Guitar Interactive Magazine toggle menu

Music News

JOHN 5 Talks New Solo Album

Amy Harris recently conducted an interview with  ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist  John 5. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Amy Harris: Can you tell us about the name of your album,  "God Told Me To"?

John: The name, it is funny because I remember, I am from Michigan, I am from Grosse Pointe. I was upper class growing up there. I was brought up in a really nice environment and home and I remember the night before I was leaving for California to really give it my shot saying, "I am going to try this. I am going to try to be this musician type of thing." I remember I was saying my little prayer. I never wished to be a "rock star." I just wanted to be a working musician. My dreams didn't even go past a session player or a working musician like that. It was too far beyond my dreams. That's kind of what the title means, that kind of thing, but also you can look at in the negative way, like when someone does a horrific murder, they always say, "Oh, God told me to."


Amy Harris: I have read a lot of discussion in your recent interviews about serial killers and even the song  "Night Stalker" being written about  Richard Ramirez. Why the serial killer references behind that? Do you have an interest in this type of people or the history and stories behind it?

John: I think it is interesting to me about how the mind works and how someone is wired, how their mind works, how it is completely OK to do these things, which I could never even think of doing something like that. It was always so interesting to read about this or watch documentaries. It is so odd for something like that to happen so I have always had this little fascination with it, not that I am pro for that kind of thing or anything, but it is just very interesting to see something like that.

Amy Harris: I know that you are always writing constantly. How did you narrow the songs for the album?

John: I kind of would write a certain thing and I would say, "It would be really cool if I had something like this next," because I like a nice flow to the record and a lot of people don't like the shredding thing all the time, I don't even, this is coming from me. I like a nice even flow to everything and the acoustic stuff is a nice breather to everything that is going on.

Amy Harris: I know you are playing the same day as  Marilyn Manson this time at  Rock On The Range. When was the last time that you saw him? I'm sure you will run into each other that day.

John: I saw him at the [Revolver Golden God Awards [in April] and I didn't say hi.  Ginger, his old drummer is playing with us in  ROB ZOMBIE. It's fine. We don't have any bad blood. We are adults; it's fine. We have no problems with each other whatsoever. I know it would make a great story if we did, but we don't.

Read the entire interview from  Amy Harris.





Issue #65


Out Now

Read the Mag