It’s Mick Mars vs. the rest of Motley Crue in the headlines lately. The co-founder has been locked in a messy legal dispute with his former bandmates. And while Mars hasn’t exactly hidden his animosity, fans will have to wait a little longer for the full story.
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Mick Mars Does Want to Tell His Side of the Story, But Not Yet
The 72-year-old guitarist said in a recent interview that he does plan to pen his own autobiography one day — on his deathbed.
“I’ve been saying this for the longest time — when I’m dying, so I can write it backwards,” Mars said. “So if you want to read it forwards, you start at the back.”
For those who simply can’t wait, the musician drops his solo debut album The Other Side of Mars Friday (Feb. 23.) One track, “Killing Breed,” is reportedly about “narcissists that keep you pinned down and make you feel crazy,” Mars told Rolling Stone.
Mars wouldn’t confirm the song’s inspiration. However, the outlet claimed he struggled to mask a “sly smile” while the reporter began to ask about the song’s origin.
Mick Mars Claims Motley Crue Is “Trying To Take My Legacy Away”
Mars has suffered since age 27 from ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. In October 2022, health issues prompted the GRAMMY nominee to announce his retirement from touring with Motley Crue.
Less than 24 hours later, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee declared publicly that Mars was retiring from the band entirely — not just touring.
Mars responded with an April 2023 lawsuit alleging he had been illegally ousted from the group. He spoke out about this decision with Rolling Stone two months later.
“When they wanted to get high and f— everything up, I covered for them,” Mars said. “Now they’re trying to take my legacy away, my part of Mötley Crüe, my ownership of the name, the brand.”
Many Crue fans have taken to social media to express their support for Mars.
“It’s a shame what the rest of the group is doing to him, especially when his riffs made the band what it is,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Featured image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
