8 Singers Who Could Replace Vince Neil in Mötley Crüe
Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and Vince Neil‘s inability to perform live. Mötley Crüe kicked off the next leg of the Stadium Tour with Def Leppard over the weekend, their first shows with shred wizard John 5 standing in for guitarist Mick Mars, who physically can no longer handle the demands touring takes on his body. John 5 and his bandmates—drummer Tommy Lee and bassist Nikki Sixx—were tight and on point but Neil’s performance once again begs the question: when is enough enough? If Neil is consistently ruining Mötley Crüe’s otherwise acceptable performances, when is it time to replace him and move along?
MetalSucks says the time is now and we were even considerate enough to suggest eight vocalists who could replace Vince Neil in Mötley Crüe.
Michael Starr
Known for: Steel Panther
This might be the most obvious answer. Michael Starr has fronted Steel Panther for nearly a quarter century. As crass and ridiculous as the satirical glam revivalists have been at times over the years, they’ve practically kept the genre alive by themselves and no other singer has shown the same adoration for hairspray and hot moms as Michael Starr.
Tim “Ripper” Owens
Known for: Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Charred Walls of the Damned
Ripper is the ultimate hired gun. The singer has been called in to work with a number of legendary musicians and bands over the years, from Yngwie to Judas Priest. If recent recordings are any indication, Owens still has the pipes to handle the Crüe’s music and he’s not currently tied down by any other projects.
Trevor William Church
Known for: Haunt
If he ever wanted to take a break from tirelessly cranking out new Haunt music, guitarist and singer Trevor William Church would be an interesting fit for the aging glam stars. Despite his tenure with Beastmaker and Haunt, Church is unknown to most people attending a Mötley Crüe show, which would be an exciting opportunity for the band to wow people without taking on preconceived expectations or baggage.
Andy Biersack/Andy Sixx
Known for: Black Veil Brides
Since the early days of their career, Black Veil Brides have shamelessly displayed their love of glam, with frontman Andy Biersack even calling himself Andy Sixx. Biersack has shown plenty of appreciation for glam and hard rock over the years—remember 2011’s Set the World on Fire?—and he has a knack for the showmanship needed to succeed in Mötley.
Matt Heafy
Known for: Trivium
Another experienced road warrior, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has more than proved that he’s ready for an opportunity to front a band on a bigger stage. The metalcore institution have always proudly flown the flag for heavy metal and they’ve opened for the likes of Metallica, so he wouldn’t be thrown to the wolves in a setting too big for success.
Lzzy Hale
Known for: Halestorm
Maybe the most qualified person on this list, Halestorm‘s Lzzy Hale would fit right into the fold. The hard rock singer has been a mainstream rock icon for more than a decade and her pipes have only gotten better with time. It’s really easy to picture Hale on stage with Mötley.
Miley Cyrus
Known for: Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana
If you know Miley Cyrus for more than her time as Disney Channel pop star Hannah Montana, you know the singer has dabbled relatively extensively in the world of covers, particularly in the hard rock vein. Miley can belt out songs from Metallica, the Cranberries, Hole, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and pretty much whatever she likes, so why couldn’t she front Mötley? She’s got more stage moves than Neil too.
Kimi Shelter
Known for: Starbenders
Probably the least-known act on this list, Starbenders fly the flag for danceable ’80s glam rock. Despite the fact that they are mostly unknown to a Mötley Crüe audience, singer Kimi Shelter excels when it comes to big, fist-pumping arena choruses.
