Mötley Crüe is determined to continue touring after their much-appreciated Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, but they sadly announced that Mick Mars won’t be accompanying them in the forthcoming shows. In his recent Instagram post, Nikki Sixx confirmed that John 5 will join Crüe to serve as Mars’ replacement.
Since he was 17, Mars has been struggling with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis. Throughout the years, the disease affected his movement and resulted in scoliosis. Despite his health condition, Mars didn’t give up and continued his musical efforts with Crüe. Unfortunately, it was recently announced that the rocker is retiring from touring, but it was noted that the guitarist will remain a Crüe member.
“Change is never easy,” confessed Nikki Sixx in the caption, implying it was hard for the band to find a replacement for Mick Mars. “We accept Mick’s decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health. We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades, and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace. To say ‘enough is enough’ is the ultimate act of courage.”
The official statement by Neil, Lee, and Sixx continued, “Mick’s sound helped define Mötley Crüe 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. We will carry out Mick’s wish and continue to tour the world as planned in 2023. No doubt it will 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 Crüeheads out on the road!”
With this announcement, Mötley Crüe confirmed the rumors that John 5 would be the best choice to fill in Mars’ shoes. In his post, Sixx also included a statement from the guitarist, which read, “I’m honored to carry on Mick’s legacy and am looking forward to playing these songs.”
So, the Rob Zombie guitarist is clearly pleased to have this opportunity and is excited to honor Mars’ legacy. Although it is unsure whether Mick Mars will appear on stage for a farewell, fans will definitely have a chance to see John 5 with Crüe in February and March 2023 in South America.
