Guitarist **Jake E. Lee**, known for his fiery tenure with Ozzy Osbourne and as a former member of Ratt, recently revisited one of rock’s most intriguing “what-if” stories — the time he nearly joined **Mötley Crüe** and the tension that ignited between him and guitarist **Mick Mars**. In a candid interview with *Tone-Talk*, Lee peeled back the curtain on events from the early 1980s, revealing how band politics, jealousy, and one shocking confrontation almost led to a serious fight.
According to Jake, before Mötley Crüe skyrocketed to fame, **Nikki Sixx** and **Tommy Lee** had approached him to replace Mick Mars. “*Nikki and Tommy wanted me in the band,*” Jake explained. “*They actually wanted me to replace Mick… better looking, better playing — that’s what they told me.*”
The prospect wasn’t far-fetched. Jake was already building a reputation as one of the hottest young guitarists in the Los Angeles scene, and Crüe was still shaping its identity. But what ultimately protected Mick’s place, Jake says, was financial backing from one of Mars’ in-laws — a critical lifeline the band couldn’t afford to lose at the time.
There was even discussion of Jake joining as a *second* guitarist, making the Crüe a five-man unit. But Jake wasn’t convinced. “*Two guitar players? I don’t know about that,*” he recalled. The idea faded, but the damage was done. Whether spoken aloud or not, the knowledge that Jake had been courted planted a seed of rivalry between him and Mick. Jake says that’s where the silent friction began — a crack that would widen in the years that followed.
That tension finally exploded during **Mötley Crüe’s 1984 tour with Ozzy Osbourne**, a notorious run filled with wild stories, many of which were later dramatized in *The Dirt*. Jake remembered being in Mick Mars’ hotel room, surrounded by members of Crüe and Ratt, when he made a joke about Mick being “the old man of the group.” What followed was a moment Jake would never forget. Mick looked directly at him and said, *“At least I’m not a slant-eyed Japanese bastard.”* For Jake, who is of Japanese descent, it was a deeply personal and offensive remark — something he hadn’t heard since childhood.
“I was ready to beat the hell out of him,” Jake admitted. He stood up, furious, prepared to fight. But before violence broke out, **Robbin Crosby of Ratt**, towering at 6’5”, intervened. He physically lifted Jake out of the room, telling him, *“Come on, Jake. None of that matters.”* Crosby’s calm presence likely prevented a disastrous confrontation, one that could have changed the careers of both men forever. Jake would never forget that moment, both for its ugliness and for the friend who pulled him back from the edge.
Despite the explosive incident, Jake revealed that he and Mick Mars eventually reconciled. Time, and the hardships of the industry, softened their rivalry. But Jake remains brutally honest in his assessment. “*I was younger, better looking, and I was a better guitarist — I still believe that,*” he said. Yet, in the same breath, he acknowledged something rare among rock veterans: that **Mick Mars may have been exactly what Mötley Crüe needed**.
“*I’m not saying it would have been better with me,*” Jake reflected. “*Musically, maybe. But big? No. Mick had great tone, great rhythm. He fit. I don’t think they’d have been as big with me.
*” It’s a powerful admission. While Jake may have elevated the technical side of the band, Mick Mars brought grit, mystery, and a visual presence that defined Crüe’s rebellious image. Mars wasn’t just a guitarist — he was an anchor to their chaos.
In the end, Jake E. Lee did not join Mötley Crüe, and history unfolded in the way it was destined. Jake went on to carve his legacy with Ozzy, writing iconic riffs such as *“Bark at the Moon,”* while Mick Mars remained the shadowy architect of Crüe’s darkness. Their paths diverged, but the tension they once shared is now part of rock folklore — a reminder of how close the world once came to a very different Mötley Crüe.
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