Biography of Mötley Crüe

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, Mötley Crüe members Frank Ferrano (aka Nikki Sixx), Vincent Neil Wharton (Vince Neil), Thomas Lee Bass (Tommy Lee), and Robert A. Deal (Mick Mars) found each other through ads they ran in local music papers. The Crüe's image -- lots of leather and makeup to give the music impact -- was already set in this early stage. In 1982 the band signed with Elektra, and toured extensively throughout 1984. Musically they continued to get better and a year later they scored a nationwide hit with a remake of Brownsville Station's teen anthem "Smokin' in the Boys' Room." In 1991, after their eight years of hard work had payed off, they put together Decade of Decadence, a celebration of their first ten years. Mötley Crüe helped pave the way for many bands in the '80s, and the state of heavy metal would have been weaker without them. In 1992 Vince Neil was fired and the band vowed to continue without him. ~ John Book