Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961 in Hollywood, California), better known as Vince Neil is the lead singer for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Neil was born to Odie and Shirley Wharton in 1961 in Southern California. During the 1960s, his family moved around, from Inglewood, California to Watts, before finally settling in Compton, California. Growing up in Compton was sometimes tough, he once even had his face and chin slashed by a gang member.