From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mick Mars
Born	May 4, 1951 (age 55) Terre Haute, Indiana
Alias(es)	Robert Alan Deal
Genre(s)	Rock Heavy Metal Hard Rock Glam Metal
Affiliation(s)	Mötley Crüe
Years active	1981-present

Mick Mars (born Robert Alan Deal, 4 May 1951 in Terre Haute, Indiana) is the guitar player for heavy metal/glam metal band, Mötley Crüe.

Contents 1 Career 2 Health 3 Equipment 3.1 Amps 3.2 Cabinets 3.3 Guitars 3.4 Pedals 3.5 Gadgets 3.6 Rack 4 Family 5 Pop Culture Trivia 6 External links

After his family relocated from Indiana to California, Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day jobs to make ends meet. After nearly a decade of frustration with the California music scene, the 30 year-old Deal reinvented himself, changing his stage name to Mick Mars and dying his hair jet black, hoping for a fresh start. In April of 1981 he composed a want-ad in the Los Angeles "Recycler" newspaper that read, "Loud, rude, and aggressive guitar player available". Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee contacted him and the three decided to form a band together. Upon Mick's prodding, they persuaded local Rock Candy singer/frontman Vince Neil to hop on board. It was Mars' suggestion that the band be called Mötley Crüe, a name that had stuck in Mars' head since his early days while playing for the band White Horse.

Unlike many of the hard rock/heavy metal guitarists of his era, Mars' guitar style is steeped in the blues tradition. He employs frequent use of a metal slide in his soloing and takes on both the rhythm and lead guitar duties of the band. Mars frequently tunes his guitar down to D (rather than the standard E) to get a lower, snappier, crunchier sound both in the studio and live.

For the sum of his career with Mötley Crüe, Mars has created the aura of being a somewhat mysterious figure. In what interviews he has conducted, Mars often comes off as a very reserved and somewhat quiet individual, though not shy by any means. A home video made in 1984 and posted on the web by one of his former White Horse bandmates reveals Mars to be a rather jovial, wisecracking, down-to-Earth person-- one who obviously saw his fair share of adversity during his long rise to the top.

After an eventual split of Mötley Crüe in 2001, Mars dealt with worsening health problems (see Health section below), depression and eventual financial bancruptcy, reportedly giving up guitar playing. Mars situation improved with the reformation of Mötley Crüe, kindling the desire to play again. Mars underwent hip replacement surgery in the autumn of 2004 that was followed with intensive physical therapy. Mars has just finished a tour co-headlining with Aerosmith called Route Of All Evil.

For most of his professional career, Mars has struggled with a degenerative bone condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. It was initially diagnosed when he was 17 and has increasingly impaired his movement and has caused him a great deal of pain and suffering. This led to hip-replacement surgery at the end of 2004 [1]. Due to the fragility of his condition, he is kept on large amounts of pain killers, although has recently stated that his newest medication is better at subduing his joint pain. After his hip replacement surgery, Mars became healthier and became strong enough to tour. As of Autumn of 2006, Mars is currently touring and planning recording with the reunited Mötley Crüe.

Mars has also admitted a large drinking problem during most of the tours between 1984 and 1988, when the band cleaned up for their hugely successful Dr. Feelgood album. He is currently sober.

• Marshall JCM-800 Head
• Rivera Bonehead 100Watt Head
• Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive Head

• Rivera Straight Cabinet / 4x12

• Gibson Les Paul Custom for Too Fast For Love Shows 1981-1983.

Gibson Les Paul Custom, BC Rich Warlock, Gibson Flying V and Guild Star guitar during the Shout At The Devil tour 1984-1985. Hamer Explorers, Kramer Barettas and Kramer Pacers during the Theatre Of Pain tour 1985-1986. Custom Kramer American Telecasters during the Girls Girls Girls tour 1987-1988. Custom Kramer American "mirror top" Telecasters and a variety of Barettas and custom Kramers during the Dr. Feelgood tour 1989-1990. (Fender Stratocaster in Don't Go Away Mad video.) Fender Stratocasters and Telecaster, Gibson Les Pauls, Charvel Super Strat and Paul Reed Smiths during the Decade of Decadance Shows 1991 - 1993. Fender Stratocasters during the Mötley Crüe tour 1994-1995.

• Gibson Les Pauls, Chet Atkins signature and Fender Stratocasters as main stage guitars for :

Generation Swine shows 1996-1997. Greatest Hits support shows 1998-1999. New Tattoo tour 2000-2001. Carnival of Sins Tour/Route of all Evil Tour 2005-2006.

• Dunlop Crybaby Wah Foot Controller(rackmount)
• Rocktron All Access Midi Foot Controller

• Heil Sound Talk Box
• Rocktron Banshee Talk Box

• Alesis Quadraverb Multi-FX
• Crest 7001 Power Amplifier
• Custom Audio Electronics 3+ SE 3 Channel Tube Preamp
• Dunlop Rackmount Crybaby Wah
• Dynacord CRS-222 Leslie Simulator
• Eventide H3000/3500 Harmonizer
• Rocktron Hush Super-C
• Rocktron Patchmate Switcher / Router
• Rocktron Replifex Multi-FX
• VHT 20-100 Power Amplifier
• Yamaha SPX-1000 Multi-FX

• Mars is the second of five children of Tina and Frank Deal.
• Two children, Les Paul (1971) and Stormy (1973), with first wife Sharon.
• One child (estranged), Erik (1976), with former girlfriend Marcia.
• Married to Emi Canyn (1990-1994)

• Attended same grade school as Steve Martin.
• In early performances would spit blood like Gene Simmons of KISS, although in the Mötley Crüe autobiography The Dirt, he stated "I can't stand KISS".
• Refers to himself as the 'old fuck' in Mötley Crüe.
• Has tattooed on his knuckles 'MARS' on one hand and '1313'("M" being the 13th letter of the alphabet, and having two 13's to signify his initials) on the other.
• Mars revealed in the Mötley Crüe autobiography The Dirt that his real first name is simply Bob (not Robert).
• At the Crüe Year's Eve show a female fan pulled Mars off the stage and he had to be rushed to the hospital. He sustained no serious injuries.
• Tommy Lee stated during an interview for VH1's Behind The Music that after he and Nikki Sixx replied to the want ad Mars had placed in a local newspaper, Mars had arrived for his audition "looking like Cousin Itt from The Addams Family." Nikki Sixx reportedly had a similar reaction upon first meeting Mars, stating "I can't believe it! Here's another one like us!" He and Tommy Lee hired Mars virtually on the spot.

• Official Mick Mars Site
• Official Motley Crüe Site
• Motley Crue Videos
• Mick Mars at the Internet Movie Database
• Tribute to Mick Mars
• Metal Rules!! Interview with Mars
• B4Dirt: A website detailing to Mick Mars' pre-Crüe days
• GuitarGeek Mick Mars Signal Layout

Mötley Crüe
Vince Neil | Mick Mars | Nikki Sixx | Tommy Lee
John Corabi | Randy Castillo | Samantha Maloney
Discography
Studio Albums: Too Fast for Love | Shout at the Devil | Theatre of Pain | Girls, Girls, Girls Dr. Feelgood | Mötley Crüe | Generation Swine | New Tattoo
Compilations and Extended Plays: Decade of Decadence | Quaternary | Greatest Hits | Supersonic and Demonic Relics | Loud as F*@k | Red, White & Crüe
Live albums: Live: Entertainment or Death | Carnival of Sins Live
Related articles
Brides of Destruction | Methods of Mayhem