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The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx
Rock-and-roll icon and three-time bestselling author Nikki Sixx tells his origin story: how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx, chronicling his fascinating journey from irrepressible Idaho farmboy to the man who formed the revolutionary rock group Mötley Crüe.
Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world. Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time but deeply troubled. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid—hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football—but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.
In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle—the president of Capitol Records—for a short time. But there was no easy path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads’s band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality—and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. It's also a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.
Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world. Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time but deeply troubled. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid—hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football—but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.
In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle—the president of Capitol Records—for a short time. But there was no easy path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads’s band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality—and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. It's also a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2021
About the author
Nikki Sixx
29 books625 followersNikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna) is an American bassist, author, photographer, and the main songwriter for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He has also played bass for glam metal band London, as well as stints in experimental band 58 and the hard rock band Brides of Destruction, and is the bass player in Sixx:A.M.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
November 24, 2021
➙ 4¼⭐
➙ Narration 😍 = Amazing
➙ Narrated by 🎙️Nikki Sixx
➙ The memoir of Franklin Carlton Feranna
➙ His drive, determination & will to succeed
I love Nikki Sixx’s unapologetic attitude...he’s like, yeah, I stole your name, but you didn’t “make it”, so what difference does it make? He’s definitely not afraid to own it.
There wasn’t much to this but it was a super quick listen and Nikki Sixx is such an accomplished storyteller that I couldn’t help but find it interesting. Nikki has an Instagram account and I’ve seen his posts about hunting and fishing that he’s done in and around his home in Wyoming and always wondered where is love for the outdoors came from...now I know.
➙ Narration 😍 = Amazing
➙ Narrated by 🎙️Nikki Sixx
➙ The memoir of Franklin Carlton Feranna
➙ His drive, determination & will to succeed
I love Nikki Sixx’s unapologetic attitude...he’s like, yeah, I stole your name, but you didn’t “make it”, so what difference does it make? He’s definitely not afraid to own it.
There wasn’t much to this but it was a super quick listen and Nikki Sixx is such an accomplished storyteller that I couldn’t help but find it interesting. Nikki has an Instagram account and I’ve seen his posts about hunting and fishing that he’s done in and around his home in Wyoming and always wondered where is love for the outdoors came from...now I know.
November 3, 2021
The Dirt by Motley Crue is probably one of my favourite music biographies. I also thoroughly enjoyed the hedonistic movie of the same name starring Machine Gun Kelly, and it was reading this book and watching the movie which made me start listening to some of the band’s music. Unfortunately, before this book and movie arrived in my orbit, I had little knowledge of who they were, aside from the Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson tabloid dramas. Nothing of their music or their meteoric rise to fame.
The First 21 tells the tale of a young Frankie Feranna, who is raised by various interesting, wanderlust filled and yet ultimately caring people who picked up a bass guitar and became a member of one of America’s largest rock bands. Taking dead-end jobs to buy a guitar, forming bands in mates garages, and getting the crap kicked out of him for parading the halls of his High School with big hair and a women’s jacket turned inside out. Throughout his childhood, it seems to me that Frankie Feranna stayed true to himself and the only thing that ever really changed was his name. Frank changed his name to Nikki London, then Nikki Nine and then eventually settled on the name now etched in music history, Nikki Sixx.
Nikki writes really well. I loved the flow of his words on the page and the emotion which comes through at certain times of his life. His unwavering love for his sisters and the sheer rage and frustration triggered when talking about his mom. I’m no die-hard Motley Crue fan, nor am I an avid subscriber to Rolling Stone magazine. I prefer dance music and 90’s RnB if truth be told. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying every page of The First 21.
This isn’t a book solely for musos. If you love a good memoir, then I highly recommend The First 21. There is a reason Nikki Sixx has topped the New York Best Sellers list for the third time!
The First 21 tells the tale of a young Frankie Feranna, who is raised by various interesting, wanderlust filled and yet ultimately caring people who picked up a bass guitar and became a member of one of America’s largest rock bands. Taking dead-end jobs to buy a guitar, forming bands in mates garages, and getting the crap kicked out of him for parading the halls of his High School with big hair and a women’s jacket turned inside out. Throughout his childhood, it seems to me that Frankie Feranna stayed true to himself and the only thing that ever really changed was his name. Frank changed his name to Nikki London, then Nikki Nine and then eventually settled on the name now etched in music history, Nikki Sixx.
