John Corabi on Mötley Crüe Exit: "Relieved and Bummed"
The singer discusses the weight of band drama and his parting with the group.
- John Corabi opens up about the chaos and constant drama during his time with Mötley Crüe, calling it both a ‘burden’ and a ‘relief’ when they brought Vince Neil back.
- Corabi reveals he refused to sing ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’, sparking a fight with Nikki Sixx, but Tommy Lee backed his decision to drop the song.
- Mick Mars’ struggles with Ankylosing Spondylitis and the band’s tensions are highlighted, with Corabi claiming he played 80% of the guitars on the ‘Generation Swine’ album.
John Corabi (yes, the guy who briefly fronted Mötley Crüe) sat down for an interview and spilled—well, not tea exactly, but maybe lukewarm coffee. His time with the band? A wild, chaotic mess of egos and drama (surprised? Didn’t think so).
“There was so much drama,” Corabi said. Drama with a capital D. “When they told me Vince was coming back, I was bummed—of course. But at the same time? Relief. Like a 300-pound gorilla was finally off my back. Weird mix of feelings, honestly.”
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The Mötley Crüe camp, according to Corabi, was a soap opera disguised as a rock band. Nikki would gripe about Tommy. Tommy would fire back about Nikki. Mick, meanwhile? Corabi’s landlord (seriously, he lived in Mick’s guesthouse) had his own beefs to unload every night over drinks. A never-ending loop of petty complaints, rivalries, and side-eye.
“When they told me, ‘Hey, Vince is coming back,’” Corabi said, “I thought, ‘Wow, they finally did it.’ Was I shocked? Not really. They’d been sneaking around with him for months. Keeping me as plan B. You know, just in case Vince flaked.” (Ouch.)
About those live shows? Forget the narrative you’ve heard about half-empty gymnasiums. “We weren’t filling 10,000-seat arenas, sure,” Corabi admitted. “But 4,000? 5,000? Those people showed up, sang along to ‘Shout At The Devil’ and ‘Primal Scream.’ They cared. The band cared less, maybe.”
And ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’? Not happening. Corabi shut that down immediately. “I told Nikki, ‘I’m not singing it.’ He wasn’t thrilled, but Tommy backed me up. So, we didn’t do it every tour. Problem solved.”
And then there’s Mick Mars. The retired guitarist with a spine condition (Ankylosing Spondylitis—Google it, it’s brutal). “Mick’s been through a lot,” Corabi said. “The band’s management? Not exactly gentle. During ‘Generation Swine,’ they didn’t just push him; they bulldozed him. Most of the guitars on that album? Me.”
Fast forward to 2023: Mick’s suing the band. The drama hasn’t stopped, even if the tours have. “People love to ask me about it,” Corabi said. “I answer honestly. They call me bitter. Don’t answer? I’m ungrateful. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. Whatever.”
One thing’s clear: Corabi’s five minutes with Mötley Crüe still haunt him. “I guarantee you,” he said with a dry laugh, “this’ll be on Blabbermouth tomorrow. Snippets and all.”
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Guitarist confirms no communication with Rob Zombie since joining Mötley Crüe but insists there's no bad blood.
