Poison Drummer Recorded Heartbreaking Messages for His Children as Cancer Threatened to Take His Tongue

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has described recording messages for his children while undergoing treatment for throat cancer, fearing doctors might need to remove his tongue. He wanted them to be able to hear his voice and advice as they grew up, in case he did not survive.

Rockett announced his diagnosis in 2015 and had previously undergone chemotherapy and radiation. He lost significant weight and feared he might not survive if he needed a feeding tube. Treatment succeeded, and he is now cancer-free; he later revisited the experience in his memoir, *Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison*.