Nikki writes really well. I loved the flow of his words on the page and the emotion which comes through at certain times of his life. His unwavering love for his sisters and the sheer rage and frustration triggered when talking about his mom. I’m no die-hard Motley Crue fan, nor am I an avid subscriber to Rolling Stone magazine. I prefer dance music and 90’s RnB if truth be told. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying every page of The First 21.
This isn’t a book solely for musos. If you love a good memoir, then I highly recommend The First 21. There is a reason Nikki Sixx has topped the New York Best Sellers list for the third time!
October 19, 2021
See my review at BRIAN LEE DURFEE REVIEWS on YouTube--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2ME6...
Want to read
January 17, 2022I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!!
November 16, 2021
Nikki Sixx is a great storyteller. Loved the look into this life growing up. However, I am either in awe or perplexed how someone can remember so many details about their "first 21 years". Mine are all a blur. I can't recall what I ate for dinner last Thursday never mind remember the antics when I was 19....lol!
Nonetheless, flew through this one quickly. Great memoir. Always a Mötley Crüe and Nikki Sixx fan forever. \ m /
Nonetheless, flew through this one quickly. Great memoir. Always a Mötley Crüe and Nikki Sixx fan forever. \ m /
October 21, 2021
I enjoyed the book. The book was honest,and I felt he let us see a more vulnerable side of himself. You can tell that life has humbled Nikki, and that he has come to peace with his life. He’s a smart articulate, and driven man who “made it” by hard work,and determination. I’m sure there is more to come from him.
October 23, 2021
(...) I'm an artist -- and an artist is a little like somebody born with no skin. You feel everything. Then you grow up and make it your job to feel and interpret the world." (p. 74)
Ever since I've discovered Nikki Sixx and Sixx:A.M., back in 2015 (sixx years ago), I've been a huge fan of both of them, and they both have had a lot of influence on both my life and me as a person. I know every Sixx:A.M. song by heart (though I'm not that much into Mötley Crüe, except for some songs) and I've read both Sixx' previous books, The Heroin Diaries (2007) and This Is Gonna Hurt (2011). Sixx has amazed me many times, so he has set a high bar for everything he does. I had high expectations when I started reading this book.
The book is about Sixx' youth, the first 21 (or actually, almost 22) years of his life, when he was still named Frank Feranna. He tries to discover his own youth and family history and tells how everything that happened to him, all the (regularly stupid) decisions he's made or things he's done, and all the people he's met have influenced and shaped him as a person. The story starts with a short introduction about the current, after which he tells everything he's discovered about his own family tree. He talks about his parents (apparently his dad was twice the age of his mom), how his father left the family and that his mother always had another boyfriend. He ended up growing up with his grandparents Nona and Tom (apparently Nona was sixteen years older than Tom and used to be his babysitter as a kid; Tom wasn't Frank's biological grandfather). He moved a lot with them, living in different places and making new friends every time. Eventually he goes to Los Angeles to live with his Uncle Don, who worked for Capitol Records, before dropping out of school and kicking out of Don's house (he still supported Frank, though).
After that, Sixx talks about how he tried to survive by himself. He worked a lot of different jobs (and often got fired), had difficulties paying rent, moved very often, and was involved in criminal activities like theft, scam and drug dealing. Frank got his first new guitar after he stole one in an ingenious way, only to find out it wasn't a bass guitar. He sold the guitar twice - which of course got him into trouble. Once he got his bass he was finally able to actually be a musician. He eventually went on to form the band London (because all good musicians are from London), and asks his Uncle Don to come visit a concert and sign them. Don watches them live, but refuses to sign them.
