Vince Neil

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Neil was born in Inglewood, California, to Shirley (née Ortiz) and Clois "Odie" Wharton. He has Mexican ancestry on his mother's side and Native American ancestry on his father's. During the 1960s, his family moved around Southern California from Inglewood to Watts, before finally settling in Glendora, attending Sunflower Intermediate School and later Royal Oak High School. His biggest musical influence in the early days was Van Halen, imitating the look and the attitude of their frontman David Lee Roth. He also cited AC/DC, Aerosmith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Journey and The Beach Boys among his favorite artists. As well as having an interest in music while a teenager, Neil was also interested in surfing, basketball, baseball, football and wrestling.

In Their Own Story

Neil was discovered while performing with his band Rock Candy and joined Mötley Crüe in 1981. The newly formed band was seeking a lead vocalist and was impressed by Neil after seeing him perform live at drummer Tommy Lee's suggestion. Lee had known Neil in high school and thought the vocalist's image would fit well with the new band. With Mötley Crüe, Neil made his recording debut with the band's 1981 debut album Too Fast for Love. The band's next album, 1983's Shout at the Devil, brought Mötley Crüe to international stardom, and a string of hit releases throughout the decade including Theatre of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls and the number 1 album Dr. Feelgood established the band as one of the most popular rock acts in the world. Producer Tom Werman, who produced much of Mötley Crüe's material in the 1980s, has said that Neil is the least artistic and least involved in the creative process of all the band members.

Reader's Guide

Following the release of Mötley Crüe's 1991 greatest hits album Decade of Decadence 81–91, Neil and the band parted ways. Neil's drinking was beginning to affect his ability to perform, and after he failed to show up for a band rehearsal on February 10, 1992, Sixx, Lee and Mars agreed that the vocalist was "holding us back". At the time, the band blamed Neil's race car driving in the Indy Lights circuit as the reason for the decision, releasing a statement that read "Race car driving has become a priority in Neil's life. His bandmates felt he didn't share their determination and passion for music." Prior to his firing, Sixx says the band was open with him that they were considering a new lead vocalist, with Sixx telling him "We are down here working, and we want to be here. This isn't going to happen if you don't want to be here and we have to force you out of bed every afternoon because you've been out all night drinking." Lee accused him of failing to contribute to the creative process and Neil stormed out, and his firing was announced to the public four days later.

Did You Know?

• Neil was born in Inglewood, California, and has Mexican ancestry on his mother's side and Native American ancestry on his father's.
• His biggest musical influence in the early days was Van Halen, imitating the look and attitude of frontman David Lee Roth.
• Producer Tom Werman has said that Neil is the least artistic and least involved in the creative process of all the Mötley Crüe band members.
• Neil's debut solo single was "You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)" from the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Encino Man.
• In November 2016, Neil revealed he was scheduled to play at the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017.

Formation and Commercial Dominance

Neil was discovered while performing with his band Rock Candy and joined Mötley Crüe in 1981. The newly formed band was seeking a lead vocalist and was impressed by Neil after seeing him perform live at drummer Tommy Lee's suggestion. Lee had known Neil in high school and thought the vocalist's image would fit well with the new band. With Mötley Crüe, Neil made his recording debut with the band's 1981 debut album Too Fast for Love. The band's next album, 1983's Shout at the Devil, brought Mötley Crüe to international stardom, and a string of hit releases throughout the decade including Theatre of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls and the number 1 album Dr. Feelgood established the band as one of the most popular rock acts in the world.

The Era of Excess and Legal Troubles

Beyond their musical achievements, Mötley Crüe became infamous for a hard-living lifestyle that often bordered on self-destruction. Vince Neil, along with his bandmates, frequently found themselves entangled in legal difficulties, accumulating numerous brushes with the law over the decades. The group's reputation was built not just on their music but on their chaotic personal lives, which included significant time spent behind bars due to various infractions. Perhaps most damaging were the long-term struggles with addiction that plagued every member of the band, involving severe dependencies on both alcohol and illicit drugs. These issues frequently threatened the stability of the group and the well-being of the individuals involved. Despite these dark periods, the band managed to continue recording and performing, eventually releasing their ninth studio album, Saints of Los Angeles, in June 2008. This later work arrived after years of navigating the consequences of their notorious past behaviors.

Retirement and The Final Tour

After decades of touring and recording, Mötley Crüe announced a definitive retirement plan in 2013, signaling an end to their active career as a performing entity. This decision culminated in a highly anticipated final concert scheduled for December 31, 2015, intended to be the last time the original lineup would ever share a stage. Vince Neil participated in this farewell tour, which served as a grand conclusion to the band's initial chapter and allowed fans one last opportunity to witness their legendary live performances. The retirement was framed as a permanent departure from the spotlight, marking the close of an era that had defined heavy metal for generations. However, the music industry is rarely static, and just four years after this supposed final bow, the narrative shifted dramatically once again.

Reunion and Enduring Legacy

In 2019, Mötley Crüe officially reunited, overturning their previous retirement announcement and reigniting their career for a new generation of fans. This comeback demonstrated the enduring appeal of Vince Neil's vocals and the band's collective impact on rock culture. Their legacy is cemented not only by their massive sales figures but also by their extensive catalog of thirty-one singles and numerous video releases that continue to circulate today. The reunion proved that the bond between the members, forged through years of shared triumphs and tragedies, remained strong enough to overcome past addictions and legal battles. By returning to the stage, Neil and his bandmates acknowledged that their story was not yet finished, ensuring that Mötley Crüe remains a vital force in heavy metal history long after their initial retirement date had passed.

Firing and Going Solo

Following the release of Mötley Crüe's 1991 greatest hits album Decade of Decadence 81–91, Neil and the band parted ways. Neil's drinking was beginning to affect his ability to perform, and after he failed to show up for a band rehearsal on February 10, 1992, Sixx, Lee and Mars agreed that the vocalist was "holding us back". Neil's debut solo single was "You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)" from the soundtrack to the Les Mayfield movie Encino Man (1992). Exposed (1993) was Neil's first solo album, debuting at No. 13 on the Billboard charts. In September 1995, Neil released Carved in Stone, an industrial-oriented album produced by the Dust Brothers. It charted at No. 139 on the Billboard 200. The album sold fewer than 100,000 copies in the US, and Neil's contract with Warner Bros. Records eventually came to an end.

Reunion and Later Career

By 1997, Neil's solo career and Mötley's fortunes were declining, so the four reunited that year. "They admitted they couldn't do it without me", he recalled, "and I wasn't selling records the way Mötley Crüe had." They released Generation Swine, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Neil released his third solo album, Tattoos & Tequila in 2010, a soundtrack to his concurrent book, Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen. Following Mötley Crüe's 2014 and 2015 final world tour, Neil confirmed in September 2018 that the band had reformed and plans to release new music. In November 2016, Neil revealed that he had been contacted and was scheduled to play with his own band at the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2017.