After years of fans witnessingVince Neil’s highest highs and lowest lows, the legendary singer is pulling the curtain back and telling his side of the story.Sunday will mark the premiere ofMötley Crüe’s Vince Neil: My Story, a REELZ documentary where Neil details his life story fromhisperspective for the first time. In the nearly two-hour film, the ’80s band’s lead vocalist details his rise to fame, his exit from the band and the tragedies he’s faced in between.“It’s basically just my life story,” Neil, 61, tells PEOPLE. “There’s a lot of documentaries out there, and a lot of things that people form an opinion of me [on], and haven’t really ever heard from me.“He continued, “And now, I could dispel all those rumors. People think that they know me, but they don’t.“Vince Neil.Courtesy Scott Sternberg ProductionsBeginning with his days growing up in Compton and eventually moving to Glendora, California, Neil opens up about selling pages from a sex manual for money, becoming a father at 16 years old, dropping out of high school, working in construction and starting a band.It was during this time that he metTommy Lee, Mötley Crüe’s drummer. Lee and Neil were part of competing groups in their local area before they started working together in the famed band, which launched with bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars. Neil then details the band’s rise to fame — from sharing a one-bedroom apartment down the street from the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, where they performed many, many times — to their “big break” when they opened for Ozzy Osbourne.Eventually, however, Neil was faced with life-altering challenges.“I’ve had a lot of turmoil in my life,” he says. “A lot of good things, and a lot of bad things happened to me, including the death of my daughter. I never really talked about that stuff. And now, I’m going to talk about it. Make it right, so people know me and understand me better.“Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and Mick Mars.Emma McIntyre/GettyOpening up those wounds wasn’t easy for Neil, but he knew he needed to in order to tell his story in its entirety. “You don’t think about it all the time. Then, when you have to think about it, all those old emotions come flooding back,” he says.He continues, “I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from it.“Neil’s 4-year-old daughter Skylar — whom he shared with ex-wife Sharise Ruddell — died in 1995 after doctors discovered a tumor in her liver. By this time, Neil had already exited the band and put his solo career on pause.“I was just drinking myself to death, pills,” he says. “I think I was trying to kill myself. So it was tough to be there once she passed.“Coping through that time, Neil says “nobody” was there for him including his then-former band members. Even then, the band was able to overcome their differences and are currently on tour for the first time in seven years. Interviews with Lee and Sixx are also featured in the documentary.Vince Neil.Courtesy Scott Sternberg Productions"Things change. People grew up,” he says. “You can’t stay 25 forever. Everybody’s in our 60s now. It’s time to grow up.““And things are different. You go on the road now, and people have their kids out, and nannies, and stuff like that. But you just get to live a little bigger. More comfortable, because you do have money now and you do have the luxuries that you didn’t have [before].“Now, when Neil’s not on tour, he spends his days golfing and on his horse ranch with his partner of 11 years, Hannah Rain.Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil: My Storypremieres at 8 p.m. EST Sunday on REELZ.
After years of fans witnessingVince Neil’s highest highs and lowest lows, the legendary singer is pulling the curtain back and telling his side of the story.
Sunday will mark the premiere ofMötley Crüe’s Vince Neil: My Story, a REELZ documentary where Neil details his life story fromhisperspective for the first time. In the nearly two-hour film, the ’80s band’s lead vocalist details his rise to fame, his exit from the band and the tragedies he’s faced in between.
“It’s basically just my life story,” Neil, 61, tells PEOPLE. “There’s a lot of documentaries out there, and a lot of things that people form an opinion of me [on], and haven’t really ever heard from me.”
He continued, “And now, I could dispel all those rumors. People think that they know me, but they don’t.”
Vince Neil.Courtesy Scott Sternberg Productions
Beginning with his days growing up in Compton and eventually moving to Glendora, California, Neil opens up about selling pages from a sex manual for money, becoming a father at 16 years old, dropping out of high school, working in construction and starting a band.
It was during this time that he metTommy Lee, Mötley Crüe’s drummer. Lee and Neil were part of competing groups in their local area before they started working together in the famed band, which launched with bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars. Neil then details the band’s rise to fame — from sharing a one-bedroom apartment down the street from the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, where they performed many, many times — to their “big break” when they opened for Ozzy Osbourne.
Eventually, however, Neil was faced with life-altering challenges.
“I’ve had a lot of turmoil in my life,” he says. “A lot of good things, and a lot of bad things happened to me, including the death of my daughter. I never really talked about that stuff. And now, I’m going to talk about it. Make it right, so people know me and understand me better.”
Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and Mick Mars.Emma McIntyre/Getty
Opening up those wounds wasn’t easy for Neil, but he knew he needed to in order to tell his story in its entirety. “You don’t think about it all the time. Then, when you have to think about it, all those old emotions come flooding back,” he says.
He continues, “I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from it.”
Neil’s 4-year-old daughter Skylar — whom he shared with ex-wife Sharise Ruddell — died in 1995 after doctors discovered a tumor in her liver. By this time, Neil had already exited the band and put his solo career on pause.
“I was just drinking myself to death, pills,” he says. “I think I was trying to kill myself. So it was tough to be there once she passed.”
Coping through that time, Neil says “nobody” was there for him including his then-former band members. Even then, the band was able to overcome their differences and are currently on tour for the first time in seven years. Interviews with Lee and Sixx are also featured in the documentary.
“Things change. People grew up,” he says. “You can’t stay 25 forever. Everybody’s in our 60s now. It’s time to grow up.”
“And things are different. You go on the road now, and people have their kids out, and nannies, and stuff like that. But you just get to live a little bigger. More comfortable, because you do have money now and you do have the luxuries that you didn’t have [before].”
Now, when Neil’s not on tour, he spends his days golfing and on his horse ranch with his partner of 11 years, Hannah Rain.
Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil: My Storypremieres at 8 p.m. EST Sunday on REELZ.
source: people.com