The story comes to an end when Frank really needs some money, because they didn't get payed for a concert, and ends up calling his dad to whom he hasn't spoken for years. When he dials he got told that "Frank Feranna is dead" (he was named after his father). He agreed, and decided to officially change his name into Nikki Sixx, on the 9th of December 1980, two days before his 22nd birthday. Only a few weeks later he formed Mötley Crüe. He once again asked his Uncle Don to sign his band, and once again he refused. After Mötley Crüe sold millions of albums, Uncle Don told Sixx: "Failing to sign Mötley Crüe was the biggest professional mistake that I made." To be honest, I found that a beautiful sentence after reading the whole story.
The book is very easy to read, because Nikki Sixx writes in an easy yet beautiful way. As someone who lives in Europe, it sometimes was difficult to follow every place he's lived in, but he did very well to describe how these places looked like. The book is structured in a chronological order, with sometimes some small switches to previous or current times. The chapters are quite short. Next to that, the book contains a lot of photographs and pictures of Nikki Sixx and people he talks about, and a picture of the legal document in which his official name change is accepted. While reading this book, every now and then I felt sorry for the kid, because I knew that he had to go through everything that happens in The Heroin Diaries.
The final chapter also contains some personal advice from Sixx to the reader, and I'd like to share some of my favourites. He tells you to surround yourself with creativity; creative people, but also with creative things like books, paintings, photographs, records (p. 197). The other one is: "It doesn't take ten thousands hours to master your craft. It takes a lifetime, and that's the best thing. A lifetime is what you happen to have." (p. 198) That's how beautiful Sixx can write. Sixx also admits that luck has been important for the bands success; he says it'd be a lie if he said it wouldn't be. After finishing to book, I put it down and had to think about the whole story. It left me sitting there inspired and with an urge to be creative myself.
For those who love Nikki Sixx, his music/bands and/or rock 'n' roll in the sixties and seventies, I can absolutely recommend reading this. I can also recommend you to read this if you want to know more about a very creative artist. When you're gonna read it, you should put up some Sixx:A.M. or Mötley Crüe as background music to get an even better vibe when going through the story; Sixx:A.M.s new song 'The First 21' really catches the vibe and story of the book.
Ever since I've discovered Nikki Sixx and Sixx:A.M., back in 2015 (sixx years ago), I've been a huge fan of both of them, and they both have had a lot of influence on both my life and me as a person. I know every Sixx:A.M. song by heart (though I'm not that much into Mötley Crüe, except for some songs) and I've read both Sixx' previous books, The Heroin Diaries (2007) and This Is Gonna Hurt (2011). Sixx has amazed me many times, so he has set a high bar for everything he does. I had high expectations when I started reading this book.
The book is about Sixx' youth, the first 21 (or actually, almost 22) years of his life, when he was still named Frank Feranna. He tries to discover his own youth and family history and tells how everything that happened to him, all the (regularly stupid) decisions he's made or things he's done, and all the people he's met have influenced and shaped him as a person. The story starts with a short introduction about the current, after which he tells everything he's discovered about his own family tree. He talks about his parents (apparently his dad was twice the age of his mom), how his father left the family and that his mother always had another boyfriend. He ended up growing up with his grandparents Nona and Tom (apparently Nona was sixteen years older than Tom and used to be his babysitter as a kid; Tom wasn't Frank's biological grandfather). He moved a lot with them, living in different places and making new friends every time. Eventually he goes to Los Angeles to live with his Uncle Don, who worked for Capitol Records, before dropping out of school and kicking out of Don's house (he still supported Frank, though).
After that, Sixx talks about how he tried to survive by himself. He worked a lot of different jobs (and often got fired), had difficulties paying rent, moved very often, and was involved in criminal activities like theft, scam and drug dealing. Frank got his first new guitar after he stole one in an ingenious way, only to find out it wasn't a bass guitar. He sold the guitar twice - which of course got him into trouble. Once he got his bass he was finally able to actually be a musician. He eventually went on to form the band London (because all good musicians are from London), and asks his Uncle Don to come visit a concert and sign them. Don watches them live, but refuses to sign them.
