It is a law!
Mike Mars, 71-year-old guitarist Robert Deal, announced in October that he would be stepping down from mainstream hard rock group Mötley Crüe, citing chronic back pain. Thursday of this week, as reported by the New York TimesMars filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing the other three band members of pushing him out of the group and cutting off future profits.
According to Mars’ claim, the other members of Mötley Crue, lead singer Vince Neil (born Vince Wharton), drummer (and accidental adult film star) Tommy Lee (born Thomas Bass), and master songwriter bassist Nikki Sixx (born Frank Feranna Jr.), he responded by holding an emergency shareholders meeting with the main members of the group, and decided to throw him out of the band, remove him as the director of the group, and its shares.
Mars Lawyer, Edwin F. McPhersonstatement, saying, “It’s beyond sad that after 41 years together, a band would try to throw out a member who can no longer tour because he has a debilitating disease.” He added, “Yes Mick has been pushed around for far too long in this band, and we’re not going to let that continue.”
The suit also alleges that the band’s de facto leader Nikki Sixx has been making decisions without consulting other members of the group, and that Mars has been terminating ” gaslighting”. Mars claims that Sixx has been accused of playing the guitar badly, hitting the wrong notes on stage, and claiming to have “some kind of mental problem “.
Lawyer for the band, Sasha Fried, called the suit “unfortunate and completely off base” and said the group’s members signed an agreement in 2008 saying they would stop receiving money if they retire. Frid said that Mars was offered a compensation package “despite the fact that the band owed Mick nothing,” but “Mick refused and chose to file this ugly public lawsuit.” “
VF have reached out to Mötley Crüe’s representatives for comment but have not heard back.
Decades ago, the guitarist was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes lower back pain. Referring to the disease, Mars issued a press release in October that he “can no longer handle the rigors of the road” but “will continue as a member of the band.” The band released their own statement shortly after, referring to Mars as “retired” and calling John 5 as a substitute. Mars claims that the band then asked him to sign an agreement that significantly reduced all other touring and product profits, and that he would receive nothing from any merchandise name or show the other person.
“The main job of the band is to tour and put on concerts,” said Frid. Although the group’s platinum selling years were the 1980s, Mötley Crüe still has an active live performance record. Their last album was a full-length Saints in Los Angeles in 2008. Since then, they’ve only released a handful of singles, often with a guest artist.
