In the 1980s, Mötley Crüe was one of the biggest bands on the planet. With its party rock and debauchery, the group was revered for the fun vibes it offered its rowdy fans. And perhaps no one in the group was more popular than wild man drummer Tommy Lee.
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Indeed, Lee has had quite the career. From rising fame and a rock star status to marrying ’90s pinup Pamela Anderson and all that ensued after their infamous sex tape, Lee has seen much of the world, for better and for worse.
So, with all that to his name, one might wonder what the now-60-year-old Greek-born musician has to say about life and love, his career, and the world at large. These are the 20 best Tommy Lee quotes.
1. “Whatever we do as a band, none of us can do as individuals. We all know that whatever we have gone through with each other and as a band.”
2. “There was no way we were going to let this band hobble around on three legs. We chose the route that every professional actor, athlete, and musician should do—leave the legend intact and bow out at the top.”
3. “It’s so funny because no matter what you say, fans only read and hear what they want.”
4. “By the age of 17, for me, we had got a recording contract, and, boom, I was gone.”
5. “I was never one for the passenger seat. I have always wanted my level of entertainment and showmanship to be the same as a frontman.”
6. “The crowd is a pretty good indicator when it’s good because it’s kind of a universal energy that gets passed around.”
7. “I’ve always been kind of a—you know, I have my moments, where I can be Tommy, and then I flip a switch; when you’re on stage, you turn into this other personality.”
8. “I got really frustrated in jail, and I was like, ‘Man, I love what I’ve done, and I love the mark I’ve made on rock n’ roll history’… and I sat there, and I got really depressed, thinking, ‘I gotta make a move… do something fresh and new.'”
9. “When you’re playing upside down, it takes twice the strength.”
10. “The best thing about being rich is the freedom; freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want. It doesn’t suck.”
11. “You never know what’s going to happen sometimes, or what you think’s going to happen never happens, or when you least expect it, the Santana record comes along and just blows up.”
12. “Being married to two extremely high profile, you know, actresses, and being sort of chased by, you know, paparazzi and people, it’s a whole different dynamic happens to a relationship when that happens. All of a sudden, things get a little crazy, a little crazy.”
13. “Sometimes when you have children they’re the opposites of you.”
14. “One day I would love to do rock a gig on the moon—how rad would that be? Isn’t Richard Branson flying planes to outer space? Motley Crue could be the first band to play on the moon.”
15. “John Bonham was probably the most influential in terms of playing style and timing.”
16. “On our first record, man, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just playing. I was overplaying. You’re as green as you can be with no experience in recording or knowing how sometimes a song can work: when it’s too much, when it’s not enough, when it’s not right.”
17. “Trust me: all of us walk around and look at each other, and without saying it, we all know we’re thinking, ‘Really dude? We’re still here!’ and pinch ourselves. Typically, careers have a short life span, 10 years if you’re lucky, so what we’ve done is amazing.”
18. “The older I get, the more I don’t care what people think or what people say. I do what moves me.”
19. “My father lived by the philosophy, ‘Be yourself, because everyone else is taken,’ and he made sure I did, too. Whatever I wanted to do, he supported me. I don’t mean that I was spoiled—he didn’t believe in material gifts—but he watched my back while I worked to achieve things.”
20. “One of my favorite things in the world is to be seeing two people that are really old, still holding hands, still kissing.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
