Motley Crue has announced that John 5 will be filling in for guitarist Mick Mars on the band’s upcoming tour dates.
This news comes shortly after it was announced Mars was retiring from touring due to the effects of Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), a degenerative disease that causes the spine to curve.
Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx shared the news of John 5 in a joint statement and touched on their admiration of Mars.
“While change is never easy, we accept Mick’s decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health,” begins the statement. “We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace.”
They continued, “To say ‘enough is enough’ is the ultimate act of courage. Mick’s sound helped define Motley Crue from the minute he plugged in his guitar at our very first rehearsal together. The rest, as they say, is history. We’ll continue to honor his musical legacy.”
The Crue concluded, “We will carry out Mick’s wish and continue to tour the world as planned in 2023. No doubt will it take an absolutely outstanding musician to fill Mick’s shoes so we are grateful that our good friend, John 5, has agreed to come on board and join us moving forward. We’ll see all you Crueheads out on the road!”
John 5 has previously played for the likes of David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. He issued his own brief statement on him filling in for Mars saying, “I’m honored to carry on Mick’s legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs.”