Mick Mars: 5 Things To Know About Motley Crue Guitarist Fighting ‘Crippling Degenerative Disease’

• Mick Mars retired from touring with Motley Crue connected Oct. 26 owed to his years-long conflict with the degenerative illness Ankylosing Spondylitis, which tin origin spinal vertebrae to fuse
• Mick co-founded the fashionable metallic set alongside bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and pb vocalist Vince Neil successful Los Angeles successful 1981
• Former Marilyn Manson/ Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 volition beryllium taking Mick’s spot connected Motley Crue’s circuit with Def Leppard

Motley Crue released a connection pursuing the quality of their drummer, Mick Mars, stepping backmost from touring owed to his years-long conflict with Ankylosing Spondylitis. The dense metallic band, founded by Mick, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil successful 1981, took to their Instagram connected Oct. 27, 2022 to denote they volition proceed connected with their caller circuit with Def Leppard, per Mick’s wishes, and to wage tribute to their person and bandmate.

Mick Mars retired from touring with Motley Crue owed to his conflict with a degenerative disease. (Shutterstock)

“We person watched Mick negociate his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and helium has ever managed it with utmost courageousness and grace,” the set said. “To accidental ‘enough is enough’ is the eventual enactment of courage.” They continued, “Mick’s dependable helped specify Mötley Crüe from the infinitesimal helium plugged successful his guitar astatine our precise archetypal rehearsal together. The rest, arsenic they say, is history. We’ll proceed to grant his philharmonic legacy.”

Keep speechmaking to find retired much astir the legendary guitarist, below.

Mick Changed His Name Right Before Forming Motley Crue

Motley Crue volition proceed to circuit without Mick Mars. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

Mick Mars was calved Robert Alan Deal successful Indiana connected May 4, 1951. He soon moved to California wherever helium began chasing his philharmonic aspirations. After failing to find a palmy set successful Los Angeles, Robert decided to alteration his moniker to Mick and enactment an advertisement successful the insubstantial successful 1981, famously reading, “loud, rude, assertive guitar subordinate available,” according to LoudWire. Nikki and Tommy answered the advertisement and the remainder is history!

He Was Diagnosed With The Disease As A Teen

Mick wrote successful the band’s 2001 memoir The Dirt that helium started having problems with Ankylosing Spondylitis erstwhile helium was 19. “My hips started hurting truthful atrocious each clip I turned my assemblage that it felt similar idiosyncratic was igniting fireworks successful my bones. I didn’t person capable wealth to spot a doctor, truthful I conscionable kept hoping that I could bash what I usually do: volition it away, done the powerfulness of my mind. But it kept getting worse.”

Mick Became Addicted To Pain Killers

With specified an agonizing illness ravaging his body, Mick recovered immoderate alleviation successful symptom killers. However, it became an addiction, and helium ended up taking 2 years disconnected from playing guitar to woody with it. “I kept getting worse and worse, and I conscionable stopped playing guitar for astir 2 years,” Mick told Metal Sludge successful 2008. “Nowadays, it’s not truthful bad, but backmost past erstwhile I was precocious connected each that worldly and Motley were having a break, I knew if I didn’t halt I was gonna die.”

A Doctor’s ‘Bizarre’ Treatment Made Mick A Better Guitarist

At 1 of his lowest points, Mick ended up seeing a doc who gave him immoderate intructions to assistance with his struggling posture. “In the end, I had to spell to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten maine up and helium said to me, ‘Just clasp the guitar for an hr a time – don’t play it, conscionable clasp it,'” helium told Metal Sludge. “It was beauteous bizarre but I got done it, and successful the extremity I deliberation I’m really a amended subordinate due to the fact that of it.”

Marilyn Manson’s Guitarist Will Be Replacing Mick

Former Marilyn Manson/ Rob Zombie guitarist John 5, who precocious stopped his gig with Rob Zombie, volition beryllium taking Mick’s spot connected Motley Crue’s circuit with Def Leppard. “I’m honored to transportation connected Mick’s bequest and americium looking guardant to playing these songs,” John wrote connected Motley Crue’s Instagram.