LIFE LESSONS
JOHN 5
He’s played with everyone from Rob Zombie to Mötley Crüe. Now the six-string wizard shares his wisdom
WORDS: ANDREW DALY
SINCE BREAKING INTO
music in the 90s, John 5 – John William Lowery to his mum – has refused to box himself in. A country-influenced, Tele-slinging, metal-playing virtuoso, he’s played with everyone from Lita Ford to David Lee Roth, Rob Zombie and, most recently, Mötley Crüe. What’s more, he refuses to even consider a break.
Between working on his latest solo album, Ghost, and a demanding Las Vegas residency with Crüe, John 5 dialled in with Metal Hammer to look back on what he’s learned along the way.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER
“I always try to improve on what I’m doing. That’s the truth. Literally, I am learning things every day, like, all the time. And also, just trying to be an outsider looking in… don’t look at the big picture, not right now. That has really helped me. Other than that, I just try to be a good person, show up on time, and play the parts as perfectly as I can.”
IF A JOB’S WORTH DOING, IT’S WORTH DOING WELL
“My father would say, ‘If you’re gonna do a job, do the job the best you can possibly do.’ I always thought that was so interesting, and I vividly remember him saying it. With him growing up in a different time, there was a lot of labour, you know, things that we don’t do that much anymore, and I don’t think we value the idea of doing the best you can at any job anymore. I really don’t. Not just music, but everyday life.