TOMMY LEE Says MÖTLEY CRÜE World Tour Will Kick Off July 4

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has revealed that the band's world tour will kick off on July 4. The trek is expected to coincide with the release of the group's ninth studio album, titled "The Dirt", which is tentatively due on July 8. A yet-to-be-named single will arrive at radio stations on May 7.

The record is based on the band's 2001 memoir of the same name and will be its first all-new studio effort since 2000's "New Tattoo". 1997's "Generation Swine" was the last to feature the group's original lineup, which reunited for a successful world tour in 2005.

Although it was reported last fall that drummer Tommy Lee had again quit the CRÜE over legal issues, he and the group have apparently reconciled.

"Nope! I never quit! Silly rumors! We're all together!" Tommy wrote in a February 25, 2008 online posting. "We're goin' on a world tour starting July 4th!!"

Bassist Nikki Sixx wrote in a recent online update, "10 songs done for the new CRÜE album so far, I'm very proud of the songs. I think we're onto some of the better songs we've had in years...Time will tell, of course. A couple of song titles on the CRÜE album are called 'A Scar On Hollywood Boulevard' and 'The Saints Of Los Angeles'... The chemistry in the studio as we're writing is unbelievable."

The CRÜE recently denied a post at Robin Leach's Las Vegas gossip blog which suggested that the band had signed a three-album, three-tour deal with Live Nation for $100 million. Although the source of the rumor was reportedly singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx said in a statement, "MÖTLEY CRÜE has not signed any deals to tour or record whatsoever. Any information to the contrary is 100 percent incorrect."