John 5 has addressed the elephant in the room regarding his role as Mötley Crüe’s new guitarist. He made it clear that there is no tension between him and the band’s legendary co-founder Mick Mars.
In a recent interview, John 5 opened up about his relationship with the band members and Mars specifically. “I’ve known [the guys in Mötley Crüe] for years and years and years and years. I was very close with them. Actually, I would talk to [Mötley Crüe bassist] Nikki [Sixx] every day — multiple times a day. I don’t think there was a day that I didn’t talk to him, for years and years and years. So we were really close,” he explained.
John 5 described how the transition happened naturally. “And Mick was retiring, and they said, ‘Would you wanna join?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ Because I want to experience as much as I can in life. I just want to experience as much as I can. And I think that is important in life, because you don’t wanna miss certain opportunities.”
The guitarist emphasized that band lineup changes are a normal part of the music industry. “Every single band, every single band you can think of, has a different member, like not all original members. Every band. Every single band. I can’t think of any from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s or early 2000s that have the same bandmembers. But Mick has been in the band for 40 years, and he gave a lot to the world. He gave 40 years of his life. And me and Mick, we would talk all the time too. We were really good friends, and we still are. So it was good.”
Most importantly, John 5 stressed that Mars approved of his joining the band. “When they asked me to join and he was happy it was me, it was all good. It was so exciting, though, because we all love Mötley Crüe, and it was very, very exciting to be up on that stage with those guys. Even though I talked to them all the time, it was different being up on stage with them.”
John 5’s comments reveal a carefully orchestrated and amicable transition built on genuine relationships developed over decades. John 5 joined Mötley Crüe in the fall of 2022 as the replacement for the band’s co-founding guitarist Mick Mars, according to Blabbermouth. The transition came after Mars decided to retire from touring due to health issues. This decision was made with the full support of the band and Mars himself.
The relationship between John 5 and Mars extends far beyond a simple professional handoff. Mars was not only supportive of John 5’s appointment but actively encouraged it, Blabbermouth reported. This level of support from the outgoing member speaks volumes about the character of both musicians and their commitment to the band’s legacy.
