While John 5 is widely recognized for his work with heavy metal icons like Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Mötley Crüe, the versatile guitarist also boasts a surprising history as a sought-after collaborator for artists across genres. His early career included songwriting and session work for names as diverse as Ricky Martin, k.d. lang, and Rick Springfield, thanks largely to a publishing deal with Chrysalis Records.
One unexpected collaboration from that era was with southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. In a recent appearance on the Lipps Service podcast, John 5 opened up about his experience working with the band on their 2009 album God & Guns—an experience that defied expectations on both sides.
“Chrysalis flew me over to Nashville to go write with Skynyrd,” John 5 recounted, as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar. “And I came in, and I looked crazy. I mean, I looked crazy. It was cold, and I had this big black fur coat on, high heels.”
Despite the stylistic contrast, the collaboration quickly took off. “But I would play, and there’s this delay thing that a lot of the country guys would do. I would do all this country stuff, too. And they were like, ‘Oh, rad.’ And they would name off country songs, and I would just play them. So we got along great.”
Their musical chemistry was evident, leading to John 5—whose real name is John Lowery—co-writing five of the twelve tracks on God & Guns. Reflecting on the project, he said, “I ended up writing a ton of songs on the record. Great songs that I’m so proud to be a part of in this Lynyrd Skynyrd history, just because I loved Lynyrd Skynyrd so much.”
He continued to praise the band’s distinctive sound: “What they were so great at is, it was like a country rock type of thing, but they also had this blues feel to them. So we got along great, and I just stayed in touch with the guys. It is such an honor to be a part of that Skynyrd history. They were such an important band for me.”
John 5 concluded by noting how his versatility allowed him to move fluidly between diverse musical worlds, going from working with Lynyrd Skynyrd to artists like Meat Loaf and Ricky Martin. The experience stands as a testament to his adaptability and deep musical roots that transcend genre boundaries.
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