10 Rock & Metal Bands Who Fired Their Singer

Motley Crue achieved the kind of notoriety in the 1980s that many bands today can only dream of, and which even many of their rock and metal contemporaries at the time deemed to be a little closer to the edge than they liked to tread. Releasing five hugely successful albums within the decade, they were riding high with an almost unlimited stream of drugs, booze, adoring fans and celebrity hookups to keep them up all night and on all the front pages.

But what goes up must come down, and even the highest highs were undercut by a series of unimaginable lows. Perhaps the worst of these was bassist Nikki Sixx's overdose and temporary death from heroin, and singer Vince Neil's part in the manslaughter of fellow musician Razzle from glam outfit Hanoi Rocks. While these life-changing moments caused Sixx to reflect on his situation and would ultimately lead to him changing his ways and embracing sobriety, Neil went in the opposite direction, spinning ever-further off the rails.

Despite the undeniable contribution of his distinctively high and raspy vocals to the Crue's sound and success, Neil had to go. While Sixx claimed Neil left the band of his own volition, Neil has repeatedly stated that he was voted out by the other three members. But, all's well that ends well, and after a handful of pretty awful albums the group welcomed Neil back, released a new album, and have been touring ever since.