Las Vegas Weekly

September 20, 2010 · 2:56 PM

Exclusive: Vince Neil vows not to wed again after fourth split

By Robin Leach

Vince Neil performs with his Vince Neil Band at The Rio.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Rock superstar Vince Neil has talked candidly for the first time about the breakup of his marriage to fourth wife Lia. Vince departs tomorrow for a weeklong trip to Boston, New York, New Jersey and California promoting his new shocking-secrets autobiography Tattoos & Tequila before returning here to Borders at Town Square on Sept. 29.

Tattoos & Tequila will be released Thursday, and Vegas DeLuxe will reveal several jaw-dropping excerpts Wednesday morning. As Las Vegas resident Vince prepared for his promotional tour, we talked frankly in our exclusive one-on-one interview:

Robin Leach: Can you confirm now that you and Lia have officially separated? How do you feel about that?

Vince Neil: I will always love her, but just as many other people do, they drift apart. It’s pretty sad. You know, she’s still dealing with the passing of her father, and I will always be there for her. We just can’t be together right now. It’s crazy because I haven’t been single in over 10 years, so it’s hard to function without her and being alone. A lot of things she did you take for granted while you’re in a relationship, even the little things like shopping. I find myself doing the grocery shopping!

RL: Do you think you’ll get married again? Do you want to get married again?

VN: No, I’ll never get married again. I’ve been married four times, and that’s enough. I’ll be 50 next year, and I’m sure I’ll be in another relationship, but not marriage.

RL: No shortage of dates already?

VN: Well, this is Vegas! There’s always girls, you know, rock ’n’ roll and girls go hand-in-hand.

RL: And you’re going to be a rock ’n’ roller until the very end, right?

VN: Absolutely.

RL: With just hours before the book is due out, you’ve re-read it, so I must ask, because it’s going to shock a lot of people, if there are things that you wished you had put in or left out? Or is everything there for everyone to see?

VN: Yeah, everything is there. It’s pretty complete. I’m pretty frank about stuff. Some people already don’t like what I’ve said. I’ve already got complaints. It is what it is. It’s my views on my life and surroundings and other people’s view of my life, and you have to take it good or bad.

RL: Did you write the book to exorcize some demons, or was it just a candid mirror into your life?

VN: Motley Crue has been around for almost 30 years now, and I really haven’t had a voice except for The Dirt book. But it was written about four people, not one guy. I just wanted to get into detail about my life, growing up and being in rock ’n’ roll, being in Motley Crue, and the time since The Dirt, which is over 10 years old.

RL: What was the most painful thing to recall for the book, and what was the most fun thing to recall?

VN: The most painful was the passing of my daughter Skylar. Once the memories and emotions come back, and you haven’t felt those emotions in a long time, it gets very tough. The fun stuff was kind of just recounting the stupid things I’ve done in my life!

RL: The song “Girls Girls Girls” has three girls in the title, but there were many, right? In the hundreds?

VN: Absolutely! There were so many I wouldn’t even try to keep count. When you look at the people who actually do, I think it makes them look stupid.

RL: You’re also a rock ’n’ roll survivor when you think about all the other things.

VN: Yeah, when you read the book and the part of the drugs and the hard living. It’s pretty amazing that the guys of Motley Crue and I are still alive. So many close calls.

RL: Do you marvel at that, that you’re still a rock ’n’ roll superstar at the half-century mark?

VN: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy when we’re looking at our 30th anniversary next year -- still filling up stadiums and outdoor arenas. It’s hard to stay viable for that many years continually, but we stumbled upon something. We were able to transcend the generations, and that’s why you see the 40- to 50-year-olds who grew up with us, and their kids are coming, too. Dads taking their sons who are 5 and 6 to their first concert, 10-year-olds with Shout at the Devil shirts on, tattoo artists standing next to attorneys in the audience. It’s a little bit of everything.

RL: Any regrets about the life you’ve lived, the ups and downs of experiences?

VN: No, you know, with anything bad that has happened to me, I just try to learn by my mistakes and not repeat them again. Sometimes that’s hard to do, but that’s what you have to do.

Vince, on legal advice, would not discuss his recent problems with a DUI charge and the false accusations made by a woman who said he attacked her in an elevator at the Las Vegas Hilton. Security videotape proved that there was no attack nor was she in the elevator with him.

His only comment: “Regrettably, it goes with the territory of being a celebrity. We’re always the target for somebody else’s financial gain. Everybody tries for 15 minutes of fame to get some publicity. It’s a shame, but anybody can sue anybody for anything today, even if it’s totally untrue. Fortunately in this incident, even the police said there was absolutely nothing!”

Vince continues with his solo tour this fall and winter promoting the new album, also titled Tattoos & Tequila. He goes out again as Motley Crue frontman for a music festival in Mobile, Ala., on Oct. 3 with Nelly, Godsmack, Papa Roach and, interestingly, Reba McEntire and Earth Wind & Fire. Then the third Motley Crue Fest of their 10-year mega-contract gets underway next spring with a world tour to celebrate the group’s 30th anniversary.

“We have years ahead of us yet,” Vince laughed. “We’re the never-ending tour!”

Check back here at Vegas DeLuxe on Wednesday for explosive excerpts from the tell-all, no-holds-barred, thrill-ride-to-hell-and-back Tattoos & Tequila.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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