Las Vegas Weekly

September 29, 2010 · 4:21 PM

Strip Scribbles: Rocker Bret Michaels faces heart surgery post-stroke

By Robin Leach

Bret Michaels and Natalie Morales at the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Aug. 23, 2010.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Poison frontman Bret Michaels has confirmed that he will undergo additional surgery in January. Bret told me at the recent Miss Universe Pageant at Mandalay Bay that he was waiting for a full recovery from the brain hemorrhage he suffered in April that was followed by a stroke the next month.

“I have to be completely fit for the operation, which will close up a small hole in my heart,” he told me backstage where he was co-hosting Donald Trump’s beauty pageant with Today’s Natalie Morales. At the time, he didn’t know when the surgery would be performed but said that it wasn’t life threatening as long as he was given the OK after the prior two near-death experiences.

Brett and I were talking with my longtime friend supermodel Niki Taylor, who also had near-death experiences on the operating table after a car crash in Atlanta in May 2001. She was unconscious for six weeks and underwent 56 operations over the months that followed. It was incredible to listen as they shared similar stories of their “visit to the other side” before they were brought back to life.

“Who would think two completely different people like us would meet at a beauty pageant and have something in common like this to talk about,” Niki laughed. “What’s great, though, is against all the odds, we’re both alive to tell the story.”

Bret told us that to close the hole in his heart will not require additional open-heart surgery. Instead, a catheter will be run from his leg up to his heart to close the opening. “I’m amazed I’m still alive to face yet another operation,” he laughed.

*The Fireball Adventure Rally has left Las Vegas on an eight-day, 3,500-mile motor event with 75 teams competing in everything from a Smart Car to a racing Ferrari. The teams will hit 18 cities before arriving in Illinois and three raceways en route. Here, they raced and banked at Las Vegas Speedway before the official start, and it’s all to draw attention to missing kids, Megan’s Law and the Amber Alert System.

I met up with Tina and Ken Green at Palms Place, and you can follow their Smart Car run at KennyandTina.com and Twitter.com/KennyandTina. The couple, who were runners-up on Season 13 of The Amazing Race, moved into first place today -- ahead of the Lamborghinis and Maseratis!

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Carrot Top at Criss Angel's Mindfreak Platinum Magic Kit release party at The Bank in the Bellagio on Sept. 20, 2010.

Star surveillance

Luxor headliner comic Carrot Top was with an attractive lady among a group of friends in a private VIP room at Tender Steakhouse in the Luxor on his night off from his headline show. Hip-hop artist Phillip Bernard, better known by his stage name Grafh, partied at Moon at the Palms last night.

Tonight’s tips

It’s the first night of the Las Vegas Music Summit with an Industry Welcome Party and performances by Play for Keeps, Kisses, The Like and Joey Resly at Beauty Bar downtown. The eclectic Vampire Weekend, with its preppy, indie rock sound, is at The Pearl in the Palms with Beach House and The Very Best. Crazy Horse III starts its first anniversary celebration weekend with a party honoring the Top 20 power players in Las Vegas nightlife. and Motley Crue frontman and Las Vegas resident Vince Neil signs copies of his new autobiography Tattoos and Tequila at Barnes & Noble on Maryland Parkway.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabik.com

Angel Porrino, Vince Neil and Holly Madison at Robin Leach and Michael Boychuck's birthday party at Blush in the Wynn on Sept. 10, 2010.

Tomorrow’s teases

Vince launches a charity initiative for kids with cancer as his new books blasts off in controversy and record sales, plus estrange wife Lia Neil talks for the first time about their recent split. Food critics John Curtas, Max Jacobson and Al Mancini fight it out in a final photo shoot for their new book on Las Vegas restaurants. Plus, a preview of Three Square’s culinary fundraiser Dish with star chefs and Smash Mouth at the Palms.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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