Although Lexxi Foxx left Steel Panther, the band has been going strong since his departure in 2021. Before officially announcing this, the band had some fill-ins and cited dealing with “sex addiction” as the main reason why he’s not joining them on live shows. When he left, the band officially tried out a few guys and even set up an audition for their fans. Eventually, they went with Spyder, a bassist who has already been filling in for Lexxi.
But what’s Lexxi up to? Well, there’s been one interview where Travis Haley, the real person behind the Lexxi character, partially opened up on the matter, saying that there are still “sore spots” and that he’s not ready to talk about that.
In a recent appearance on the Everblack podcast, Steel Panther vocalist Michael Starr opened up on the matter, claiming that he misses Lexxi. However, the show must go on and he’s still in touch with the former bandmate. Starr said:
“I just talked to him today. He’s doing good, man. He did exactly what he wanted to do. He started a family. He’s living in Chicago. Him and his wife just had a baby. So Lexxi Foxx is not gay. I thought he was gay this whole time. It’s so weird.”
He also adds:
“The party never stops. Just because he’s not on tour doesn’t mean he’s fucking having a good time. And we miss him. I fucking miss him. And we still stay in touch and talk. We talk just about every other day – just stay in touch with one another.“
“I mean, we were together for 27 years, 26 years, and we know each other’s moms and dads and all of our cousins. We know everything about one another. So it’s been really, really sad not having him in the band, but I understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. And he was one of the smart guys – he saved up all his money. Not me, I’m still living at my mom’s. Let’s go.”
Discussing Spyder, the band’s new bass player, Starr said:
“Spyder has filled in for Lexxi many times. He’s a super-close friend of the band. We’ve known him for years. As a matter of fact, Satchel and I were in a Van Halen tribute band for a while, and Spyder was the bass player in that. We have a rich history with him… He did all of Europe with us and he did a great job.”
On the other hand, the singer explains that Lexxi cannot ever really be replaced. He offered:
“First of all, I just wanna say this: Lexxi Foxx cannot be replaced. That’s just the way it is. It’s like trying to replace David Lee Roth, in my opinion. You can’t fucking replace Lexxi Foxx. And also trying to find somebody that has the ability to make somebody laugh, do choreography moves from 40 years ago, jump around on stage and know what to wear. And not only that – most people think that Steel Panther’s music is super easy to play, and it’s not.“
“Satchel’s an incredible writer, and the stuff he writes [is] not easy to play. So you’ve really gotta be able to play bass, you’ve gotta be able to sing, you’ve gotta be able to engage the audience, you’ve gotta be able to talk to ’em. There’s a lot that goes into it…“
“Seriously, it’s really hard to find someone that has all those qualities and you can hang out with them. ‘Cause, you think about it – the show is an hour and a half. The other 22 and a half hours we’re together either sleeping or hanging out, sound-checking or whatever. So it’s a lot of time to spend together offstage. So you’d better be cool with him.”
Photo: Markus Felix (20180804 Wacken Wacken Open air Steel Panther 0073)
