Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil Reveals He Suffered Stroke on Christmas Night

Mötley Crüe Fans Left Waiting as Vince Neil Undergoes Medical — Vince Neil performs at the 2023 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on August 04, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Catherine Powell/Getty Images/Getty Images

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil has revealed that he suffered a stroke in his sleep on Christmas night, leading to a months-long recovery that nearly ended his music career.

In a new interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Neil, 64, shared that he woke up the day after Christmas unable to move the left side of his body.

"My whole left side went out," he said. "I couldn't even get to the bathroom. People had to carry me."

The stroke was the reason the band postponed its Las Vegas residency, which was originally scheduled for March and April.

At the time, Mötley Crüe only said Neil needed a "medical procedure," Billboard said.

The shows were later rescheduled to run from September 12 through October 3 at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

"I had to learn to walk again, and that was tough," Neil said. "The doctors said they didn't think I'd be able to go back on stage again. I go, 'No, no, I'm gonna do it. Watch and see.'"

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil reveals mystery health ailment after canceling gigs, pushing residency https://t.co/7itAs4CgHt pic.twitter.com/4nHTFWNjsS
— New York Post (@nypost) September 12, 2025

Vince Neil Reveals Stroke Left Him in Wheelchair

Neil also shared that he did not lose his voice, but his body took a serious hit. After the stroke, he had to rely on a wheelchair, then a walker, and eventually a cane.

With months of physical therapy at his Nashville home, he has now regained nearly full mobility. "Now I don't need anything," he said. "But it's like a full-time job getting back to where you feel good again."

According to People, the singer explained that the stroke affected how his brain and legs communicated. "You try to walk but it doesn't come out right," he said. "It takes a while to get your brain to start moving your legs the way you want them to."

Neil, who has been fronting Mötley Crüe since the 1980s, is no stranger to health challenges. In 2021, he broke several ribs after falling off stage during a show in Tennessee.

But he says this stroke was different — and harder. "It's been tough, but I'm back," he said. "I'm 90-, 95-percent to where I was before, and it's going to be great."