Bret Michaels Says His Life and Career Is a 'True Series of Roses and Absolute Thorns' (Exclusive)

"I always had this attitude that I was not going to be a victim," the rock star tells PEOPLE

• Bret Michaels is the subject of an A&E Biography airing Sunday

• "I said, 'If you're willing to do a deep dive, along with the sex, drugs, rock and roll and craziness ... then I'm very excited,'" he tells PEOPLE

• The Poison frontman's decades-long career has not come without adversity

Bret Michaels knows his life has been made up of some of the highest highs, but also some of the lowest lows.

The Poison frontman, 61, is the first subject of a new A&E Biography series that looks at the careers and personal lives of some of rock music’s biggest names.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE ahead of his episode's premiere on Sunday, June 16, Michaels says, "My life is a true series of roses and absolute thorns."

"That's my everyday life, and as a type 1 diabetic, I always had this attitude that I was not going to be a victim," he continues. "This is the card I was dealt."

He adds, "I said this is not going to stop me. I'm going to figure out how I can move forward with music and my life."

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Related: Bret Michaels Calls Bandmate C.C. DeVille 'One of My Best Friends Now' After Past Fights (Exclusive)

Michaels' illustrious decades-long career took off in the 1980s, when Poison broke onto the rock music scene. They found success with hits like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Talk Dirty to Me," and "Nothin' But a Good Time."

Throughout the years, the father of two, who is a dad to daughters Raine and Jorja, has scored numerous chart achievements and sold millions of records — both with his band and also a solo artist. Michaels even had a successful stint on reality television, starring on VH1's Rock of Love and NBC's Celebrity Apprentice 3.

Still, he faced numerous hurdles throughout the years, including drama within his rock group, as well as a series of health setbacks such as complications with his diabetes, a near-fatal brain hemorrhage and a stroke.

Michaels, who is currently on his Pardi-Gras 2.0 tour, says he wants viewers "to understand the adversity" of his life when watching the upcoming special.

"Facing those adversities, along with the triumphs, that's the real journey of life for me," he explains. "In other words, everyone has their own adversities they face."

"And I always say when I'm throwing the rock horns, it stands for stand strong, rock on and remain unbroken," adds Michaels. "Just go out there and rock the world the best you can."

Related: Bret Michaels on Turning 60 After Near-Fatal Health Struggles: 'I Still Got a Lot of Life to Live' (Exclusive)

According to Michaels, he was "excited" when A&E came to him with the idea of doing an episode of the series based on his life and career, but said he had one specific requirement that had to be met.

"I asked them, and this was in several different conversations, 'Are you going to do a deep dive into this? Or are we just scratching the surface?' Because what three generations of fans are craving is a deep dive," he says. "I said, 'If you're willing to do a deep dive, along with the sex, drugs, rock and roll and craziness ... then I'm very excited.' "

And while Michaels has no plans to watch the episode beforehand — telling PEOPLE, "I'm taking a leap of faith that this is done well because I won't watch it until it comes out" — the artist will take part in a Facebook Live session with fans where he will interact with them tied to the special's release.

A&E's Biography series will also feature episodes focused on Dee Snider (June 23), Alice Cooper (June 23), Sammy Hagar (June 30) and Sebastian Bach (June 30).

Biography: Bret Michaels premieres on A&E on June 16 at 9 p.m. EST. It will be available to stream the following day.

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Read the original article on People.