Sunset Strip music legend and long-time Spiders & Snakes front man Lizzie Grey (third from left on the top photo) – probably best known for penning the Mötley Crue hit song “Public Enemy #1” - passed away in his sleep this morning at a Las Vegas hospital surrounded by his wife Jennifer and daughters Ariel and Annabelle. Lizzie (aka Stephen Perry) had long been suffering from a rare brain disorder known as Lewy Body Disease and had been undergoing treatment for years. Surviving are his son Alex Perry, mother Jeanne Perry, brother Robert Perry and sister Susan Brandon.

“Lizzie was not only a legend in the world of music, but an amazing father, husband, and friend to many, and words cannot express how much we will miss him” said his wife Jennifer. Lizzie’s bandmember of 27+ years in Spiders & Snakes, Tim Yasui, added “it was a blessing to witness to how many adoring fans Lizzie had during our three decades together as Spiders & Snakes – it never ceased to amaze me that where ever we were on the road, people would approach us with stories about wanting to play guitar because of Lizzie – he literally influenced an entire generation of musicians from all over the world – and the world is a much better place because of him”

Lizzie Grey first hit the Hollywood spotlight in the late ‘70s with the band London that he formed with Nikki Sixx – a band that Sixx would soon depart to form his own band which became Mötley Crue. Grey remained on and off with London for the next decade, recording several albums before leaving the very band that he founded in 1988 to start another band called Ultra Pop. Ultra Pop recorded two critically-acclaimed albums back to back in ’88 and ’89, before changing the name of the band to Spiders & Snakes in 1990. From 1990 to 2017, Spiders & Snakes recorded nine studio albums, a cover song compilation album as well as a live album. In 2018, with Lizzie’s progressing complications from Lewy Body Disease, the band collectively decided to call it quits rather than moving on without Lizzie. 

Spiders & Snakes surviving band members Phil St Vincent (bass and vocals), Chris Sheridan (Guitar and vocals) and Yasui (drums and vocals) will reunite for one night this fall/winter at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood to raise money and awareness for Lewy Body Disease. An announcement on the date and its specifics will be posted on Facebook.

For more information on how to donate to money towards finding a cure for Lewy Body Disease, please visit this location.