Guitarist will remain a member
Mötley Crüe guitarist is retiring from touring due to Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis. A rep for the musician confirms the news with Variety, stating that he will still remain a member of the iconic group.
“Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), he will no longer be able to tour with the band,” the statement reads. “Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine.”
There’s no word on who will replace Mars on tour, but rumors have been circulating that Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 will fill in.
Mars has suffered from AS since he was in his late teens and wrote about the degenerative disorder in the band’s 2001 autobiography, The Dirt.
The news follows last week’s announcement that Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard will launch their co-headlining The World Tour in 2023. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicks off on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at Foro Sol in Mexico City. Both bands will bring their electrifying stage shows across the globe with stops throughout Latin America before heading to Europe in May 2023. Additional shows are set to be announced.
Last month, the two bands wrapped The Stadium Tour, which was named the biggest North American stadium tour of 2022 with more than 1.3 million tickets sold. The 30+ trek also featured Poison and Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. International support has not been revealed as of press time.
