32 Facts About Mick Mars

Mick Mars is known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs.

Mick Mars realized he wanted to become a musician at only three years of age, when his parents took him to see country singer Skeeter Bonn at a local 4-H Fair in Indiana.

Mick Mars's parents bought him his first guitar at age 12 and he began a relentless practice routine, thinking only of becoming a successful musician.

Mick Mars began at age 14 as bassist in a Beatles cover group called The Jades before switching to lead guitar.

Mick Mars dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues-based rock bands throughout the 1970s.

Former White Horse drummer Jack Valentine says that Mick Mars began using various aliases in the 1970s such as Zorky Charlemagne as a means of avoiding the police, as he was behind on child-support payments to ex-girlfriend Sharon, the mother of two of his children.

White Horse had a promising future, and Mick Mars began drawing comparisons to another young guitarist named Eddie Van Halen of a rival club band named Mammoth.

Mick Mars eventually left White Horse when the band decided to play disco music in the hopes of achieving greater success.

Mick Mars shaved off his trademark mustache, changed his legal name from Bob Deal to Mick Mars, and dyed his hair jet black, hoping for a fresh start.

Mick Mars did develop a serious drinking problem after joining the band.

Mick Mars made it clear to his bandmates that he was open to recording again but could not handle another world tour, as he could no longer move his head from side to side and was permanently hunched over.

Mick Mars says he has never had a close offstage relationship with any of his Motley Crue bandmates.

On October 26,2022, Mick Mars announced his retirement from touring with Motley Crue.

Later that day, the band released a statement stating that, whilst Mick Mars hadn't been fired, he isn't touring with the group.

Mick Mars refused to sign a severance agreement that would divest him of those and other future interests, in return for a five percent stake in the group's 2023 tour, which is going on without him.

In February 2023, amidst the controversies surrounding the band lawsuit, Mick Mars began work on a solo album again, titled The Other Side of Mick Mars, produced in Los Angeles.

Mick Mars stated that plans surrounding a solo album had previously been discussed since 2014.

The Other Side of Mick Mars was released on February 23,2024.

Mick Mars fathered a third child, Erik, with a woman named Marcia Lea Martell, while playing in the band White Horse.

Mick Mars says he's been financially destitute three times in his life.

Mick Mars has nine grandchildren and at least one great-grandchild, though he doesn't know the exact number.

Mick Mars has a relationship with his son, Les Paul, but is estranged from his other children.

Mick Mars says the pain began when he was 14 years old, with sharp pain at the top of his tailbone.

Mick Mars did not get a proper diagnosis until he was 27, and the condition has caused him a great deal of pain and increasingly impaired his movement throughout his life.

Mick Mars was drinking heavily and taking as many as 45 Advil a day.

Mick Mars rarely left his home or even went outside during this period.

Mick Mars has contributed songwriting to John LeCompt, a former member of Evanescence and the other band members of Machina, and to the Swedish band Crashdiet.

Mick Mars played guitar on the title track of Hinder's 2008 album Take It to the Limit, and contributed a guitar solo to the song "Into the Light" by Papa Roach, on their 2009 album Metamorphosis.

Mick Mars contributed a guitar solo to the song "The Question" on Rock Star: Supernova runner-up Dilana's US debut album Inside Out.

Mick Mars co-wrote and appears in the music video of the song "Boss's Daughter" by Pop Evil on their 2011 album War of Angels.

In November 2019, Mick Mars released a new song, "The Way I'm Wired", with Black Smoke Trigger.

In 2024, Mick Mars was featured on another Cory Marks single titled " Country Rock".