Double Talkin' Jive

Book excerpt: In Double Talkin' Jive legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he'd enjoy a rapid ascension to rock 'n' roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N' Roses, with whom he'd record two of rock's most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame inductee & Grammy Award winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling drug and alcohol addiction, as well as working with Axl Rose, one of the greatest frontmen in rock, Slash and the rest of the GNR team. His career with the Cult, Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Motörhead, the Hollywood Vampires, and Kings of Chaos costars an ensemble of rock royalty, from Billy Idol to Steven Tyler, Billy F Gibbons and Alice Cooper. Double Talkin' Jive goes beyond the clichés of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, telling the very human story of what it takes to make it in music, and the toll stardom exacts from those who achieve success. Sorum invites fans to revel in the debauchery of the good times, but also paints a stark portrait of life after the party. Music fans of any generation will find value in the pages of this evocative, thoughtful, and candid autobiography.