Athena Lee (born Athena L. Bass; December 8, 1964) is an American drummer and actress. She is the younger sister of

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

drummer

Tommy Lee Thomas Lee Bass (born October 3, 1962) is an American musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical ...

Career

Lee was born in

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

, the daughter of David Lee Thomas Bass, an American U.S. Army sergeant, and Vassiliki "Voula" Papadimitriou,

Miss Greece Star Hellas ( el, Σταρ Ελλάς, Μις Ελλάς, Μις Γιάνγκ) is a national beauty pageant in Greece. The Star Hellas, Miss Hellas, Miss Young title is a trademark for Vassilis Prevelakis and Associates E.E. George Prevelakis, ...

for the 1960

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Int ...

event. Her brother is rock drummer

. Athena Lee took an interest in music around age 20; two years later, she joined the all-female band Hardly Dangerous and the punk group

Butt Trumpet Butt Trumpet is a Los Angeles-based punk band founded and maintained by Thom Bone. It is known for its crass lyrics and deliberately offensive style. The group features two bassists among its members. They became famous in 1994 when their Chry ...

. She then signed on and worked with

KrunK Krunk may refer to: * Krunk (society), a cultural-charitable society in Abkhazia, 1990–2004 * Krunk or Crunk Crunk is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the mid 2000s. Crunk is ...

. Aside from her musical career, she has also been a guest commentator on

VH-1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communic ...

's ''

Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is a documentary television series on VH1. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group. The program examines the beginning of their career, their road to success, and the hardships they may have ...

'' and ''

E! True Hollywood Story ''E! True Hollywood Story'' is an American television documentary series on E! that pulls back the curtain and highlights some of pop culture's most fascinating people, moments and trends. The series offers exclusive interviews with new insigh ...

''. Lee was voted for, and won, "Best Female Drummer" at the Rock City Awards Show. In the 7th Annual L.A. Music Awards, she was nominated for "Best Drummer (Males and Females)" category. She was the first female ever nominated in the history of the L.A. Music Awards. As of 2011, Lee plays drums with various artists and is endorsed by Rockett Drumworks. Her book, ''Coming in Second,'' was published in October 2011. Since 2012, she has been a cast member of the

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...

reality TV series ''Ex-Wives of Rock'' (which also features her brother's bandmate

Vince Neil Vincent Neil Wharton (born February 8, 1961), best known by the stage name Vince Neil, is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, which he fronted from their 1981 forma ...

's ex-wife Sharise Neil).

Personal life

Athena had a daughter with John Guerrero in 1991. Lee's first husband was Scott Atkins, a former bandmate. They had a son born in 1992. She was later married to

James Kottak James Kottak (born December 26, 1962) is an American drummer. Kottak is best known for his work with the German hard rock band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996. At the time of his firing from the band in 2016, he was their all-time longest-se ...

, ex-drummer of the German rock band

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

. They had one child together, born in 1997, but have since divorced.

References

External links

Ahead Drumsticks: Athena Lee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Athena 1964 births Living people American women drummers American people of Greek descent Musicians from California 20th-century American drummers 21st-century American drummers 20th-century American women musicians 21st-century American women musicians