An Exclusive Interview With Motley Crue's Randy Castillo Finds The Skin Basher On The Road To Recovery

Well, I'm sure you're all in suspense of the mysterious illness that landed Motley Crue skin basher Randy Castillo in the hospital for emergency surgery, so here's the scoop!

Prior to the kick off of the Maximum Rock 2000 Tour with Motley Crue, Megadeth, and Anthrax, Castillo was playing a side gig with Flamenco band Azur at the Cat Club the second week of June. He wasn't feeling too well, but decided to push himself through the show. Although he doesn't normally consume hard alcohol, the bartender persuaded him into a concoction of Red Bull and vodka, and shortly thereafter began to feel stomach pains. He then proceeded outside to vomit onto Sunset Blvd.

He jumped in a taxi to head home to rest, when a series of "ice-pick" stabbing pains wreaked havoc throughout his body, and between moans and groans asked the cab driver to pull over at Cedars Sinai hospital in the Beverly Hills area. "I couldn't even breath," Castillo said.

In the emergency room, he begged the attendants to please look at him immediately, as the pain was too much. Unfortunately, there were a few bloody victims ahead of him, and they told him to wait his turn. So he turned around and passed out on the floor. That got their attention.

"The next thing I know, I'm waking up, and I asked what was going on. I was being wheeled down a hall. I had tubes in every orifice in my body," he recalls. "They were up my nose, my butt, my dick..." The nurse said he was going in for emergency surgery. "Just make sure I'm under before you start," he says, reflecting on his pain and utter confusion.

All of this trauma was due to a Duodenal ulcer, caused by bacteria lodged in the stomach lining. It somehow ruptured itself, and began leaking throughout his body. "It started going into my stomach and intestines. If I hadn't gone to the hospital, it would have gone into my blood stream quickly, then into my heart and I would have died." In a previous email Randy had sent me, he had said, "I thought I met my maker."

"Randy thanks God it happened when it did. "The doctors told me if I would have waited another 10 to 15 minutes, I'd be dead." It was that serious. He cringes at the thought of what would have happened had he gone on the road with the Crue, and the ulcer set off at a gig, or on the tour bus out in the middle of nowhere.

After the surgery, he was down for about 8 days. He couldn't eat or drink anything, and subsequently lost about 18 lbs.

But you're okay now?" I ask him. "Are you going to continue the tour? Are you afraid of ripping open your stomach (which was full of stitches)?" He proceeds to answer, "You let everyone out there know that I am okay! The doctors gave me the clean bill of health. Actually, I feel better than ever before!" He's been drinking lots of water, and eating fresh foods. "No more pizza or hamburgers for me!" he laughs. He's also given up drinking for the most part. He says, "Drinkin's no big deal. I can still go out, have a good time, and remember it in the morning. Plus I save a lot of cash, and don't smell like an old brewery in the morning!"

So, Mr. Castillo is happy to be back in action. He'll be joining the Crue in his hometown of Albuquerque, NM this Saturday, but he won't be banging on the drums just yet. Hole's Samantha Maloney will still sit in for Randy for the next 10 - 12 days. He wants to "make sure" he's in perfect condition, although he's been practicing and says he feels just fine, and looks forward to the tour.

Randy is also excited about the release of Motley Crue's album New Tattoo out in stores Tuesday, July 11. His writing credits include a song called "Punched In the Teeth By Love." He says it's great (and it is!! - Ed). "It's 'Live Wire' meets 'Dr. Feelgood'." So be sure to grab up your copy, and check them out on the Maximum Rock 2000 tour!

Randy's also been keeping busy with his artwork. He's actually sold several paintings recently for some beaucoup bucks! You can check some it out at http://fcukingcontagious.net/(YES - that's FCUK!). He plans on having a gallery showing sometime after the tour in the Los Angeles area.