The story comes to an end when Frank really needs some money, because they didn't get payed for a concert, and ends up calling his dad to whom he hasn't spoken for years. When he dials he got told that "Frank Feranna is dead" (he was named after his father). He agreed, and decided to officially change his name into Nikki Sixx, on the 9th of December 1980, two days before his 22nd birthday. Only a few weeks later he formed Mötley Crüe. He once again asked his Uncle Don to sign his band, and once again he refused. After Mötley Crüe sold millions of albums, Uncle Don told Sixx: "Failing to sign Mötley Crüe was the biggest professional mistake that I made." To be honest, I found that a beautiful sentence after reading the whole story.
The book is very easy to read, because Nikki Sixx writes in an easy yet beautiful way. As someone who lives in Europe, it sometimes was difficult to follow every place he's lived in, but he did very well to describe how these places looked like. The book is structured in a chronological order, with sometimes some small switches to previous or current times. The chapters are quite short. Next to that, the book contains a lot of photographs and pictures of Nikki Sixx and people he talks about, and a picture of the legal document in which his official name change is accepted. While reading this book, every now and then I felt sorry for the kid, because I knew that he had to go through everything that happens in The Heroin Diaries.
The final chapter also contains some personal advice from Sixx to the reader, and I'd like to share some of my favourites. He tells you to surround yourself with creativity; creative people, but also with creative things like books, paintings, photographs, records (p. 197). The other one is: "It doesn't take ten thousands hours to master your craft. It takes a lifetime, and that's the best thing. A lifetime is what you happen to have." (p. 198) That's how beautiful Sixx can write. Sixx also admits that luck has been important for the bands success; he says it'd be a lie if he said it wouldn't be. After finishing to book, I put it down and had to think about the whole story. It left me sitting there inspired and with an urge to be creative myself.
For those who love Nikki Sixx, his music/bands and/or rock 'n' roll in the sixties and seventies, I can absolutely recommend reading this. I can also recommend you to read this if you want to know more about a very creative artist. When you're gonna read it, you should put up some Sixx:A.M. or Mötley Crüe as background music to get an even better vibe when going through the story; Sixx:A.M.s new song 'The First 21' really catches the vibe and story of the book.
November 4, 2021
Best book ever written
Best author alive
That’s it
That’s my review
Everyone read it right now
Best author alive
That’s it
That’s my review
Everyone read it right now
October 28, 2021
If you have read Nikki's other books, this one will fill that gap in Nikki's early years. There is not the sex and drugs (well just a tad) from the other books, this book is about a beginning, creation of a work ethic, and a desire to fulfill a dream. It talks about the foundation of what forms a kid into an adult and how music can change your life. The last part is my very favorite part. There is some very good advice there, very good advice.
I did the audio because I wanted to hear Nikki read it to me. He does an excellent job and even gives you a song at the end.
I did the audio because I wanted to hear Nikki read it to me. He does an excellent job and even gives you a song at the end.
June 25, 2022
I deadass can't wait. I'm so excited to read this book, I think Nikki's an amazing writer, the parts of The Heroin Diaries that were taken from his journals left me in tears more often than not. I have really high expectations for this book.
-
edit after reading: It reads like a college admissions essay. My essay for UCLA was more heartfelt - Nikki wrote this like an idealistic teenager trying to get into Berkeley. It falls flat.
-
edit after reading: It reads like a college admissions essay. My essay for UCLA was more heartfelt - Nikki wrote this like an idealistic teenager trying to get into Berkeley. It falls flat.
November 5, 2021
Nikki Sixx never fails to be an inspiration. All of his books draw you in. I do think this one requires you to have a love for it for at least rock and roll. Because it is very much based in Rock at the time obviously. Nikki is a compelling author though and words things so well. I highly recommend if you're a fan at all. Plus the pictures made me happy.
March 30, 2022
There isn't a ton of new information here, and it reads like he's adding to all of the stories already told so he could pad this book to get 200 pages in. What there is inside the book is interesting and it kept me entertained, but it could've gone into one of his previous books, too.
December 4, 2021
Listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed his story and narration
December 15, 2021
I was so happy to recieve a copy of The Frist 21 for my birthday after waiting all year for its release.
