Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.; December 11, 1958) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, being the only member to remain throughout their entire history.

Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister bandmate Lizzie Grey.

Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr. was born on December 11, 1958, in San Jose, California.

He is of Italian descent on his father's side, from Prato, Tuscany.

Sixx was partially raised by his single mother, Deana Richards, and by his grandparents after his father left the family.

Feranna later moved in with his grandparents after his mother abandoned him.

Feranna relocated several times while living with his grandparents.

Feranna's uncle, husband of Deana's sister Sharon, is Don Zimmerman, producer and president of Capitol Records.

Feranna and Grey formed the band London soon afterward, in 1978.

During this time, Feranna legally changed his name to Nikki Sixx.

After a number of lineup changes, London added former Mott the Hoople singer Nigel Benjamin to the group, and recorded a 16-track demo in Burbank.

After the departure of Benjamin, along with the failure to find a replacement, Sixx departed London.

The group would go on to feature Sixx's former Sister bandmate Blackie Lawless (later of W.A.S.P.), Izzy Stradlin (then of Hollywood Rose, later of Guns N' Roses) and drummer Fred Coury (later of Cinderella).

They issued three more albums during the 1980s, Theatre of Pain in 1985, Girls, Girls, Girls in 1987, and Dr. Feelgood in 1989.

The latter ended up being their most successful record, staying in the charts for 114 weeks after its release.

The duo of Sixx and Lee are called the "Terror Twins".

During his time with Mötley Crüe, Sixx became addicted to heroin.

He is quoted in The Heroin Diaries as saying: "Alcohol, acid, cocaine... they were just affairs. When I met heroin it was true love."

He estimates he overdosed "about half a dozen times".

In 1981, Sixx founded Mötley Crüe alongside drummer Tommy Lee.

They were later joined by guitarist Mick Mars through an ad in the local newspaper, and singer Vince Neil, with whom Lee had attended high school.

The band self-recorded their debut album, Too Fast for Love, which was subsequently released in November 1981 on the band's own Leathür Records label.

After signing with Elektra Records, they re-released the same album.

The band then went on to record and release Shout at the Devil, raising the band to national fame.

In 2000, he formed side project group 58 with Dave Darling, Steve Gibb and Bucket Baker, issuing one album, Diet for a New America.

Feranna had one full biological sister, Lisa, (born with Down syndrome; died circa 2000) and has one half-brother Rodney Anthony Feranna (born 1966) and a half-sister Ceci.

Feranna grew up listening to Deep Purple, Harry Nilsson, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Queen, and Black Sabbath; he later discovered T. Rex, David Bowie, and Slade.

While living in Jerome, Idaho, Feranna's youth was troubled; he became a teenage vandal, broke into neighbors' homes, shoplifted, and was expelled from school for selling drugs.

His grandparents sent him to live with his mother, who had moved to Seattle.

Feranna lived there for a short time and learned how to play the bass guitar, having bought his first instrument with money gained from selling a guitar he had stolen.

At the age of 17, Feranna moved to Los Angeles and worked menial jobs such as working at a liquor store and selling vacuum cleaners over the phone while he auditioned for bands.

He eventually joined the band Sister, led by Blackie Lawless, after answering an ad in The Recycler for a bass player.

Soon after recording a demo, Feranna was fired from Sister along with bandmate Lizzie Grey.

In 2000, a number of the London demos recorded with Sixx were included on London Daze by Spiders & Snakes, led by former London guitarist Lizzie Grey.

Also in 2002, he formed the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns.

Formed in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, his side band Sixx:A.M. featured songwriter, producer, and vocalist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba.

Sixx has also worked with a number of artists and groups, co-writing and/or producing songs, such as Sex Pistols's guitarist Steve Jones, Lita Ford, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Marion Raven, Drowning Pool, Saliva and The Last Vegas, among others.

Sixx launched the clothing line "Royal Underground" in 2006 with Kelly Gray, formerly the co-president and house model of St. John.

Initially the label concentrated on men's clothing before expanding into women's apparel.

In 2010, Premiere Radio Networks launched nationally syndicated rock/alternative music radio programs "Sixx Sense" and "The Side Show Countdown" with both based in Dallas, Texas and hosted by Sixx and co-hosted by Jenn Marino.