Mick Mars Says He’s “Never Stopping” Despite Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ex-Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has been dealing with the degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis (AS) for a loooooonng ass time. It’s the reason he bowed out of touring with his old band before they axed him, but he’s apparently determined to not let it end his musical career.
In an interview with Q104.3 FM, Mars said he’s pushing through literal bone fusions in his body to get his art out there. And while the pain may not be pleasant to deal with, he’s focused on getting his solo album The Other Side of Mars to his fans is what drives him.
“My AS is what it is. There’s nothing I could do about that. The hard stuff, like flying here and doing this—That crap is a little difficult for me to do nowadays ’cause I’m almost a solid bone now. It got a little rough, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do a lot of music. As long as my brain and my hands and legs work, I’m never stopping.”
Mars’ solo record will come out February 23. Speaking about that upcoming release, however, he said it’s very likely he may not be able to tour on it.
“I would say if there was one-offs or a residency for a couple of nights or whatever, I could do that. But it’s the flying around. And then you get, like, let’s say Japan. And it’s like a 12-hour flight or something. And it’s just, like … I mean, getting older with this crap. I’m not 30 anymore; I’m 72 years old.”
He also admitted in another interview that he has sold his publishing rights to Mötley Crüe’s music. While he is determined to keep making music while he can, he knows the disease will not let up, and he needs to make important decisions for himself and those he leaves behind.
“I sold my publishing! The deal was just finalized. Now I can relax and don’t have to worry about anything, since, like I said, I’m probably just going to live another seven or eight years.
“I’m old enough, man. I’m not going to live to be 85 or 90; I just have a feeling. I don’t want to, either. My brain doesn’t want this ugly-ass body that’s all fucked up to keep going. I wish I could just take the information out of my brain, put it on a chip and into somebody else, or a robot. There’s still a lot of stuff going on up there.”
Mars seems to have a good head on his shoulders when it comes to this major hurdle—and we’re looking forward to the music he makes.
The Other Side Of Mars was produced by Michael Wagener, who both engineered and mixed Mötley Crüe’s 1981 debut Too Fast For Love. As mentioned before, the album will be available on February 23, 2024, but you can preorder your copy today.
