Guitarist John 5 had already played with David Lee Roth and Rob Halford when he received a phone call from Marilyn Manson in 1998. At the time, the musician did not yet have the stage name by which he would become known and was a big fan of the band led by Brian Warner .
Currently promoting his solo album Sinner , released on October 29th, the guitarist recalled that he had just arrived from Europe and was about to begin rehearsals to go on tour with Lee Roth when he received the phone call that would change his life, as he recounted in an interview with The NFR (via Ultimate Guitar ).
“I went and met Manson. I didn’t even play for him, but he had the 2wo [Halford’s band] album and the David Lee Roth in the back of his car, which is a strange thing to think about – Manson driving,” he said. “We went out to lunch, and I remember he was wearing a Loverboy shirt. He said, ‘I want you to be part of the band. Your name will be John 5 and it will be great.’ He had it all planned.”
The name "John 5" was an allusion to the fact that he was the fifth guitarist to have played in Manson's band up to that point. The partnership worked out well, and the musician continued using the stage name even after leaving the band in 2004 to focus on his own projects.
“I wouldn’t trade these years for anything. I learned so much, and that’s where I got my name from. All these experiences have been incredible, and I’m very grateful for everything that has happened,” he said about the experience. “It’s just – like I was saying before, it’s like a dream because everything is happening so fast.”
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