Talk about a true professional! In order to appear on last night’s American Idol finale, Bret Michaels overcame a potentially fatal brain hemorrhage, a mini-stroke and learning that he has a hole in his heart.

The Poison star rocked the stage with former contestant Casey James to sing his hit song ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’ and considering it was his first live gig since his run of medical emergencies last month, we think he was truly amazing.

Bret admitted that he kept his appearance on the show completely secret.

“The doctors — I didn’t tell them I was going to do this … They’re going to find out in a few minutes,” the rebel told reporters backstage.

Michaels, 47, added that he “may not” have told his family either.

“I needed to be here and do this,” the ailing star told reporters backstage after the performance. “It’s been two months since I played, a month and a half in the hospital, and it was such an amazing feeling to come out there tonight and jam with Casey.”

“There’s still obviously a lot of things and a lot of pain I’m still experiencing,” he said. “But except for a little, as they say, hitch in the giddy up getting out there, my left side from the warning stroke, I feel amazing.”

We think it was a good experience for Casey too. He was energetic and dynamic while onstage with Michaels and we can see him becoming a successful artist in his own right now, rather than just another Idol clone.