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Mick Mars

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Mick Mars

Mick Mars (born Robert Alan Deal,[1] May 4 1951,[2] in Terre Haute, Indiana[1]) is the lead guitarist for heavy metal/glam metal band Mötley Crüe.

Career

After his family relocated from Indiana to California, Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day jobs to make ends meet. After nearly a decade of frustration with the California music scene, the 30 year-old Deal reinvented himself, changing his stage name to Mick Mars and dying his hair jet black, hoping for a fresh start. In April of 1981 he replied to a want-ad in the Los Angeles "Recycler" newspaper that looking for a "Loud, rude, and aggressive guitar player". Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee contacted him and the three decided to form a band together. Upon Mick's prodding, they persuaded local Rock Candy singer/frontman Vince Neil to hop on board. It was Mars' suggestion that the band be called Mötley Crüe, a name that had stuck in Mars' head from his days as a member of a band called White Horse, who had once considered the name for their own use.

Unlike many of the hard rock/heavy metal guitarists of his era, Mars' guitar style is steeped in the blues tradition. He employs frequent use of a metal slide in his soloing and takes on both the rhythm and lead guitar duties of the band. In the studio and live, Mars frequently tunes his guitar down to D (rather than the standard E) to get a stronger and crunchier rhythm sound. The altered tuning also increases string slack to enable his characteristic hammer-on trills, pitch bending, and pinch harmonics during soloing. Mars has introduced the pedal steel guitar to many of Mötley Crüe's later recordings and live sets.

For the sum of his career with Mötley Crüe, Mars has created the aura of being a somewhat mysterious figure, letting the other members of the band speak for him in public and in print, despite being the eldest and most articulate member of the band. In what public interviews he has conducted, Mars often comes off as a very reserved and somewhat quiet individual, though not shy by any means. A home video made in 1984 and posted on the web by one of his former White Horse bandmates reveals Mars to be a rather jovial, wisecracking, down-to-Earth person-- one who obviously saw his fair share of adversity during his long rise to the top.

After an eventual split of Mötley Crüe in 2001, Mars dealt with worsening health problems (see Health section below), depression and eventual financial bankruptcy, reportedly giving up guitar playing. Mars' situation improved with the reformation of Mötley Crüe, kindling the desire to play again. Mars underwent hip replacement surgery in the autumn of 2004 that was followed with intensive physical therapy. Despite his precarious health condition, he was able to perform in the Carnival of Sins tour in 2005 and the Route of all Evil Tour with Aerosmith in 2006.

Mars has recently contributed his songwriting talents to the Swedish band CRASHDÏET. Their second album entitled, The Unattractive Revolution, was released on October 3, 2007 and featured two songs co-wrtitten by Mars.[3]

Health

For most of his professional career, Mars has struggled with a degenerative bone condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. It was initially diagnosed when he was 19 years old, and has increasingly impaired his movement and has caused him a great deal of pain and suffering. This led to hip-replacement surgery at the end of 2004. [4]. Due to the fragility of his condition, he is kept on large amounts of pain killers, although has recently stated that his newest medication is better at subduing his joint pain. After his hip replacement surgery, Mars became healthier and became strong enough to tour. From January of 2005 to October of 2006 Mars toured with the reunited Mötley Crüe.

Mars has also admitted a drinking problem during most of the tours between 1984 and 1988,until the band cleaned up for their hugely successful Dr. Feelgood album. To this day he is reportedly clean and sober.

Equipment

Amps

  • Marshall JCM-800 Head
  • Rivera Bonehead 100 Watt Head
  • Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive Head

Cabinets

  • Rivera Straight Cabinet / 4x12

Guitars

Pedals

  • Dunlop Crybaby Wah Foot Controller (rackmount)
  • Rocktron All Access Midi Foot Controller

Gadgets

  • Heil Sound Talk Box
  • Rocktron Banshee Talk Box

Rack

  • Alesis Quadraverb Multi-FX
  • Crest 7001 Power Amplifier
  • Custom Audio Electronics 3+ SE 3 Channel Tube Preamp
  • Dunlop Rackmount Crybaby Wah
  • Dynacord CRS-222 Leslie Simulator
  • Eventide H3000/3500 Harmonizer
  • Rocktron Hush Super-C
  • Rocktron Patchmate Switcher / Router
  • Rocktron Replifex Multi-FX
  • VHT 20-100 Power Amplifier
  • Yamaha SPX-1000 Multi-FX

Family

  • Mars is the second of five children of Tina and Frank Deal.
  • Two children, Les Paul (1971) and Stormy (1973), with first wife Sharon.
  • One child (estranged), Erik (1976), with former girlfriend Marcia.
  • Married to Emi Canyn (1990-1994)
  • Older brother to Susie Deal.

References

  1. ^ a b All Music Guide Artist Page
  2. ^ Motley Crue Official site
  3. ^ C R A S H D I E T - The Official Web Site
  4. ^ Motley Crue Guitarist Undergoes Surgery - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News

In "The Dirt" supposedly Tommy said as soon as the door swung open, "he looks like a troll!"

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