Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen recently joined Appetite For Distortion and discussed Mick Mars’ ‘retirement’ from touring, the speculations about Mötley Crüe firing the guitarist, and what actually caused Mars to leave.
Mötley Crüe had a good year touring across the United States with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett. However, as they were getting ready to hit the road again for an international tour with Def Leppard, Mick Mars announced his retirement from touring due to his health problems that have been going on for most of his life.
The guitarist’s bandmates had supported his decision, though not everyone seemed to be buying the story that Mick Mars had voluntarily stepped down from his duties. Former frontman John Corabi had discussed that Mötley Crüe wasn’t pleased with Mars’ guitar riffs for a while, believing the guitarist was ‘shown the door.’
So, Rick Allen decided to clear the air about the controversial rumors, disclosing the actual motive behind Mick’s release from his duties. The drummer, who has known the Mötley Crüe rocker for years, stated that Mars decided to leave voluntarily and wished to move on to the next chapter of his life.
Allen also recalled that the rocker had suffered a lot from his health problems and decided to step down from touring and live performances. So, the speculations were inaccurate as the rocker wasn’t fired. The drummer then discussed how much of a gentle and generous person Mick is, so it has been genuinely challenging for the band to deal with his departure.
The Def Leppard rocker’s thoughts on Mars’ departure and the following rumors:
“It was Mick’s decision to really move on and just get to the next part of his life. And we all know that Mick has suffered terribly, terribly with pain; you see it on his face all the time. And I think the only time I ever saw him truly in his element [was] when he was up on stage playing with the band. It was more his decision.
That must have been a super hard decision. I mean, it would have been different if the guy was being thrown out of the band, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was a personal choice that he made. And you can’t say that that’s wrong. It was right for him at the time.”
Rick then mentioned his friendship with Mick Mars:
“Over the months — well, actually years — that I’ve known him, I really started to talk to him. So unassuming. Such a soft, gentle soul. And when I first met him years ago, I was actually quite afraid, you know? But he’s the exact opposite of that — just a really sweet, generous person. So it must have been a very difficult decision for everybody to have to go through that.”
So, John Corabi’s speculations regarding Mötley Crüe firing Mars against his own will seemed debunked by Allen’s statements, who witnessed the guitarist’s problems firsthand and saw how painful it was for him off stage. Rick emphasized that the rocker was ready to move on from his time with his band and see what awaited him in the next chapter.
