #3) and Something to Believe In (1990 / #4).

vvnmusic.com

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Never miss a story! Get your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to the Noise11 Music Newsletter here

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Follow Noise11.com on Facebook and Twitter

NOISE11 UPDATES are now in Apple News

Related Posts

Crowded House performing live during the Red Hot Summer Tour 2025
Crowded House Red Hot Summer Turns Into One Of The Most Successful Ever

The 2025 Red Hot Summer Tour featuring Crowded House has become one of the most successful in the festival's 14-year history.

17 hours ago
Laufey performing live in 2024
Laufey Expands Her Storytelling With Debut Picture Book Mei Mei The Bunny

Icelandic-Chinese singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey is moving from the stage to the bookshelf, announcing her debut picture book Mei Mei The Bunny, to be released globally on 21 April 2026 through Penguin Workshop, with UK and Commonwealth rights handled by DK Children's.

3 days ago
D’Angelo performing onstage, late 1990s, soulful spotlight
D’Angelo, Neo-Soul Pioneer, Dies Aged 51

Michael D'Angelo Archer, the singer-songwriter and producer who helped define the neo-soul movement, has died aged 51 following a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer, his family has announced. The D'Angelo Estate said he “has been called home, departing this life today, October 14, 2025,” and asked for privacy while inviting fans to celebrate the music he leaves behind.

4 days ago
Ian Watkins, former Lostprophets singer, has died at age 48 following a prison attack in Wakefield, England.
Pedophile Ian Watkins, Former Lostprophets Frontman, Killed In UK Prison

Ian Watkins, the former lead singer of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has been killed in prison while serving a lengthy sentence for child sex offences. He was 48.

6 days ago
Gene Simmons recovering after Malibu car crash October 2025
Gene Simmons Recovering After Malibu Car Crash Ahead of Major KISS Reunion

Rock legend and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons is recovering at home in Los Angeles after a car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu earlier this week. The 76-year-old musician was briefly hospitalised after reportedly passing out behind the wheel of his Lincoln Navigator, which veered across several lanes of traffic and collided with a parked vehicle just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

October 9, 2025
Brantley Gilbert with BBR Music Group and BMG Nashville executives on stage during The Tattoos Tour in Nashville
Brantley Gilbert signs with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville as Tattoos Tour rolls through Nashville

Brantley Gilbert has quietly, and then not so quietly, shifted his label home, signing with BBR Music Group in partnership with BMG Nashville after label executives joined him on stage during a recent stop of his Tattoos Tour in Nashville. The Georgia-born country rocker confirmed the move with fans mid-show as executives from both companies celebrated the new partnership, signalling a major next chapter in Gilbert's career.

October 7, 2025
Robbie Williams at A Day On The Green Geelong 2023 photo by Winston Robinson
Robbie Williams Istanbul Concert Cancelled Amid Protests and Safety Concerns

British pop superstar Robbie Williams has had his long-planned Istanbul concert cancelled just days before it was due to take place, after Turkish authorities pulled the plug citing “public safety concerns” following intense protests and social media campaigns accusing the singer of being “Zionist.”

October 6, 2025