This book focuses on Nikki's childhood and his time in the band London. Nikki wrote a chapter for "The Dirt" which talked briefly of his roots and time bouncing between Tom and Nona and Deanna. It was one of my favourite chapters in the book, so I was excited to see a whole project dedicated to this part of his history. I love that while Nikki had so many new stories to tell, he also fleshed out some of those stories I loved so much from that chapter in "The Dirt" - (the lunch box story being my favourite of course!)
I finished this book feeling incredibly inspired. I was most struck by the difference in the tone of Nikki's writing. While his other books were also incredibly enjoyable, I noticed some undertones of anger, pain and frustration when he talked about his parents, despite his assertions that he had processed all feelings of betrayal and dealt with his demons. Conversely, The First 21 is so calm, mature and wise in its delivery. I really got the impression that he has welcomed a lot more peace and understanding into his life. It's so interesting to see an author develop in their writing like that. As a product of this, I found so many bits of wonderful advice which fit surprisingly well into the context of my own life and made me think long and hard about my future which is shortly to become my present.
A few bits of said great advice:
* "Chasing trends or even following them is a deadly poison - not just to the process {of creating} but to the outcome."
* "Learn to practice long-term thinking not short-term thinking, in your life and in your work. The worst that can happen is that you'll fail. And the best that happen is that you will fail, because failing is what lights a real fire under your ass."
* "It doesn't take ten thousands hours to master your craft. It takes a lifetime, and that's the best thing. A lifetime is what you happen to have."
And, my personal favourite:
* "Don't underestimate the role that luck plays. Successful people tend to do that: chalk their achievements up to their intelligence, diligence, good looks or charm. The truth is, at some point, they probably got lucky - and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Luck comes and goes. The trick is to stay in great shape so that when it does come, you can seize it. The really big break might not come your way twice. So when it does come, don't waste it."
Nikki is just awesome, man. A true inspiration and I have a lot of respect for him. He's very intelligent and insanely passionate. (The little detail about how he trains for shows was so interesting; he sets up a playlist of songs identical to the set-list, runs faster during more intense songs and slows down during ballads so he can wreak havoc on stage without missing a beat.) I've never seen someone that dedicated to perfecting their showmanship and musicianship. (Also, how he doesn't make himself sick to death of the set-list by the time he gets to shows I don't know!)
Nikki's like that cool relative who's always got an epic story for every occasion, and a great lesson to inspire you to go alongside it. Hope he writes more in the future. Books and music!
Also as an aside, the cover design is impeccable. It's so beautifully put together!
This book focuses on Nikki's childhood and his time in the band London. Nikki wrote a chapter for "The Dirt" which talked briefly of his roots and time bouncing between Tom and Nona and Deanna. It was one of my favourite chapters in the book, so I was excited to see a whole project dedicated to this part of his history. I love that while Nikki had so many new stories to tell, he also fleshed out some of those stories I loved so much from that chapter in "The Dirt" - (the lunch box story being my favourite of course!)
I finished this book feeling incredibly inspired. I was most struck by the difference in the tone of Nikki's writing. While his other books were also incredibly enjoyable, I noticed some undertones of anger, pain and frustration when he talked about his parents, despite his assertions that he had processed all feelings of betrayal and dealt with his demons. Conversely, The First 21 is so calm, mature and wise in its delivery. I really got the impression that he has welcomed a lot more peace and understanding into his life. It's so interesting to see an author develop in their writing like that. As a product of this, I found so many bits of wonderful advice which fit surprisingly well into the context of my own life and made me think long and hard about my future which is shortly to become my present.
A few bits of said great advice:
* "Chasing trends or even following them is a deadly poison - not just to the process {of creating} but to the outcome."
* "Learn to practice long-term thinking not short-term thinking, in your life and in your work. The worst that can happen is that you'll fail. And the best that happen is that you will fail, because failing is what lights a real fire under your ass."
* "It doesn't take ten thousands hours to master your craft. It takes a lifetime, and that's the best thing. A lifetime is what you happen to have."
And, my personal favourite:
* "Don't underestimate the role that luck plays. Successful people tend to do that: chalk their achievements up to their intelligence, diligence, good looks or charm. The truth is, at some point, they probably got lucky - and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Luck comes and goes. The trick is to stay in great shape so that when it does come, you can seize it. The really big break might not come your way twice. So when it does come, don't waste it."
