He only made small adjustments to his current solo tour after experiencing kidney problems that required surgery. Guitarist Pete Evick hailed his boss's commitment to staying on the road - but admitted: "as a friend it's hard to encourage or agree."

Now lifelong diabetic Michaels says: "I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone for their concern, prayers and well wishes. I also want to thank the several emergency rooms and their staff for the immediate attention. This has been going on for several weeks and was extremely painful.

"I thought I was well enough after the first operation - however I got a blood clot, as well as an infection, which complicated the matter. I am fortunate that I work hard to keep my diabetes under control; however there's no doubt after 45 years my healing process is a little slower than a non diabetic."