(L-R) Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars & Tommy Lee, collectively known as Mötley Crüe.

In the days preceding the Super Bowl, Chrysler’s Dodge brand seized the moment to announce their presenting sponsorship of  Mötley Crüe’s ‘Final Tour’, an apparent swan song for the bad boys of rock n’ roll after more than three decades. With more than 80 million albums sold, the Crüe have sold out countless amphitheaters and venues worldwide, spawned a legion of fans and created a merchandising empire of some 2,500-plus branded items sold in over 30 countries. 

With the exception of a brief solo career by lead singer Vince Neil during his ill-fated attempt to drive Indy Lights cars, the band has remained intact, with bassist and spokesman Nikki Six, guitarist Mick Mars, and the irrepressible Tommy Lee on drums. Signing a formal ‘Cessation of Touring Agreement’ effective at the end of 2015 when the quartet vows to end the group known as Mötley Crüe, the Tour kicks off in North America on July 2nd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this year, visiting 72 markets before going international in 2015. Alice Cooper, a rock legend in his own right, will join Mötley as their special guest, enhancing the lineup and no doubt adding his own flair for the dramatic. 

As documented in their Cessation Of Touring Agreement, the band will not tour after this Final Tour. Band Attorney, Doug Mark of Mark Music & Media Law, explains “Other bands have split up over rancor or the inability of people to get along, but this is a mutual decision among all four original members to move on to other endeavors and to confirm it with a binding agreement.”

Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars will go their separate ways after the lengthy 2-year touring cycle. Tommy Lee explained,  “Everything must come to an end! We always had a vision of going out with a big bang and not playing county fairs and clubs with 1 or 2 original band members. Our job here is done!” 

Dodge is the presenting sponsor of Mötley Crüe’s ‘Final Tour’.

A far cry from the band’s pseudo-glam beginnings on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, the band’s success was almost curtailed early on, after a car crash involving Neil and his passenger, drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley of the group Hanoi Rocks, who died in the collision. But the Crüe’s talent and showmanship fueled their surge to the top of rock music’s stardom, propelled by gold and platinum albums and a series of hits such as “Shout at the Devil”, “Looks That Kill”, a remake of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room”, “Home Sweet Home”, and “Kickstart My Heart”. The latter is an anthem Dodge used in three :30-second commercials for the Charger and Challenger to underscore the energy and perhaps wilder side of the brand.

Noting Dodge’s previous ties to the Crüe, Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s Dodge Brand said, “Whenever I talk to people about Mötley Crüe, the common thread is how cool and relevant the band remains after 33 years. This irreverent ‘staying power’ resonates deeply with the Dodge brand as we turn the corner on our 100-year anniversary. What better way to celebrate the band’s final tour and the 25th anniversary of ‘Kickstart My Heart’ than to do it together?”

Billed as the last chance to ever see the band perform live, to Live Nation, producers of the tour, Mötley Crüe tours are not only box office successes but artistically their shows have set the bar for production and entertainment value. “There’s no arguing that Motley Crue have been and always will be the definitive bad boys of rock and roll,” says Rick Franks, Live Nation’s Regional President of North America Concerts. “But behind all those notorious stories is a legendary rock band that has revolutionized heavy metal and created some of the biggest hits in music history. They are a hugely successful global brand and a touring powerhouse. Everyone at Live Nation has a tremendous amount of respect for these hard working and extremely talented gentlemen. The music industry will never have another Motley Crue.” A full List of dates can be found at their web site.