Nikki is just awesome, man. A true inspiration and I have a lot of respect for him. He's very intelligent and insanely passionate. (The little detail about how he trains for shows was so interesting; he sets up a playlist of songs identical to the set-list, runs faster during more intense songs and slows down during ballads so he can wreak havoc on stage without missing a beat.) I've never seen someone that dedicated to perfecting their showmanship and musicianship. (Also, how he doesn't make himself sick to death of the set-list by the time he gets to shows I don't know!)
Nikki's like that cool relative who's always got an epic story for every occasion, and a great lesson to inspire you to go alongside it. Hope he writes more in the future. Books and music!
Also as an aside, the cover design is impeccable. It's so beautifully put together!
August 24, 2023
3 stars. I love Nikki Sixx. I couldn’t wait for this book. I’ve read his others. I had high expectations for this book. Only to be kinda let down. I didn’t like the back and forward it got confusing. The whole book was a bit like Nikki giving us bullet points. It was very oh there was this, and then this, then that. I thought it was going to start at the beginning and work it’s way through. But no it starts at the end, then goes back, then forward and so forth. Did I find out anything I didn’t know before. No. Not one thing. I wanted to read it and be like 5 stars. But I just can’t. Sorry.
November 14, 2021
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if we could do half stars, based solely on the fact that I'm not sure this book would be anywhere as interesting if I wasn't a Motley Crue fan. The content itself is nothing earth-shattering. But I am impressed with the maturity, the kind that only comes with age, that you can see in Nikki based on his previous writings. I don't want to put it as he's losing his edge, but he's shedding some of his more negative qualities that have exhibited themselves in his outward persona via the ego. It's a nicer look for him; true growth. As a Crue/Nikki fan, it's a solid four stars.
December 30, 2023
Very well done. Nikki Sixx the bass player and leader/starter of Motley Crew tells how he grew up (broken family) and events leading up to his starting up Motley Crew. It held my interest was much better than some other tell-all rock books. He did not dwell on the crazy, drugged out cliche antics that other books like this fall into. He seems to have a clear head and knows where he’s going and where he has been. A good strong work ethic.
Glad I read this.
Glad I read this.
November 2, 2023
I really enjoyed reading The Dirt so I figured I would enjoy this also.
This is only my second time listening to an audio book so I wasn’t sure if I would feel the same as the great time I had reading The Dirt.
I did really enjoy this and it might be because Nikki narrates it himself. He���s very well spoken and keeps the story going. Sometimes it may get a little slow because of all the details he does go into into his childhood, but it’s still quite interesting.
Overall, good listen.
This is only my second time listening to an audio book so I wasn’t sure if I would feel the same as the great time I had reading The Dirt.
I did really enjoy this and it might be because Nikki narrates it himself. He���s very well spoken and keeps the story going. Sometimes it may get a little slow because of all the details he does go into into his childhood, but it’s still quite interesting.
Overall, good listen.
March 24, 2022
I have an unhealthy obsession with Nikki Sixx, thanks to my mother lol. And it literally killed me to buy a copy of this book for HER and not get to read it first haha. So glad I finally read it! I just love getting to read more about it his life, especially before his wild days. (Although there are some fun snippets of his day to day life with the rest of the boys)
June 4, 2022
It was informative and interesting. I did enjoying hearing Nikki as narrator. I liked it, didn't love it. I think the sensational content that was the Heroin Diaries was a bar too high for this one. I didn't expect it to be on that same level, but still couldn't help feel that other work in comparison. It was a good retrospective on his childhood and teen years. Great historical layout....
January 22, 2023
Another great read from Nikki. This one about his roots and his life in general I didn't know he has such a passion for photography, had to look up some of his work and it's Damm good. After reading his diaries book, I'm so glad he wrote this one, way better life story and outcome.
January 18, 2022
Goodreads needs half stars!! I would give this 3.5 stars!
February 14, 2022
A great story teller, I needed to do some research on him before I read the book, but really enjoyed his story and the determination he had to keep on keeping on.!
