John William Lowery (born July 31, 1970),[3] who is known by the stage name John 5, is an American guitarist. Lowery first took the stage name in 1998 when he left David Lee Roth's solo band and joined Marilyn Manson. Lowery later became the guitarist for Rob Zombie, and in 2022, became the touring guitarist for Mötley Crüe, being promoted to a full member the following year.
His stage name was given to him by Manson and refers to both the Bible chapter and him being the fifth member of Manson's band.[5]
Early life
Lowery is a native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.[3] He first started playing guitar at seven years of age after watching Buck Owens and Roy Clark's television show Hee Haw with his father. Specifically, Lowery recalls seeing a young Jimmy Henley playing banjo that drew his inspiration.[6]
His parents supported his playing as long as it did not interfere with his education. He also took guitar lessons from Detroit guitarist Robert Gillespie who taught him classic blues and rock 'n' roll. They also accompanied him at the adult bars he would play during the evening.[7][8]
Lowery started his career as a session guitarist having moved to Los Angeles from Michigan at age 17. His first band in L.A. was Alligator Soup, which led to an important meeting with Rudy Sarzo from Whitesnake who recruited Lowery for his band Sun King giving him his first real bit of exposure. This also saw him meeting producer Bob Marlette, who has worked with, among others, Tracy Chapman, Alice Cooper, Rob Halford and Black Sabbath.
Lowery began working on numerous projects with Marlette including television show soundtracks, movie soundtracks including Speed 2: Cruise Control, and commercials and infomercials. This in turn saw Lowery being picked to play with Lita Ford, opening up for Kiss. He started another long time friendship with the various Kiss members, including a close friendship with Paul Stanley which resulted in his guesting on Stanley's Live to Win album.
Lowery's next role saw him working with Randy Castillo, in the short-lived projects Bone Angels and Red Square Black, who issued the Square EP via Zoo/BMG. The band disbanded when Lowery was picked to play with k.d. lang on tour.
In 1996, Lowery heard that Marilyn Manson was looking for a guitarist and attempted to cold-call the studio Manson was working with to request an audition, but was hung up on, as the guitarist role had already been given to Zim Zum. Lowery teamed up with then-former Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, along with Sid Riggs (drums), James Woolley (keyboards), and Ray Riendeau (bass) to work on an industrial metal-inspired album, under the band name of 2wo (Two). The subsequent album (Voyeurs) was recorded at Trent Reznor's New Orleans studio and was released on Reznor's Nothing Records label, under the parent company Interscope Records (Universal). The album was not a commercial hit but did produce one video, made by director Chi Chi Larue, for the first single "I am a Pig".[10] It featured some S&M scenes and so was not widely broadcast, but the video was not banned as has been previously rumored. The band embarked on a world tour and were part of the Ozzfest lineup, but the tour was pulled and 2wo disbanded.
Regarding how he came to meet Roth, in Guitarist Magazine, Lowery relates that, "when I was little, my dream was to play with David Lee Roth. One day I was sitting at my friend's house and... I wonder[ed] what... Roth is doing now. I'm gonna call up his manager and see if he needs any songs."[13]
John 5 submitted six tracks that he had written to Roth's management. Roth scheduled a meeting and then scheduled a recording session that lasted two weeks and resulted in the fourteen track DLR Band album. "I remember before we started, he [David Lee Roth] said, 'If you can't do it in two takes, you can't do it.'"[13]
In 2003, while still lead guitarist for Marilyn Manson, Lowery (then called John 5) was invited by David Lee Roth to write and record the single non-cover song for Roth's 2003 album Diamond Dave.[14]
After the recording of Mechanical Animals, Marilyn Manson was again looking for a guitarist to replace Zim Zum who had left the band during the recording process. Again John went to try out for the band. Following a tour with Rob Halford in Europe, John received a call from Manson's manager asking if he would like to meet Manson for lunch. At the meeting Manson asked John to join the band. Lowery accepted and Manson gave him the name "John 5". As Lowery put it, "right then and there. It was obviously something he'd been thinking about.".[15] 5 signed on for the Mechanical Animals tour and to work on the next album. His first live performance for Marilyn Manson came on the MTV Video Music Awards.
During the opening bars of "The Beautiful People" at the 2003 Rock Am Ring festival Manson was moving across the stage when he hit Lowery's guitar and chest with his boot. Lowery was outraged and threw his guitar while screaming at Manson, which led to much speculation. According to Lowery, the Grotesk Burlesk tour had been a high-pressure endeavor, and just weeks before he had suffered losses of very close family members. Lowery later commented on his behavior, calling it unprofessional and stating that there was no bad blood between Manson and him.[16]
In 2004, Lowery and Manson parted company. Confusion was rife as certain press reported that he had been dumped unceremoniously from the band, but in reality the two came to a mutual agreement that they wanted to go their separate ways. "What actually happened was, at the end of the tour, we were just on different roads. It was completely amicable. He just wanted to write with other members of the band, and I wanted to do other things."[17] While working with Manson, Lowery stated that Manson may have harbored resentment toward him since he does not do drugs or drink alcohol, whereas Manson "is not like that." However, Lowery claims Manson never stated this explicitly to him, and remains unclear on why or whether Manson has ill will toward him.[18]
In 2005, Lowery formed the band Loser. Recruiting vocalist Joe Grah, Charles Lee on bass, and Glendon Crain on drums, they began working on their debut album Just Like You. The band was also partly co-founded by friend and producer Bob Marlette. Vocalist Joe Grah already had a significant amount of success in his home state of Texas, with the band Jibe. Marlette recommended Grah to Lowery, and so Lowery hopped on a plane to Texas to see the band play. Grah flew back to L.A. and was hired on the spot.
