MÖTLEY CRÜE's NIKKI SIXX celebrates 23 years of sobriety
03-07-2024
Nikki Sixx is celebrating the 23rd anniversary of his getting sober.
The 65-year-old MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist credited a treatment program with giving him the tools to help him live his life without drugs or alcohol.
Yesterday (Tuesday, July 2), he posted a message on Instagram with an image revealing he had been sober for 23 years, 276 months, 8,402 days or 201,623 hours.
He later shared a message in which he wrote: “23 years sober today. Had a few runs at it before but I wasn’t ready to surrender completely to my addiction. Today I am the happiest I’ve been in my whole life.
“Thank you to those that shared their experience to help me understand the simple process of letting go. Nothing makes me happier than to see people who have lost hope to find themselves and change not only their life but their family’s too.
“#SobrietyRocks”.
Sixx struggled with substance abuse for years and was even supposedly declared clinically dead after a heroin overdose in 1987 made his heart stop for two minutes. He has since become actively involved in a recovery “program,” which he credits for helping him transform his life and relationships.
“By letting go of self and ego, working a program that connects you to a higher power and giving back to those still struggling are just some of the important things you learn through sobriety,” Sixx wrote when he celebrated nine years of sobriety in July 2013. “You get to repair the damage done from drink, drugs and horrific behaviors (that broke people’s hearts who loved you.”
The rocker, who detailed his near-fatal drug addiction in the best-selling book “The Heroin Diaries”, added: “For me, taking away the substance just gave me an honest view of who I had become and then the healing started. I do believe without any program to help, many are just dry drunks and there is always a danger of them going out again. I’ve been there. It’s not pretty. This is no joking matter to me, so I take it seriously.”
Sixx is not the only member of MÖTLEY CRÜE who has battled alcohol addiction. Singer Vince Neil‘s 1984 drunk-driving accident killed HANOI ROCKS drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley and seriously injured two others. He spent 15 days in jail and received five years probation.
MÖTLEY CRÜE has recently released the official music video for its new single, “Dogs Of War”. The track was made available via MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s new deal with Nashville’s Big Machine Records. Created by Nick DenBoer, the visual features the rowdy quartet in an apocalyptic wasteland, full of classic CRÜE debauchery.
Watch “Dogs Of War” below.
“It’s always great getting back in the studio with the guys in the band,” CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says. “We know you’re gonna like this one.”
Bob Rock, who produced the new single, as well as MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s famed 1989 album “Dr. Feelgood”, adds: “Working with the band on the new song was the easiest session I have ever had with them… The CRÜE is the best they have ever been! And they have plenty of new stuff in store.”
“We want to keep putting out new music, too, so we don’t get stagnant,” CRÜE singer Vince Neil told Billboard. “We recorded ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’ by the BEASTIE BOYS and we recorded this song, too, and I thought it turned out pretty good.
“There’ll definitely be new music out next year, for sure,” Neil added, “’cause we recorded a couple of other songs, too. Maybe we’ll release one of those by the end of the year, but I can’t say. But we want to keep putting out new music — not, maybe, an album but a few songs here, a few songs there, and that’s good.”
Neil described “Dogs Of War” as “like old school meets new school. It’s got that old-school vibe about it, but it’s new music. Nikki came up with it and he sent me the music and I thought it was really cool. So I started singing it and we got in the studio and it turned into the song I think the fans are really gonna like it.”
MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s new deal with Big Machine Records sees the band working together again after making the 2014 project “Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe”, which featured CRÜE tracks covered by country stars RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Darius Rucker and more. Big Machine also partnered with MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 for the release of his 2021 album “Sinner”.
MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s last studio album was 2008’s “Saints Of Los Angeles”, which was followed by a 2009 “Greatest Hits” compilation.
In 2018, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs for “The Dirt” movie, including the single “The Dirt (Est. 1981) (Feat. Machine Gun Kelly)”, “Ride With The Devil”, “Crash And Burn” and the band’s own spin on Madonna‘s “Like A Virgin”.
“‘The Dirt’ movie got us a whole new generation of fans,” Neil said. “We want to keep putting new music out. We don’t want to stagnate.”
“We self-released ‘Too Fast For Love’ on our own Leathür Records label,” Neil added of the band’s 1981 debut. “It cost $3,000 to make and was done in three days. It was a glorified demo tape, but we were the record label until we got signed by Elektra. We haven’t been on a record label for 20 years. But Scott shares our philosophy and he’s a brilliant guy.”
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