DJ Ashba

Ashba was born in Monticello, Indiana. He was raised in Fairbury, Illinois. His mother was a classically trained pianist who began teaching him about music as a toddler. Ashba performed in his first piano recital at the age of five, where he played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".[1] His next ambition was to learn the drums. He built kits out of garbage cans and pots and pans, until he finally acquired a real set at the age of six.[2] When he was eight, he took a job detasseling corn in the fields to earn enough money to buy his first guitar out of the Sears catalog. He would ride to his job in the corn fields on the bus with a guitarist from a local band, who would teach him a new chord each day on a fret that they had carved into the back of a bus seat with a pocket knife. For his 16th birthday, his father took him to his first concert: Mötley Crüe's Girls, Girls, Girls Tour. He later said, "The crowd, the music, the lights! It was the night I realized that no matter what it takes, I was gonna be on that stage one day."[3] At the age of 18, he packed up his possessions and moved to Hollywood to begin his career.

Eventually, he joined the group Barracuda and toured with the band for two years. In 1996, he released his debut instrumental album, Addiction to the Friction.[4] In 1998, Ashba joined BulletBoys as part of the band's new lineup.[5][6] It was during his time with the band that he met Joe Lesté of Bang Tango.[7] In 1999, he departed the group to start a new band with Lesté, piecing together the band that would become Beautiful Creatures.

After finding former Shake the Faith and No. 9 bassist Kenny Kweens, Ashba and Lesté hired session drummer Anthony Focx to become the group's second guitarist and Glen Sobel, another session drummer, was brought in to take over drums. This was the first lineup under the moniker Beautiful Creatures. Prior to naming, the band opened one show in Houston, Texas, for Kiss during their farewell tour after Ted Nugent pulled out.[8] The band then signed with Warner Bros. and released their self-titled debut Beautiful Creatures, produced by Marilyn Manson cohort Sean Beavan, on August 14, 2001.[9] Album track "1 A.M." was featured in the soundtrack for the 2001 horror film Valentine and TV series Smallville. "Ride" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2002 remake of Rollerball.[10] Despite appearing at Ozzfest as part of the Rolling Rock Tour, the band was dropped from their label due to poor album sales. On February 13, 2002, the band announced that Ashba had left the group and the band found a replacement and continued on.[11]

Ashba with Guns N' Roses during a concert in Bangalore

After his departure from Beautiful Creatures, he formed another solo band, ASHBA, with Bones Elias, bassist John Younger, and former Tuff guitarist Michael Thomas, who was Ashba's replacement in Beautiful Creatures before leaving the group in 2003.[12][13] Also in 2003, Ashba was invited to participate in the group Brides of Destruction with Nikki Sixx and Tracii Guns but turned it down to focus on his solo project.[14] In 2005, a small controversy was caused when it was suggested that neither Tommy Lee nor Mick Mars played on the new tracks for Mötley Crüe's compilation album Red, White & Crüe; duties were supposedly handled by Vandals drummer Josh Freese and Ashba as well as Mick being replaced by Ashba on their reunion tour. Ashba hit back at the rumors:

Just want to set the record straight. As much as I would love to play on tour with Mötley, it's simply not true...it's a rumor. I'll be in the studio and playing shows with ASHBA. I have all the respect in the world for Mötley Crüe and I can't wait to see Mick kick ass, as always.[15]

Ashba playing with Sixx:A.M. in 2016

In 2006 Ashba had set up Funny Farms Studios with Nikki Sixx.[16] They began writing and producing, and performing music together[17] which included collaborations with singer Marion Raven, whom Sixx had worked with before, on her Heads Will Roll EP[18] and album Set Me Free. James Michael also is credited on the albums.[19] In March 2007, Sixx penned "Reason I'm Alive" for Drowning Pool's new album Full Circle with both Sixx and Ashba co-producing the track.[20]

