John 5 has opened up about his departure from Rob Zombie’s band, revealing he has not spoken to the shock rock icon in the four years since leaving to join Motley Crue.
The guitarist, who spent 17 years as a key part of Zombie’s live band and studio lineup, reflected on the move during a recent appearance on the Thinking About Guitar podcast, where he admitted the decision was driven by a desire to embrace new opportunities.
“Life is short and I want to experience as much as possible,” John 5 explained. “I want to see things. I want to experience things. I’m still so hungry to do things.”
Switching bands
After years of playing alongside Zombie and helping craft five studio albums, John 5 made the high profile jump to Motley Crue in 2022, replacing longtime guitarist Mick Mars, while the move marked a major milestone in his career, it also created distance between him and one of his closest collaborators.
“I was never a band member with anything,” the guitarist continued. “I’ve never been a band member with [Marilyn] Manson or Rob or Motley Crue or anything. So me and Rob had such a special bond and we work so well together. We write so well together. Those shows… We had so much fun. We never had a negative word between us. I mean, he’s just, he’s the greatest.”
John 5 acknowledged that taking the Motley Crue role may have come across as selfish but said he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by (per Ultimate Classic Rock).
“I haven’t spoken to Rob, unfortunately,” John 5 confirmed. “Of course, I miss him. And 17 years [together] and I love him. And I wish nothing but the best for him. But I have no ill will towards Rob Zombie whatsoever.”
When he first announced his departure in 2022, John 5 said Zombie “wasn’t psyched” but understood the career move, insisting there was no bad blood between them.
Now, as Motley Crue prepare to launch their Return of the Carnival of Sins tour this summer, and Rob Zombie gears up for his own co-headlining run with Marilyn Manson, it seems the two remain professionally distant, though John 5’s admiration for his former bandmate clearly hasn’t faded.
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