Guitare Xtreme Magazine numéro 126

There are musicians with strong personalities who build impressive careers by taking alternative paths, like John Lowery, better known by his nickname John 5. He dreamed of becoming a rock star like his idols Ace Frehley and Eddie Van Halen, but failure after failure, Hollywood having given him a hard time, this stakhanovist and adventurous virtuoso finally found his salvation by monetizing his guitar expertise and becoming one of the sharpest spokesmen of the Californian rock and metal scene. Alice Cooper, Rob Halford, Paul Stanley, David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie... the greats have all sought out his services, whether in the studio or on tour, but this Telecaster obsession has never stopped this whimsical character, halfway between Willy Wonka and Leatherface (and always careful to incorporate his visual delirium and trademark into the worlds of his employers), from building a discreet but solid solo career over the years. Today, 35 years after the start of his career, the guitarist is finally fulfilling his dream by becoming a member of Mötley Crüe, one of the mythical bands of his teenage years, and even if his induction didn't exactly go smoothly with the fratricidal media battle pitting Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil against the fallen Mick Mars, he's enjoying every moment of this new adventure. He shared his feelings with us in a lengthy interview a few days after the band's performance at Hellfest. We're honored to dedicate this front page of our back-to-school issue to him.