The passenger in his 72' De Tomaso Pantera, Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley, the drummer of Hanoi Rocks, died from his injuries. In 1984, after a tour with Ozzy Osbourne, Neil was in a drunk driving accident near Redondo Beach, California. In 1983, Mötley Crüe released Shout at the Devil, a blockbuster success that established the band as one of the biggest acts of the 1980s.
That same year, he married his first wife, Beth Lynn and Mötley Crüe released its first album, Too Fast for Love. He was discovered while performing with his band, Rock Candy, and joined Mötley Crüe in 1981.
As well as an interest in music, as a teen Neil was also interested in surfing and baseball. Neil soon learned to become street-wise, but was in some trouble at school, he got kicked out, later finding out he has a form of dyslexia. Growing up in Compton was sometimes tough, he once even had his face and chin slashed by a gang member. During the 1960s, his family moved around, from Inglewood, California to Watts, before finally settling in Compton, California. Neil was born to Odie and Shirley Wharton in 1961 in Southern California.
Vincent Neil Wharton (born Februin Hollywood, California), better known as Vince Neil is the lead singer for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.
