Faces Behind The Hair: Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx was born Frank Carlton Serafino Ferrana, Jr. on December 11, 1958 in San Jose, California. He was raised by his mother, Deana Richards, and by his grandparents after his father left the family. Nikki later moved in with his grandparents after his mother abandoned him. Sixx relocated several times while living with his grandparents.

While living in Jerome, Idaho, he got into troubles , breaking into neighbors' homes, shoplifting, and being expelled from school for selling drugs. After that his grandparents sent him to live with his mother, who had moved to Seattle where he was located for for a short time, and learned how to play the bass guitar - having bought his first instrument with money gained from selling a prior guitar he had stolen.

At the age of 17, Nikki moved to Los Angeles and auditioned for bands. He eventually joined the group called Sister, led by Blackie Lawless (later of W.A.S.P.). Soon after recording a demo, Nikki was fired from the band.

Along with his former Sister bandmate Lizzie Grey Nikki formed the group London soon afterwards, in 1978 and legally changed his name to Nikki Sixx. Nikki left the group after recording another 16-track demo.

In 1981, Sixx founded Mötley Crüe with drummer Tommy Lee, later being joined by guitarist Mick Mars through an ad in the local newspaper he was reading, then by singer Vince Neil with whom Tommy had attended high school. The band decided to self-record 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 album. The band then went on to record and release Shout at the Devil, raising the band to national fame. During the early 80's Sixx dated female rocker, Lita Ford and they lived together for a short while. Next two albums made the band even bigger, Theatre of Pain in 1985 and Girls, Girls, Girls in 1987. From December 1986 to September 1987, Sixx dated singer/actress/model Vanity. They had a rocky and drug-oriented relationship, which is chronicled in Sixx's book The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. During this time, Vanity would tell the press that they were engaged, while Sixx would always deny her claim.. Around these time Nikki had become addicted to heroin and on the night of December 23, 1987, after partying with Guns N' Roses axeman Slash, Sixx was declared dead for two minutes after a heroin overdose, only to be revived by paramedics with two adrenaline shots to the heart (this incident was the inspiration for the song "Kickstart My Heart").

Soon after his overdose, he and his bandmates went into rehab. In 1989, the band produced their most successful record, Dr. Feelgood, with producer Bob Rock. The album stayed on the charts for 114 weeks after its release.

From May 1989 to November 1996, Sixx was married to former Playboy Playmate Brandi Brandt they have three children. One month after the divorce from Brandt, Sixx married another former Playboy Playmate, actress Donna D'Errico. Sixx and D'Errico have one daughter but separated shortly after their daughter's birth, and reconciled months later when Sixx completed rehab. They separated again on April 27, 2006 and divorced in June 2007, with D'Errico claiming irreconcilable differences.

In the beginning of the nineties Vince Neil left the band and was replaced by Jon Corabi, with whom the band released one self titled album , in 1994, before firing him and releasing Generation Swine with Neil return as lead vocalist. Next to leave the band was drummer Tommy lee, he was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo. The group reissued all for their studio albums, all were remastered, as well as the a new album, titled New Tattoo in 2000.

In 2000, Sixx formed the internet based side project 58 with producer Dave Darling, guitarist Steve Gibb (formerly of Black Label Society and Crowbar) and drummer Bucket Baker. They released one single, titled "Piece of Candy", and their debut album, Diet for a New America, also in 2000 through Sixx's Americoma label and Beyond Records. The group did not tour and was described by Sixx as "strictly an artistic thing.

Two years later Brides of Destruction were formed by Sixx and Tracii Guns, initially with the name Cockstar after Mötley Crüe went on hiatus and Guns left L.A. Guns. Sixx also invited former Beautiful Creatures guitarist DJ Ashba to join the group however he declined to focus on his solo band, ASHBA. Ashba would eventually join Sixx in Sixx:A.M..

After a few lineup changes, that included Sixx's former Mötley Crüe band mate John Corabi, keyboardist Adam Hamilton and drummer Kris Kohls of Adema, the group was composed of Sixx, Guns, singer London LeGrand and drummer Scot Coogan formerly of Ednaswap and Annetenna. After signing a deal with Sanctuary Records, the group released Here Come the Brides in 2004 and a tour of the US, Europe, including an appearance at Download Festival in the United Kingdom,[38] and Australia followed. On October 25, 2004 it was announced that the group were to go on hiatus while Sixx reunited with Mötley Crüe for a reunion tour. The group continued without Sixx, however, with Guns adding former Amen bassist Scott Sorry to the group as Sixx's replacement. The second Brides of Destruction album, titled Runaway Brides, released in 2005 featured three songs co-wrote by Sixx during the Here Come the Brides sessions.

Sixx formed the group Sixx:A.M. in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to his autobiography The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, with friends producer/songwriter James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba (Guns N' Roses, formerly of Beautiful Creatures and BulletBoys). They recorded and released The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack in August 2007 through Eleven Seven. The single "Life Is Beautiful" received strong radio and video play peaking at number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.With the formation of Sixx:A.M. and the release of The Heroin Diaries, Nikki Sixx teamed up with an already existing charity known as the Covenant House and created his own branch called Running Wild in the Night. In addition to partially funding the services the Covenant House provides on its own, Sixx’s division also provides a creative arts and music program, allowing the beneficiaries of this program to discover an answer to their problems that is better than drugs. Sixx has negotiated with people in his industry to provide the program with musical instruments and software. Sixx has arguably prevented thousands of potential drug users and rehabilitated teenage addicts from continuing to dabble in the world of drugs, as the Covenant House helped almost 78,000 youth at risk last year.



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