The name Loser came about as an affirmation to Lowery's past: "I was from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, which is kind of an upper-class area, and I was always that rock kid," John explained. "I started playing guitar at age 7. I always had a rock shirt on, and I had that tattoo early on. I looked like a loser because everyone around me was wearing Polo and Brooks Brothers. But now if you go into a club wearing Polo, you're called a loser. So I think everyone can relate to that name, and the album title, Just Like You, sums it up."[19]
The band had initial success not long after signing with Island Records, when the track "Disposable Sunshine" became part of the Fantastic Four soundtrack.
During this time, during the recording of the soundtrack, Crain briefly left the band and was replaced by drummer Elias Andra, a friend of Lee's. Andra had some success himself with the band Psycho Plague, his own creation, an industrial metal band, which toured as a headline act with Linkin Park as an opening act at the time. However, Andra soon left after promotional shots had been taken, and Crain returned. Andra went on to become the drummer for Julien-K.
At the same time, Lowery was also working for Rob Zombie and a working conflict occurred. As Zombie was also touring, Lowery tried to find a live replacement for him while Loser were touring on conflicting dates. However, even with promo material for the debut album out and a release date in the bag, Island Records did not like the idea of Loser without John and so dropped the band from the label.
"Being the founding member of Loser, my decision to leave was not an easy one", said John 5 in a press release. "I've been juggling two careers both with Loser and Rob Zombie for over one year now. I found it impossible to be in two places at once."[20]
The album has been put on the backburner, and no word on a release date has ever been issued. The official Loser Myspace page has tracks available for download (working on April 11, 2012).[21] The album was never officially released, but promotional copies were distributed to radio stations and music industry insiders, and have become collectors items among fans.
While Lowery was working with Loser, he also began to work with cult rock artist and movie director Rob Zombie. Meeting at the Camp Freddy benefit gig, Lowery and Zombie hit it off immediately and Rob asked Lowery to play with him at Ozzfest 2005. "I'm totally ecstatic about having the opportunity to play with Rob on Ozzfest! He has been one of my favorite artists for the longest time. I had the opportunity to play with him a few weeks back and never thought that I would have the chance to share the stage with him playing the Zombie songs we all know and love!"[22]
On October 26, 2022, it was announced that Mick Mars would be retiring as a touring guitarist from Mötley Crüe due to ongoing health issues.[28] Rumors had been circulating that John 5 would take over as Mars' replacement, especially since John did not show for a Rob Zombie concert at Aftershock in Sacramento, California.[29] On October 27, Mötley Crüe confirmed that John 5 had taken his place.[30]
2004–present: Solo career
Starting in 2004 with Vertigo, Lowery has recorded ten instrumental records. His works have featured many guest players. For example, Songs for Sanity had Albert Lee, and other records have had Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Jim Root. In 2009, John released a remix album, Remixploitation. Lowery has also released an instructional DVD entitled The Devil Knows My Name (2007). In July 2009, on his Twitter page, John 5 announced that he is now six tracks into the next solo album.[31] On October 2, 2009, he played with Slash at a tribute to the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.[32]
In a Twitter update January 6, 2010, John 5 had this to say about the progress of his upcoming fifth studio album; "Just did all the guitar, bass for my new solo CD, Tommy Clufetos played the drums and killed it!"[33] and a following Twitter update January 8; "Did the photo shoot for the new record today!",[34] January 18: "Just had Billy sheehan play on the the[sic] song (ya dig), this record is going to rule".[35]
In June 2011, John 5 officially closed his MySpace page.[36] John commented on his own website, "There are a number of reasons, mainly the decline of Myspace as a platform to reach you, the fans. ... So today, the steps were taken to close the account at the Myspace page."[36]
In February 2014, while giving an interview at the Soundwave festival John 5 announced his seventh solo album entitled "Careful with That Axe", which would go on to be released in August of that year.[37]
John 5 released his eighth solo album titled Season of the Witch on March 3, 2017. He released his first live album, It's Alive, in early 2018 and toured in the early and late months of 2018 in support of it. John 5 released his ninth solo album entitled "Invasion" on July 31, 2019. He was on the road in early and late 2019 in support of the "Invasion" album.
John 5 released his tenth solo album entitled Sinner on October 29, 2021.
Personal life
Lowery has been married three times. He married his second wife, actress Aria Giovanni, in 2005, but they divorced in 2006.[38] He then married hair stylist Rita Aghajani on June 7, 2009.[39] Lowery has two children from his first marriage; and a step-son from his marriage to Aghajani.[40][41][42]
Leah Andreone – Former Girlfriend, Veiled, Guitar (1996), I Feel the Earth Move, Guitar (1997), Alchemy, Lap Steel Guitar/Guitar (1998), co-wrote ten tracks
k.d. lang – Guitarist, World Tour 1996, 1997. Onstage 'Live in Sydney' VHS Tape
Marilyn Manson – 1998–2004 – Guitarist, where he got the moniker "John 5". Manson has claimed the name derives from Lowery's first name with the number 5 noting there was a time he considered naming himself and his bandmates with numbers. This continued the departure from the "pin-up + serial killer" naming scheme.
Garbage – 2003 – Additional guitar on "Never Be Free" b-side, possibly co-written by him as well.[50][51]
Loser — 2005–2006 – Guitarist and founder member of Loser. The band had a song ("Disposable Sunshine") on the Fantastic Four soundtrack and had recorded their debut album Just Like You, but due to conflicting schedules with Rob Zombie, John left the band and Island Records.[52][53]
Rob Zombie – 2005–2022 – Guitarist, Ozzfest 2005 and several albums.
Sebastian Bach – 2024 – Guitars on "Freedom" from the album Child Within The Man[61]
Billy Morrison – 2024 – Guitars on "The Ayes Have It" from the album The Morrison Project[62][63]
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