Motley Crue

Mötley Crüe (IPA pronunciation: ) is a popular American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band is made up of Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil. more...

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Despite their notoriety, Mötley Crüe is considered one of the most successful American heavy metal and hard rock bands, having sold over 41 million albums worldwide and 24 million records in the US alone. Their ninth studio album is due to be released sometime in 2007.

History

1980s

Mötley Crüe was formed in Los Angeles in 1981, after bassist Nikki Sixx left the band London which he and Lizzie Grey had started in 1979 after he was fired from Blackie Lawless' band Sister. London was also the first band for Guns N' Roses guitarists Izzy Stradlin and Slash, as well as Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. Drummer Tommy Lee was in a band called Suite 19 with vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon, who would later replace Randy Rhoads in Quiet Riot. Nikki and Tommy decided to play together, but Leon declined.

Nikki and Tommy met guitarist Mick Mars — at that time still performing under his name Bob Alan Deal — through an ad in The Recycler reading "Loud, rude, aggressive guitarist available." When they first met Mick, Nikki's first reaction was, "I can't believe it! Here's another one like us!", and Tommy Lee later said in interviews that Mars "came in looking like Cousin Itt from The Addams Family." Mick's equipment was quickly set up and shortly after, he was playing the opening riff to "Stick to Your Guns". Mars proceeded to, according to Tommy Lee, "play the shit out of his guitar." After getting drunk and jamming for an hour, Sixx and Lee hired Mars, and Mick fired the band's guitarist, who was a musician known only as Robin (a "pansy" according to Lee).

It was Mick who came up with the band's name. While in his former band, White Horse, one of the band members walked in and called the group "a motley looking crew." Mick copied the name down on paper, with the original spelling Mottley cru. The name was later applied to the band he was to join in 1981 with Nikki and Tommy. However, there is much talk about the band floating the name "Christmas" before they settled on Mötley Crüe. According to Nikki in the band's VH1 "Behind The Music" episode, it was his suggestion, thinking that a familiar, popular word for a name would attract fans by itself.

Tommy and Vince Neil originally knew each other in high school (Royal Oak H.S.) in Covina. They had performed in different bands in the garage-band circuit. Mick suggested Mötley Crüe hire Vince after seeing him perform with the band Rock Candy at the Starwood in Hollywood.

At first Vince rebuffed the band when they asked him to audition. Then, as fate would have it, Rock Candy dissolved; Vince broke down and agreed to audition for Mötley Crüe after Tommy called him once more.

Read more at Wikipedia.org