Ashba released the critically acclaimed album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack after collaborating with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx and producer James Michael under the name Sixx:A.M. in August, 2007 serving as a soundtrack to Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star.[21] The single "Life is Beautiful" reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Originally the group stated they had no intention of touring.[22] After constant support for the band and interest in a tour, they held a nationwide vote for tour dates. The tour was scheduled to start in spring 2008, but had been postponed to the summer due to unforeseeable circumstances.[23] On April 15, 2008, Sixx:A.M. announced they would be touring as part of Mötley Crüe's Crüe Fest, along with Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Trapt. The tour began on July 1, 2008, in West Palm Beach, Florida.[24] During Crüe Fest, Papa Roach drummer Tony Palermo served as a touring drummer for the band. A deluxe tour edition of The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack was released on November 25, 2008, which included a bonus live EP entitled Live Is Beautiful which features recorded performances from the band's summer tour. In April 2009, both James Michael and Nikki Sixx confirmed that the band was in the studio, recording new material. Sixx added that the new material is "inspiring. it feels like we may have topped ourselves on this album coming up, and can't wait for you to hear what it sounds like."[25]

Ashba performing with Guns N' Roses in 2013

On March 23, 2009 Ashba was announced as the new lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses replacing Robin Finck, who had left the band to rejoin Nine Inch Nails.[26][27] He first toured with the band as part of the Chinese Democracy Tour where on December 11, 2009 Guns N' Roses played in Taiwan, and continued with the band for the next five years.[28]

On May 3, 2011 the Sixx:A.M. album This Is Gonna Hurt was released, followed by Modern Vintage in 2014, and their first headlining tour in the spring of 2015.[29]

After balancing Sixx:A.M. and Guns N' Roses duties for years, and only appearing on the Appetite for Democracy 3D video release for the latter band, Ashba announced on July 27, 2015 that he was leaving the band, citing his commitment to his family and his other band.[30][31] The statement read "I have reached a point in my life where I feel it's time to dedicate myself to my band Sixx:A.M., my adoring wife and family, and to the many new adventures that the future holds for me."[32]

After leaving Guns N' Roses, Sixx A.M. released two albums in 2016, Prayers for the Damned and Prayers for the Blessed, before embarking on a world tour.[33] Subsequent to the tour the group entered a hiatus, confirmed by Ashba and James Michael in February 2018.[34]

In February 2018 Ashba and James Michael announced a collaborative project called Pyromantic, focused on mixing rock with pop and dance influences. By the following year Michael had exited the project.

In 2019 Sixx A.M. reunited to record and release the charity single "Talk to Me", and announced the impending release of several other tracks recorded for a greatest hits album.

By 2020 the Pyromantic project had evolved into a resurrection of the ASHBA name, now a solo project, with the release of the singles "Hypnotic", "Let's Dance", and "A Christmas Storm". The following year he released the cover single "Bella Ciao".[35]

In 2021 Sixx A.M. released Greatest Hits, which featured three new songs. James Michael subsequently said that it was "a good way to kind of wrap of Sixx:A.M.'s body of work", while not ruling out future reunions.

Daren Ashba owns two corporations, Ashba Media, Inc. and Ashbaland Inc.[36] In 2003, he founded Ashba Media, Inc. This creative agency was announced the Agency of Record for Virgin Entertainment. AMI designs the look and feel of every Virgin Megastore. They also have other clients, such as Ovation guitars, Royal Underground and many more. Ashba contributed to Mötley Crüe's 2008 album Saints of Los Angeles penning all tracks with the exception of "This Ain't a Love Song".[37] The title track "Saints of Los Angeles" was nominated for a Grammy the same year.

• Addiction to the Friction (1996)
• Songs for the Demented Mind (2012)

• Beautiful Creatures (2001)

• Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014)

• The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (2007)
• Live Is Beautiful (2008)
• This Is Gonna Hurt (2011)
• 7 (2011)
• Modern Vintage (2014)
• Prayers for the Damned (2016)
• Prayers for the Blessed (2016)