Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen recently talked about Motley Crue’s decision to hire John 5 to replace Mick Mars, the group’s founding guitarist. Mars recently announced his retirement from touring with Motley Crue last October as a result of worsening health issues. Collen, whose band toured with Motley Crue last summer as part of “The Stadium Tour” and recently launched “The World Tour” with Crue.
Phil Collen opens up on John 5
In a new interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, Phil Collen said:
“The thing with Motley Crue, Mick Mars was really in pain. We’d done the American tour with him, and he has physical issues. So it was great that John 5 had come out. John 5 is just a wonderful human being and plays great and everything, so he fits in. And he really helped the band out, because Mick couldn’t really do that. Traveling is the problem; he was having trouble [with all the travel]. It just was painful. It worked out great.”
When Mars announced his retirement from touring with Motley Crue , he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, earlier this month the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against Crue in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of Crue tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group’s corporation and business holdings via a shareholders’ meeting.
Specifically, Mars claims he was asked to sign a severance agreement that would divest him of his 25 percent stake in the band’s various business interests in return for a 5 percent stake in the band’s 2023 tour.
