Travis Barker understands something about dedication. A legend in his own right, Travis has forged a place in musical history as an iconic drummer through his work in Blink 182, Plus 44, and contributing to various hip-hop remixes. You'd be hard pressed to find a music fan unfamiliar with his name. Yet last year proved a harrowing experience for Barker, who found himself dealing with blood clots in his arms, which ultimately developed into a Staph Infection. Despite the fact that the clots remain a constant presence, Barker has rallied in spite of it, letting the game know he's ready to join Lil Wayne in an epic summer tour.
Speaking with Yahoo, Barker opened up about his health scares, explaining how only death could prevent him from taking the stage. "Obviously it's safety first, but once I was on blood thinners, I had great doctors and a great team behind me giving me advice and stuff, I started playing again," says Travis. "I just don't take no for an answer. And unfortunately with my condition, my blood clots, if something did happen it's not like I'd have a chance to do anything about it. I guess with my history, stuff I've overcome, my plane crash, has just given me strength to overcome stuff."
"I think since I've been in this band, I've always gotten hurt," he reflects. "I'd hit Mark like, I think I hurt my foot, but tour is still on, I'll see you in a weke. Or, I broke my hand in Plus 44, we did a whole entire tour with me playing with one hand. alluding to his bandmates. I think they're used to it. As long as I'm not dead, they know I'm going to tour."
Shout out to Travis Barker for holding it down in the face of several near-death-experiences, and coming out on the other side with a positive outlook. Check out the video below.