Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 opened up about the one condition he set before stepping in to replace founding guitarist Mick Mars. He shared the details in an interview on Ola Englund’s YouTube channel.
When asked how he approached taking over from a founding member with such a distinct style — and whether the band wanted him to be himself or replicate Mars’s playing — John 5 explained that he made a specific request to the band before agreeing to take on the role.
“So I asked them. I asked the guys, I said, ‘Is it okay if I play everything exactly how it was recorded?'” he said. “And because of the fact it’s what’s embedded in my brain and your brain and their brain and I just feel like okay that is like playing something different would just be so unorthodox. I think it’s so important just to keep it how it was recorded.”
John 5 went on to explain why staying faithful to the original recordings matters so deeply to him and to the fans.
“Fans’ve been listening to it, you know, most of their lives,” he continued. “And when you go and play sliding arpeggios during Home Sweet Home, I don’t think it’s going to work very well, you know. But I like to keep it exactly how it is. I think that’s important. It’s just they’re so well written and so well executed and I love it, too.”
John 5 revealed that the band agreed to his condition. He has since been performing Mötley Crüe’s catalog live while staying true to how Mick Mars originally recorded the songs.
The transition came with the blessing of the man being replaced. Mars, who has battled ankylosing spondylitis since the age of 17, announced his retirement from touring in October 2022 due to worsening health issues. Despite stepping back from the road, he remains a member of the band. Shortly after the announcement on October 27, 2022, Mars sent John 5 a text message that read simply: “You’re going to kill it.” That gesture of support set the tone for a respectful and well-received handover of one of rock’s most iconic guitar roles.
John 5, whose real name is John William Lowenthal, brought an extensive résumé to the position. Before joining Mötley Crüe, he had served as the longtime guitarist for Rob Zombie from 2002 to 2022, and had previously held the same role for Marilyn Manson. His reputation as a technically versatile player — equally at home in shred, blues, and country — made him a natural fit for a catalog as wide-ranging as Mötley Crüe’s.
His connection to the band also ran deeper than many fans may have realized. John 5 had a longstanding friendship with bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee well before his official joining. He had even contributed to the soundtrack of the band’s 2019 biopic, The Dirt, writing three songs for the film. He had also regularly performed Mötley Crüe covers during his own solo shows, meaning the material was already deeply familiar to him long before he took the stage as an official member.
John 5 left his role with Rob Zombie immediately upon receiving the offer from Sixx, agreeing without hesitation. He went on to perform with Mötley Crüe throughout their 2023 World Tour alongside Def Leppard. The tour included dates spanning South America, Europe, and the UK. He has remained the band’s lead guitarist through 2024 and beyond. His commitment to honoring Mars’s original parts while bringing renewed energy to the live show has earned him widespread praise from both the band and its fanbase.
