MÖTLEY CRÜE - Metal Travels

Mötley Crüe promo photo from Shout at the Devil

Mötley Crüe was formed in Los Angeles, California, in January 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and vocalist Vince Neil completing the classic line-up shortly afterwards. The band emerged from the rapidly growing hard rock scene around Hollywood and the Sunset Strip, and played their first concerts at The Starwood in West Hollywood on 24 April 1981, opening for Y&T. Their independently released debut album, “Too Fast for Love”, followed later that year.

The four classic members came from very different backgrounds despite Mötley Crüe being so closely associated with Los Angeles. Nikki Sixx was born in San Jose, California, and spent parts of his childhood in Idaho and Washington before moving to Los Angeles as a teenager. Tommy Lee was born in Athens, Greece, but his family moved to California when he was around a year old, and he grew up in Southern California. Vince Neil was born in Hollywood and grew up around the Los Angeles area, including Inglewood and Watts, before his family settled in Glendora. Mick Mars was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and spent part of his childhood in Huntington, Indiana, before his family moved to Garden Grove, California.

The band has had relatively few permanent line-up changes. Philadelphia-born John Corabi replaced Vince Neil as vocalist from 1992 to 1996 and sang on the self-titled “Mötley Crüe” album from 1994. When Tommy Lee left the band in 1999, Albuquerque-born Randy Castillo, previously known for his long tenure with Ozzy Osbourne, took over on drums and recorded the 2000 album “New Tattoo”. Mick Mars retired from touring with Mötley Crüe in 2022, with John 5 taking over guitar duties and becoming a full member in 2023. John 5 was born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, before moving to Los Angeles as a teenager.

Today the members are spread across the United States. Nikki Sixx lives in the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming, where he moved with his family after decades in California. Vince Neil lives in the Nashville area of Tennessee, having moved to the state in the 2010s. Tommy Lee remains based in Los Angeles, California, while John 5 also lives in Los Angeles. Former guitarist Mick Mars lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and former vocalist John Corabi has also made Nashville his home.

Former drummer Randy Castillo died on 26 March 2002 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 51 after battling squamous cell carcinoma. Castillo had joined Mötley Crüe after Tommy Lee’s departure and remained associated with the band until illness prevented him from continuing. After a memorial service at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills, his body was returned to his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is interred in the mausoleum at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Albuquerque.