by Dave Grohl
Eve Atterman at WME, thank you for leading me into this new territory. I’m so happy with the result.
I always credit our band’s success to starting our own label, Roswell Records, twenty-six years ago and doing everything our way. But if there is one person to credit for that lifesaving decision, it’s my lawyer of twenty-seven years, Jill Berliner. She built this city on rock and roll.
Without all of the musicians and bands I had the pleasure to play with over the years, I never would have become the musician that I am today. From my early punk rock bands Freak Baby, Mission Impossible, and Dain Bramage, to discovering the world with my brothers in Scream, to turning the world of music on its head with Nirvana, each and every one of these people shaped my playing and tuned my ear. Without them, I wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to jam with such musical titans as Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures, two bands that restored my love of music, for whom I am forever grateful. To every band I’ve loved before . . .
But if it weren’t for my faithful Foo Fighters, none of this would matter. You have made music more than just music, you have made it my life. And what a life we’ve made together! Thank you, fellas.
And to the brave men who captured all of this on tape, Barrett Jones, Butch Vig, Gil Norton, Nick Raskulinecz, Adam Kasper, and Greg Kurstin, there would be no soundtrack to accompany this book without you. You have given us all a gift by sharing your brilliance, encouragement, and creative input when I needed a friendly boost over the wall. Thanks for the lift!
Over the years I have found inspiration in the strangest places, but having been blessed with so many brilliant friends, all I have to do is turn to them to spark a fire within me. Preston Hall for building my Virginia basement studio, Jim Rota and John Ramsay for being my partners in the world of TV and film, the entire crew of Studio 606, and our tireless roadies who devote their lives to making sure the rock rocks. Not to mention Russell Warby, Anton Brooks, Jeff Goldberg, Virginia Rand, Bryan Brown, Paola Kudacki, the Varlays, Katherine Dore, Joe Zymblosky, Magda Wozinska, Ian Mackaye, Judy McGrath, Larry Hinkle, everyone at Sony/RCA, my extended family from DC to the San Fernando Valley . . . the list is so long, we could be here for another four hundred pages.
For Jimmy. I miss you, man.
Without my beautiful family, I would not have made it past go. Jordyn, Violet, Harper, Ophelia, you remind me each day that I am not a “rock star,” I am just a father to this most amazing family, and there is nothing on earth that I love more. You inspire me.
And, yes, there is a yin to my musical yang, and her name is Lisa Grohl. If it weren’t for my sister’s record collection (Neil Young, Bowie, Tears for Fears, Squeeze, etc.), I may have followed a life of only death metal and corpse paint. She should be thanked for saving you all from that happening.
Oh, and . . . hey, Mom.
Thanks. For everything.
About the Author
DAVE GROHL is an American musician, singer, director, and songwriter. He was the drummer for the rock band Nirvana and founded the band Foo Fighters, for whom he is the singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter.
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Copyright
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO SHARED THEIR WORK WITH US FOR THE CREATION OF THIS BOOK. THESE IMAGES ENHANCE THE STORIES SO MUCH.
THE STORYTELLER. Copyright © 2021 by David Eric Grohl. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Jeanne Reina
Cover photograph by Magdalena Wosinska
Case illustration by Angela Boutin
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-307611-2
Version 09012021
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-307609-9
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