Rikki Rockett recently offered an update on his health, more than nine years after he was diagnosed with oral cancer. During an October 31 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”,
Rikki said, “I’m doing great. No red flags. I mean, of course, I had side effects from the radiation treatment I had. I can’t sing for as long periods of time. I was never a lead singer, obviously, but just stuff like that. It takes me longer to eat than most people. I don’t have a hundred percent saliva production, so I’ve gotta drink a lot. And because I drink a lot, I’ve gotta pee a lot. So there’s little things, but, man, I’m alive, and there’s so many people I’ve watched perish over the last couple years. And I just have to — thank God, modern medicine, that everything worked out for me. My wife was such a support, and my doctor was fricking phenomenal, Dr. [Ezra] Cohen [a medical oncologist and associate director for Translational Science at Moores Cancer Center in La Jolla, California]. He saved so many people. He was brave and pushed the limits, and that’s why I survived, because he did a novel type of treatment, because we were out options. I had a 10 per cent chance of living. And I’m here for some reason.”
In June 2015, Rikki visited his primary care doctor with a sore throat. His doctor found a small tumour at the base of his tongue, and Rikki learned he had human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oral cancer. He endured nine rounds of chemotherapy and 37 sessions of radiation therapy. The tumour initially responded, but returned three months later, spreading to his lymph nodes. Rikki then saw Cohen at UCSD Moores Cancer Center, who helped him enrol in a clinical trial of pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Rikki’s tumour responded immediately. Just over two months into the trial, a scan revealed that his tumour had shrunk over 90 per cent.
Rockett’s memoir, “Ghost Notes”, is due on July 15, 2025 through Rare Bird Books. The book was written by writer duo Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson.
Rikki Rockett is the co-founder and drummer for the band Poison, which exploded into the highly competitive Los Angeles music scene in the 1980s, making a name for themselves in the clubs on the Sunset Strip.
Poison’s reunited original lineup — Rockett, singer Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. DeVille — completed “The Stadium Tour” with MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS in 2022. The trek was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In April 2022, Rockett married his longtime girlfriend TC Smith at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, California.
Rikki was previously married to singer/songwriter Melanie Martel. They share joint custody of their two kids — son Jude Aaron Rockett and daughter Lucy Sky Rockett.
In September, Rikki announced the launch of a new band called THE ROCKETT MAFIA. Joining him in the group is Brandon Gibbs (DEVIL CITY ANGELS) on vocals and guitar, Mick Sweda (BULLETBOYS) on guitar and backing vocals, and Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals.