By WILLIAM J WRIGHT
What do kd lang, David Lee Roth, Dolly Parton, Marilyn Manson, Ricky Martin, Meat Loaf and Rob Zombie all have in common? Aside from the broad category of “music,” each of these artists has at one time employed the unparalleled guitar prowess of one John William Lowery. Better known as John 5, the name bestowed upon him by Manson upon joining the notorious shock rocker’s band in 1998, the dark master of the Telecaster, is among an elite group of musicians whose abilities transcend style and easy categorization. As demonstrated by his long resume and his latest solo instrumental album, GHOST, genre simply does not exist to John 5. From downhome chicken picking to power pop melodies to crushing metal riffs, the Michigan-born shredder plays it all… well.
After ending a seventeen-year-long creative partnership with Rob Zombie in 2022, John 5 became the axman for legendary ’80s rockers Mötley Crüe, controversially stepping into the position formerly held by founding member Mick Mars. Although the move sparked wild speculation and some consternation among fans in both the Zombie and Crüe camps, John 5 has chosen to stay above the fray, tempering his comments with grace and goodwill to all, preferring to let his licks do the talking.
And that’s exactly what he does on his just-released tenth solo album, GHOST, a sonic compilation of John 5’s musical obsessions that dips into country, blues, jazz, funk, and, of course, metal – all tinged with his trademark obsessions with monsters and horror. I recently sat down with John 5 to talk about the new record and the creatures of the night that continue to inspire him.
Let’s talk about the new album, GHOST. What’s the story behind the title and the title track? Is there an underlying ghostly theme that ties the tracks?
Well, it’s interesting because I have a guitar called The Ghost. And the reason why is, I believe, we all live with ghosts, you know. And not bad, but good ghosts that watch out for us. Kind of like a guardian angel or something. I really do believe that we all live with ghosts in some way. So that’s the name of the record and the name of my guitar as well. So it’s kind of a tribute to living with ghosts and the guitar as well.
Anyone who knows anything about you knows that you’re one of the most versatile guitarists out there. You can and do play everything, and you explore a lot of musical styles on this album. There are funky cuts like “LA Express,” which, to me, sounds like the theme to the coolest imaginary ’70s cop show ever, and there are mellow moments like “Hollywood Story” that have almost an Eric Johnson vibe. And then, of course, flat-out rockers, like the new single, “Fiend.” GHOST features spooky tunes, Delta Blues and even the jazz standard “Moonglow.” With all that diversity, how do you go about determining a sequence that works?
You know that is difficult, but when I listen to the record, I’m like, Okay, well, let’s give them a taste of this. It’s like, you don’t want to just eat the same food over and over and over. Like, if you’re eating pizza or something like that. Then, you want to go for something else, and then something else. When you go to a restaurant, you order a couple of different dishes, and then you just pick around, and that’s kind of how I did the sequence. But the record is so honest, because this is exactly what I play when I’m on the couch. I play jazz, and I’ll play country, and I’ll play rock, and all this stuff. So, it’s just such an honest record.
When I was a kid and just getting into the guitar, I listened to all that Mike Varney Shrapnel Records stuff from guys like Tony MacAlpine and Vinnie Moore that were end-to-end shredding. As fun as that can be, to listen to and to play, it can get a little bit tedious after a while.
Yeah, and that’s why I was a little hesitant to start putting out records and doing shows because of the different styles, and I thought that was really going to hurt me. But I think that some of the audience’s favorite parts are when I break out a banjo or a mandolin or something like that.
How do you approach writing instrumental, guitar-based music? Do you begin with a mood that you want to establish? Is there a visual component, like you’re conjuring and scoring a movie scene in your head?
It’s really hard to start and compose an instrumental song that will keep people’s attention. You know, it really is a difficult thing. It’s like writing a little symphony. But I’ll sometimes start with a riff or a lick or something like that.
Do you foresee a time when instrumental music can land on the charts again? Into the 1970s and ’80s, there were quite a few instrumental tracks that broke through – everything from all the “Theme From S.W.A.T.” to Harold Faltemeyer’s “Axel F”.
There was everything [back then]. There was The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five,” which was a big hit. And even Joe Satriani and Steve Vai had big albums. They were in the charts, you know, Surfing with the Alien and Passion and Warfare. Yeah, it’s incredible. You know, I hope so, because it is music.
Do you find that the audience for your solo works is mostly other musicians?
Yeah, I think a lot of it is musicians and but then there’s Manson fans or Zombie fans. There are Crüe fans as well, and it’s a really fun show. So, even if you’re not a musician, you can still go there and be entertained. And it’s a lot of fun. It really is a lot of fun.
You know, RUE MORGUE, obviously, is a horror magazine, so we have to talk about horror. How and when did you begin linking your interest in horror to your interest in music? What is the connection?
John 5 and an old friend.
Well, just like any kid growing up, I loved, loved, loved monsters. It was something that I just loved more than anything. I had this Frankenstein, little rubber doll that I would carry around when I was probably four or five years old. And I still have him. And I have him right here! I just love this guy. I always carried him around when I was so young, so little, you know, and I just loved him so much. And then, when I started going to school, when I was in kindergarten, I would go up to the library, and they had these monster books by Crestwood. I would go and check out these books. I just worshiped them. I would just look at them every day I was in school. I wouldn’t even go to recess. I would just go to the library and look at these books. And then my mom got me a set, and that’s the set I still have. It’s incredible.
I still love it, but it’s funny. And I’m not joking, every night before I go to bed, it doesn’t matter if I’m in Japan or South America or anything, I’ll watch bits of the Universal monster movies. I’ll watch probably ten or fifteen minutes of it, and then I’ll go to sleep. So, it’s just comforting to me still to this day.
How did the combination of these interests in monsters and music come about? Was there ever some concrete realization that these things work together?
I actually remember it vividly. I was walking through Sears in 1977. I know the exact month, June of 1977, because that’s when I saw, in Sears, that KISS had a new record coming out called Love Gun. I loved anything with monsters. So, I saw these guys, and they were monsters with guitars. And because I loved music, too. I loved Hee Haw and The Monkees. But then, I saw this incredible KISS display, and I was like, Oh my God! And my mom was so rad. She got it for me, and it changed my life forever.
I know you’ve done a little bit of film work, specifically with Rob Zombie. Are horror directors beating down your door to score their movies?
They are, but I don’t enjoy it that much, to be 1,000% honest with you. Some of the films that I’ve done that I’m proud of. I’ll go with my wife to the premiere, and I’m like, “Did you hear that? Did you hear that?” And she’s like, “What? What?” Because it’s music that’s made not to be listened to. It’s music to make you not distracted. And I want to make music that will distract you, and you listen to, you know? I’m not a big fan of just doing that, where it’s not supposed to grab your attention. Of course, you have themes and all that stuff, but I don’t know… I like being on stage. I like making records, and I like doing that kind of stuff, to be completely honest.
If the right thing came along, like, perhaps rescoring a classic or silent horror film, would that be something you’d be interested in doing?
That would be the greatest! I mean, I love that kind of stuff; I’d be honored to do something like that. Oh, God! To make it really traditional to the time, too. That’s why I was really proud of Lords of Salem, because of all those instruments. Rob wanted to have all the instruments very, very primitive and of the time. It was all, like, metal things and stringed instruments and not a lot of electric stuff. It was so cool and so interesting, that soundtrack. I’m very proud of that.
What particular musical itch does working with Mötley Crüe scratch that your solo work doesn’t? Is it just purely the fun of performing those great tunes we grew up with?
Yeah, that’s exactly it. Mötley Crüe is the soundtrack of my life, and, of course, the soundtrack of a lot of people’s lives. But to be a part of the Mötley Crüe history is incredible, and I don’t take it for granted at all. I’m just like, so thankful every day, every show, and I’m going to make it a point to do the best job that I can every show. I just want to make it so perfect, just like those records.
I made a pact with myself to play those songs just like how they were recorded. And when you’re in the studio, you want to play perfectly. The producer is like, “Okay, you gotta play in time, you gotta play in tune, and you gotta play right with the band, perfect.” And that’s how records are made, and that’s how I’m looking at every single live show. I want to play just like how it is on the record, because on the record, it’s perfect. So, it’s kind of a game I play with myself to see how tight and how perfect I can get it. And then people will comment. They’ll say, “Oh, it’s too perfect and pristine,” and that couldn’t be a better compliment to me. I love that, but they’re not giving me a compliment. They’re saying it’s too perfect. And that just makes me so happy.
Those are some big shoes to fill.
I love Mick Mars. He was my favorite, and he’s my friend, so I think he’s happy that I’m doing it and giving him the respect that he deserves with these songs, playing them just like how they were recorded, because I love them.
How wild are those guys these days? Are they hard to keep up with?
[Laughs] They’re wild. Yeah, it’s Mötley Crüe, man! They’re wild.
You’ve worked with so many different artists and in every genre imaginable. Are there any musicians on your bucket list that you haven’t collaborated with yet?
There was one that is not going to happen, which I’m crushed about. I love Prince, and when I first joined Marilyn Manson, I was literally in the studio with Manson making Holy Wood, and Takumi, Prince’s tech and right-hand guy, called me, and he was like, “Hey, Prince wants to talk to you. He’s going to call you. So if you see a phone number from this area code, pick it up.” So I did, and it was Prince, and he wanted me to come down to Paisley Park and jam. It was when I first started Holy Wood. We were just getting into this record, and I was like, you know, I would love to come after I’m done with this record, right away. He was on tour, so that never happened. But it’s funny, not too long ago, I got a call from Takumi, and he just told me how much Prince enjoyed my guitar playing. It was so strange to me because I really looked at Prince as untouchable, this incredible genius of a musician. That really meant a lot to me. It really, really, really meant a lot to me.
Of course, there’s another legend that we lost recently, the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. . .
I believe there are people that are put on this earth to change the world, and I’m putting him in there with Steve Jobs, with, like, real giants of humanity. And I really believe that Ozzy was put on this earth to change the world, and that’s exactly what he did. Now, we all talk about Ozzy, about all the crazy stories and all that stuff, but Ozzy really was a genius. Here comes someone who not only writes and sings this music and has this voice, but changed everything. He changed the world.
He created his own genre of music – Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne did. And this was no mistake, because they changed the world of heavy metal rock, and then Ozzy kept going with Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Ozzy, I really believe, was a real genius. And I don’t think we talk about that enough, you know? We all talk about the stories, but the real genius is how he changed the world with his music. It’s incredible, unbelievable. You know, they say, Oh, I don’t know if there’ll ever be another Beatles. And I put Ozzy right up there with the Beatles, because of how everything was changed when he came onto the market. And I don’t know if there’ll ever be another Ozzy Osborne, I don’t think so.
Thank God we got all that music and all those records and all those concerts. And thank God we lived through it, you and I and millions and millions of other people. We were lucky enough to be in that presence to feel that magic.
You’re hitting the road with another guitar giant. Tell me about the upcoming tour with Ritchie Kotzen.
It’s gonna be a blast. I love so much going on tour and playing these places. It’s so much fun for me to go into a little place and just go nuts and go crazy and play this crazy music. And Richie Kotzen, who is one of my favorites. We have the same agent, and we were like, “Okay, let’s do this tour together,” because I did one with Marty Friedman, and it was such a success. So, I’m doing it with Richie this year, and we’re so excited. Tickets are doing great, and it’s so intimate, because when I was growing up, I would go to the Coconut Teaszer here in LA, and you could see Zakk Wylde, or I would go to the Troubadour, and you could see Rod Stewart perform. I saw Skid Row in a little club and Rage Against the Machine in a little club. I’m telling you, nothing compares to that. Nothing. Because you’re not two feet away from people playing, ripping it up. And it’s so much fun. I love it. Awesome.
Finally, where the hell do you get the energy? It’s just one project or tour after another.
That’s a really good question. And I wish I could just say something funny or something like that, but I’m going to give you the honest to God truth. I eat so right, and I sleep at the exact same time, and I get up at the exact same time, you know? So, I just eat really well. I really take care of myself and do it that way.
Now, this is where it’s really put to the test. Next year, I’m going to do this: 50 shows, 50 states in 50 days. That’s going to be something special. That’s going to be wild. I’m really happy about it.
We’re going to support this new record, GHOST. Oh, you’ve got to check out the artwork. too. My friend Joe Lalich – he is this master at design. We did the artwork, but it’s all black and chrome, so it’s kind of like KISS’ Double Platinum. It’s really, really rad. So, I’m going to have those on sale at the tour and all that stuff. I’m super excited. It’s going to be great.
GHOST, the new album from John 5, is available now! Click here for more information and catch him on the road with Richie Kotzen in the U.S. throughout October and November.
