Vince Neil Says Christmas Stroke Left His Left Side Paralyzed; Rehab Delayed Mötley Crüe Residency
Mötley Crüe's lead singer suffered a severe stroke on Dec. 25, underwent intensive physical therapy and has since returned to performing after the band postponed Las Vegas dates for medical reasons.
Vince Neil, lead singer of Mötley Crüe, said he suffered a stroke on the night of Dec. 25 that left his entire left side paralyzed and prompted doctors to question whether he would be able to walk again. The episode put the band's Las Vegas residency on hiatus while he underwent intensive rehabilitation, Neil told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a recent interview.
Neil described waking the morning after Christmas unable to get out of bed and losing use of his left side. "I had a stroke," he said. "My whole left side went out." He said physicians initially told him they did not think he would be able to return to the stage, and that the band canceled the opening portion of the residency so he could focus on recovery.
In March, Mötley Crüe postponed several Las Vegas residency dates until the fall, a scheduling change the band said followed a "required medical procedure" advised by Neil's doctors. Neil said his initial rehabilitation took place at his Nashville home, where he progressed from being carried to the bathroom to using a wheelchair, then a walker and a cane. He described relearning how to walk as "tough" and said retraining the brain and body to move in concert was a lengthy process.
"It takes a while to get your brain to start moving your legs, for them to do what your brain wants to do," Neil said. "You try to walk but it doesn’t come out right." He said his recovery regimen included physical therapy, working out with a football coach and running, and characterized recovery as a near full-time commitment. "I’m back, I’m 90, 95% to where I was before, and it’s going to be great," he said.
Neil first returned to live performance in August, sharing a stage at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston with Bret Michaels. The band then played the first of their rescheduled Las Vegas residency shows, where the setlist included longtime Mötley Crüe hits such as "Dr. Feelgood," "Kickstart My Heart" and "Girls, Girls, Girls." Neil said the show mixed the songs fans expect with deeper cuts and that he planned to push through the set as much as possible.
Medical details beyond Neil's description and the band's statement in March were not disclosed. His account of the stroke and recovery was reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and summarized in subsequent coverage. The band, which emerged on the heavy metal scene in the early 1980s, adjusted its touring schedule while Neil underwent therapy and has resumed performances as he continues rehabilitation.
Neil has publicly framed his progress in direct terms and expressed determination to return to the level of performance he maintained before the stroke. The band did not provide additional medical updates beyond the earlier explanation that dates were moved because of a doctor-advised procedure.
Reported progress on mobility and stage returns will likely remain a point of interest for fans and industry observers as the group continues its residency and any future tour dates. News coverage of the episode emphasized the abrupt onset on Dec. 25, the subsequent months of therapy, and Neil's staged returns beginning in August.