BRET MICHAELS wore his trademark bandana in hospital so he could "go out rockin'".

The Poison singer - who suffered from a brain haemorrhage last month - refused to take off his trademark accessory and boots during his stay in a medical centre because he feels incomplete without them.

He told US chat show host Oprah Winfrey: "It's like Superman without the cape.

"I said, 'Leave the boots on, some form of bandana and a cape... but not in the hospital gown.' If I'm going out, I want to go out rockin'."

The 47-year-old singer also described his shock at falling ill after feeling an "explosion" in his skull.

He said: "All of a sudden I just started moving around and boom there was this explosion. It went pop. They call it a thunderclap.

"I never instantly had a headache like that in my entire life. It's like a migraine times ten. It just exploded instantly - ran from my temple down to the back of my skull."

Bret will join his bandmates Rikki Rockett, Bobby Dall and C.C. DeVille on tour on May 28.

Since Bret fell ill, he has completely reassessed his life and now plans to marry his girlfriend Kristi Gibson, who he has children Raine, nine, and Jorja, five with.