Bands

Mötley Crüe

Mötley Crüe was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, lead vocalist Vince Neil and lead guitarist Mick Mars. Mötley Crüe has sold more than 100 million records worldwide including 25 million in the US.

Years Active: 1981-2015

Genres: Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal.

Members: Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil.

Albums: Too Fast for Love (1981), Shout at the Devil (1983), Theatre of Pain (1985), Girls, Girls, Girls (1987), Dr. Feelgood (1989), Mötley Crüe (1994), Generation Swine (1997), New Tattoo (2000), Saints of Los Angeles (2008).

Story: Mötley Crüe were undeniably one of the most popular hard rock/pop-metal acts of the 1980s. Combining the theatrics and glam of Kiss with the hard power pop hooks of Cheap Trick, the Crüe out-partied, out-rocked, and outsold most of their competition. The band even managed to hit the pop chart with frequency with hits like "Dr. Feelgood" and "Without You." The combination of larger-than-life personalities that made up the L.A. band was too volatile to remain stable; singer Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee would drift in and out of the band from the '90s onward, but exposure from VH1's Behind the Music series and a tell-all autobiography kept the public's appetite for the Crüewhetted into the 21st century. In the new millenniumthe Crüe established themselves as a fashionable touring act (with Crüe Fest becoming the summer's highest-grossing festival in 2008) while continuing to release new material.

Formed in January 1981, Mötley Crüe were originally the pet project of bassist Nikki Sixx (born Frank Ferrana), vocalist/guitarist Greg Leon, and drummerTommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass). Leon was a veteran of the Hollywood scene, having replaced Randy Rhoads in Quiet Riot two years prior. He butted heads with the strong-willed Sixx, however, resulting in his departure from the lineup several months later. Local guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal joined in his place, bringing the moniker "Mottley Krue" with him. After altering the name and adding a pair of umlauts (allegedly in tribute to German beer), the trio began efforts to recruit Vincent Neil Wharton, vocalist for the L.A.-based band Rock Candy. Neil initially refused the advances, only joining the band after his Rock Candycohorts announced their decision to transform their group into a new wave act. With Neil now on board,Mötley Crüe became a cult favorite on the L.A. circuit, infamously known for such theatrics as setting Sixx's pants on fire midsong.

The band soon secured management with Allan Coffman, who financed recording sessions for a debut album. Initially released in November 1981 by Lethur Records -- a small, independent label launched by Coffman and the band --Too Fast for Love sold a surprising 20,000 copies. It also prompted a Canadian tour, where the musicians made headlines by wearing their spike-laden stage attire onto the plane, carrying suitcases of pornographic material through airport security, and fielding death threats from incensed fans in Edmonton. Such exposure only served to fuel Mötley Crüe's sensationalist appeal, generating the sort of shocked press coverage that the band desired.

Back at home, Elektra Records had become impressed by the band's popularity in local venues, prompting the label to signMötley Crüe before releasing a new, remastered version ofToo Fast for Love. Following the band's return to California, Elektra also released the sophomore effortShout at the Devil in 1983. The video for "Looks That Kill" became an MTV hit, broadcasting the group's glammed-up theatrics to an audience unfamiliar withMötley Crüe's popularity on the club circuit, and the record went platinum as a result. Shout at the Devil sold an additional million copies in 1984, but the party was brought to a temporary standstill when Vince Neilcrashed his car on December 8, killing passengerNicholas "Razzle" Dingley of Hanoi Rocks. The other victims emerged with broken bones and brain damage, while a relatively unscathed Neil was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. He was ultimately incarcerated for 15 days in 1986, in addition to performing community service and paying a large cash settlement. By the time Neil was sentenced, however, the band's newest record, Theatre of Pain, had already enjoyed a lengthy stay on the charts, cementing the band's mainstream status and producing Mötley Crüe's first Top 40 hit with a cover of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' in the Boys' Room." Neil's stint in jail was brief, and the band was free to continue its decadent reign.