Net Worth Ranker
What Is Mick Mars Net Worth?
Mick Mars, the co-founder and lead guitarist of the iconic band Mötley Crüe, has accumulated a net worth of $50 million. This substantial wealth is a result of his successful career in music, primarily through album sales, songwriting, and touring with Mötley Crüe.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Robert Alan Deal in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1951, Mick Mars’s journey to becoming a rock icon began with a series of moves, first to Huntington, Indiana, and then to Garden Grove, California. After dropping out of high school, Mars dedicated his time to playing guitar in various blues rock bands throughout the 1970s. One of these bands, Whitehorse, featured a vocalist named Micki Marz, who inspired his eventual stage name. Dissatisfied with the California music scene, he reinvented himself with jet-black hair and a determination to find success. In 1980, he placed an advertisement in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler, describing himself as a “loud, rude and aggressive guitar player.” This ad caught the attention of Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, who were in the process of forming a band, leading to Mars becoming the guitarist for Mötley Crüe.
Mötley Crüe’s Rise to Fame
Mötley Crüe’s career took off with the release of their debut album, “Too Fast for Love,” in 1981. The album featured the singles “Stick to Your Guns” and “Live Wire” and eventually achieved platinum status in the US, despite initially reaching only number 77 on the Billboard 200 album chart. In 1983, the band released “Shout at the Devil,” which sold 200,000 copies in its first two weeks and solidified Mötley Crüe’s place as a major heavy metal act of the 1980s. The band shifted to a glam metal style with its third studio album, “Theatre of Pain,” which featured the hit singles “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home.” The album reached number six on the US charts and became certified quadruple platinum in 1995.
Further success came with the albums “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Dr. Feelgood,” the latter of which became the band’s best-selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the US alone. “Dr. Feelgood” reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified 6x platinum by the RIAA. Following this success, Mötley Crüe signed a $25 million contract with Elektra Records. In the 2000s, the band released “New Tattoo” and “Saints of Los Angeles.” Throughout their career, Mötley Crüe sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, with nine albums reaching the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
Mick Mars played a crucial role in the band’s songwriting, co-writing some of their most successful songs, including “Dr. Feelgood,” “Same Ol’ Situation,” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.” These songs have contributed significantly to the band’s revenue through royalties and licensing agreements.
Other Collaborations
Mick Mars has also collaborated with a variety of other musical artists, expanding his reach and income streams. He has contributed songwriting to former Evanescence band member John LeCompt, as well as to the Swedish band Crashdïet, co-writing two songs on their second album, “The Unattractive Revolution.” Additionally, he contributed to the title track of Hinder’s 2008 album “Take it to the Limit.”
Mars contributed guitar solos to Papa Roach’s 2009 album “Metamorphosis” and Dilana’s US debut album “Inside Out.” In 2010, Mick Mars co-wrote a song for Escape the Fate’s eponymous album. The next year, he co-wrote Pop Evil’s song “Boss’s Daughter,” and also made an appearance in its music video. He was featured on Black Smoke Trigger’s song “The Way I’m Wired” and Cory Marks’ hit single “Outlaws & Outsiders.” These collaborations have added to his income through royalties and performance fees.
Musical Equipment
Early in his career, Mick Mars primarily used Kramer and other Superstrat guitars. Occasionally, he used a black Gibson Les Paul and a B.C. Rich. Other equipment he used included Fender Stratocasters, J.M. Rolph pickups, and a licensed Floyd Rose bridge system. The guitars have varied in price, but some of his customized guitars could be worth tens of thousands of dollars each.
Personal Life and Health
Mick Mars’s personal life includes marriages to Sharon Deal in 1970 (divorced in 1973) and Emi Canyn in 1990 (divorced in 1993). In 2007, he began dating Swiss model Seraina Fai Schonenberger, who is 33 years his junior. They married in 2013 and reside in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mars has struggled with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis, since he was 17. This condition affects the pelvis and spine, impairing movement and causing scoliosis, which has resulted in him being three inches shorter than he was in high school. In 2004, Mars underwent hip-replacement surgery to address the problem. These health challenges have affected his ability to tour with Mötley Crüe in recent years.
