Skylar Lynnae Neil's Rocker Dad Vince Neil Struggled Accepting Her Death

Skylar Lynnae Neil was four years old when she lost her battle with a severe form of cancer. Her father, former Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil, did his best to stay strong and positive while she fought the disease.

Skylar Lynnae Neil drew her first breath in Los Angeles, California, on March 16, 1991, born to rock star Vince Neil and his second wife Sharise Ruddell. She was the couple's first child and her father's third, following his first two children.

Vince was somewhat estranged from his elder kids. But as drastic changes occurred following Skylar's arrival — being fired from Motley Crue and divorcing Sharise — he committed more to being a present dad. The singer grew quite close to his youngest daughter.

Skylar Lynnae Neil's Dad Bought a Beach House for Her Comfort

Skylar's parents divorced when she was around three. Her dad received visitation rights as part of their divorce agreement, so she would spend time with him whenever he wasn't on tour. Vince soon realized, however, that hotel visits weren't so ideal.

"I decided it would be better for her if I had a house. Visiting me at a hotel was never much fun for a three-year-old," he wrote in his 2010 biography, "Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back With One Of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen."

He found a beach house in Malibu, where he set up a room for his daughter. The father of three, who married twice after divorcing Sharise, said he and Skylar spent plenty of time at the beach. "I have always been a big surfer; both of us just loved being there," he shared.

As he and Skylar grew close – after "two previous ruined attempts" at being a dad – Vince said he found a "simple joy" in fatherhood that he'd never understood. "This time, I felt like I could appreciate things more; having a child was like a haven from everything bad," he reflected.

Skylar Lynnae Neil's Battle with Cancer

In April 1995, Skylar started experiencing flu-like symptoms. Her mom had kept her home from preschool that day, but her condition worsened in the night. Sharise eventually took her to the hospital. Doctors initially thought her appendix had ruptured, but what they found was worse.

It was a tumor behind an area of her stomach, and more would be discovered over the following months. Skylar underwent six operations, and hope would either rise or dwindle after each. As the cancer took hold, she began losing her hair.

Vince said she complained that she "looked like a boy," but he insisted, "No, honey, you're still beautiful." In the early stages of her battle with the disease, Skylar often asked when she could go home.

Her dad got used to the question, so his automatic response was always, "Soon, honey." One morning, though, it was evident she had come to a realization.

"She looked up at me with the most grown-up look in her eyes. And she said, 'Daddy, I'm never going home, am I?'" Vince recalled.

Skylar Lynnae Neil's Death and Her Dad on Navigating His Grief

On her last night at the hospital, as her vital signs began dropping, Skylar's mom sat by her bedside, playing "Skylar's Song," a tune Vince (now dating Rain Hannah) had made her during those difficult months.

"Don't be scared, sweetie. Go to sleep now. It's all right," Sharise told Skylar. The little one died minutes later. Vince arrived at the hospital a short while later. The artist was crushed that he never had a chance to say goodbye or tell Skylar he loved her one more time.

In his biography, he said he missed her funeral. "There was no way I could go at that point. I was in no condition, even I knew that," he wrote. A few months after she passed away, he said he went out of town, "running away from reality."

Eventually, he stopped and realized he couldn't run any longer. He went to rehab, where instead of receiving treatment for drugs or alcohol, he dealt with his grief. The people who helped him suggested he write a letter to Skylar and lit it on fire.

"I sat there watching the smoke drift up into the air," Vince recalled. Burning the letter began his journey to accepting that Skylar was gone. Upon his return from rehab, he visited her grave for the first time.

At that point, he was no longer overwhelmed by emotion. Instead, Vince talked with Skylar, reminiscing about their old jokes. His memory of her remains strong. In 2019, he posted a photo of her sitting on his shoulders and pointing forward. "Miss you," he captioned.