There’s a few reasons why I think rock stars are writing their own autobiographies these days. Some would blame it on the money or for being an ego driven attention whore, but not really. I think these guys write their own books ’cause…

1. It’s pretty much at the end of their career or life – It’s a sign that they might retire from the music biz. So they feel that the public needs to hear their story before they go out.
2. They think fans should know them a little better – Rock stars seem to be keeping their personal lives and behind the scenes of their career out of things, and writing books is an opportunity for them to be more open and honest. It’s an opportunity for fans to get to know them on a personal level.
3. The rock music scene in the industry is just about dead – The mainstream of commercial music is all pop and rap/hip hop garbage. Country is pretty huge too. Rock stars release books, hoping to get recognized again. Rock books sells a lot more than people buying rock albums. Something to think about there.
4. They want to be understood better by the public – Mostly the rock stars who write their own memoirs are misunderstood by everyone with all the misinformation about them. A lot of these guys are a target in the media. All the gossip, and bad things that happen in their personal lives and careers. They also can be a target in the tabloids and all that bullshit. This is their way of defending themselves.

I think that pretty much covers it.

As for who I want to write a rock memoir someday, I’m pretty sure David Bowie is writing one ’cause his wife said in an interview, he’s doing some writing during his time off from music. I hope this is what he is writing, his own memoir. Would be cool. I want Jimmy Page to do one. I also want James Hetfield of Metallica to do one ’cause his story would be interesting. I’m sure James will write one whenever Metallica decides to hang it up someday. Maybe Tom Petty as well?

I like reading rock memoirs. They’re interesting stuff.

Kev