Guitarist John 5 has once again addressed his current relationship with Rob Zombie following his departure from the shock rocker’s band in 2022, confirming that the two musicians still have not communicated since the split.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the “Thinking About Guitar” podcast, John 5 reflected on his decision to leave Rob Zombie‘s longtime touring and recording lineup to seize the rare opportunity to join Mötley Crüe as the permanent replacement for founding guitarist Mick Mars.
“Life is short and I want to experience as much as possible,” he explained during the interview. “I want to see things. I want to experience things. I’m still so hungry to do things.”
The virtuoso guitarist spent 17 years working alongside Rob Zombie, contributing heavily to five studio albums and performing hundreds of shows across the globe. Over nearly two decades, the pair developed a remarkably close creative partnership, a bond that John 5 was quick to highlight while discussing his reasons for moving on.
“I was never a band member with anything,” John continued. “I’ve never been a band member with [Marilyn] Manson or Rob or Mötley Crüe or anything. So me and Rob had such a special bond and we work so well together. We write so well together. Those shows… We had so much fun. We never had a negative word between us. I mean, he’s just, he’s the greatest. But I just wanted to experience this. I wanted to experience it. And I know that might be selfish, but I just wanted to – I didn’t want to have this pass by.”
Despite their long-standing friendship and highly successful musical collaboration, John 5 confirmed that there has been absolute silence between the two since he officially exited the group.
“I haven’t spoken to Rob, unfortunately. Of course, I miss him. And 17 years [together] and I love him. And I wish nothing but the best for him. But I have no ill will towards Rob Zombie whatsoever,” he admitted.
This is not the first time John 5 has publicly discussed the lack of communication with his former employer. During an appearance on “The Jasta Show” in 2024, the guitarist was asked whether he had remained in touch with Rob Zombie after making the high-profile jump to Mötley Crüe.
“We’re not on bad terms,” he stated at the time. “And Rob wished me well. And he was, like, ‘Go get ’em,’ and all that stuff. So we’re not on bad terms, but we just have not spoke; we haven’t spoken to each other. But he’s doing great. He’s got a great new band, and he’s kicking a** out there. But we just haven’t talked. I don’t think there’s any bad blood or anything. I mean, 17 years and things like that, but it was just time to…”
He emphasized that the move was purely driven by a desire for new artistic experiences and challenges, rather than any internal conflict or dissatisfaction.
“I wanna live my life, and to get an opportunity at this stage is a pretty rare opportunity. So I just want to see so many more things. I’m never gonna retire — I guarantee you that; I’ll never retire, but I just wanna do so much more,” he concluded.