February 23, 2022
I’ve been a Motley Crue fan for a long time and had the opportunity to see them in concert on their final tour in November of 2014. It was then that I became intrigued with, “The Heroin Diaries”. When I saw this book coming out I knew I had to read it to see what had lead to The Heroin Diaries. Nikki/Frank was just an ordinary kid just like all of us were, but he had a tougher life than the kids I grew up with in my micro small town in MN. I thought it was hilarious to discover that the Purple People Eaters-the beloved defensive line for the Minnesota Vikings when I was a kid-was the inspiration behind the black stripes as part of Nikki’s on stage persona. I laughed when he mentioned the playing card in the bicycle spokes because all of us did that exact thing too! Nobody I knew had been abandoned by their dad though and tossed around between their mom and grandparents, moving all the time. Nikki seemed to have just taken it all in stride, making the best of his circumstances, and his grandparents were so understanding, letting him just do his thing and be true to himself. I really enjoy his writing style; it really is hard to envision the rock n roll badass we’ve come to know him as writing his childhood memories so eloquently and without any of the harshness of The Heroin Diaries. He really has matured and lives every day to the fullest now that he fully appreciates all he’s been through, and not only is he alive but completely able-bodied, mentally as sharp as ever and living his best life with his family and still doing what he loves. I am amazed he can remember so many details of his childhood experiences despite all his drug use. I’ve seen people who abused drugs as kids and young adults and none of them fared nearly as well, not by a long shot, and I’m happy that Nikki fully realizes how incredibly lucky and blessed (even though I notice he avoids that word) he truly is.
April 8, 2022
If you have known me for any length of time you’ll know that I love Nikki Sixx. You’ll know that I’ve loved him since I was 10 years old and that I love him so much that his is the only name I have tattooed on my body. You’ll know that I once had so many pictures of him plastered on my teenage bedroom walls that I literally had to start putting them on the ceiling. Mom wasn’t thrilled, but her lack of enthusiasm about him made it all the more appealing to me (because teenager and all).
There is absolutely no way that I wouldn’t own this book. What’s shocking is that I’ve held out reading it for so long since my husband gave it to me for Christmas. I wanted to read it so badly, but I knew that when I did it would be over and I didn’t want it to be over. It’s over now and it was awesome just like I knew it would be. I knew a lot of this stuff already, but there was some stuff I didn’t know (like his meeting with Eddie Nash. I shouldn’t be surprised because of the Starwood connection, but it really threw me nonetheless). I didn’t know about Richard Pryor either! It was cool to learn more about his early childhood, though a good bit of it was heartbreaking. I can see now why he is who he is.
I love him. All these years later and I still love him. And I loved this book.
5 stars
There is absolutely no way that I wouldn’t own this book. What’s shocking is that I’ve held out reading it for so long since my husband gave it to me for Christmas. I wanted to read it so badly, but I knew that when I did it would be over and I didn’t want it to be over. It’s over now and it was awesome just like I knew it would be. I knew a lot of this stuff already, but there was some stuff I didn’t know (like his meeting with Eddie Nash. I shouldn’t be surprised because of the Starwood connection, but it really threw me nonetheless). I didn’t know about Richard Pryor either! It was cool to learn more about his early childhood, though a good bit of it was heartbreaking. I can see now why he is who he is.
I love him. All these years later and I still love him. And I loved this book.
5 stars
April 26, 2022
Growing up during the heyday of Motley Crue - I kind of always took their music and success for granted, and honestly, I never gave Nikki Sixx much thought - but wow. This guy fought tooth and nail for his success. His parents (esp. dad) were sh*tty, but he had awesome and supportive grandparents and aunts and uncles - even if they did pass him back and forth quite a bit - he always felt loved.
In his early years, Nikki was a scrapper, an outdoorsy guy (didn't expect that, did you?), a football player, pensive, intelligent, creative, and ambitious. Those last two traits helped him be a pretty decent thief back in those days, but he did what he felt he had to do to boost his music career. Obviously - it worked. Not much has changed except I don't think he scraps much, and I seriously doubt he has to steal anymore. Drugs and alcohol don't play a major role in this book - that comes along later (read "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's most Notorious Rock Band" but put on a seat belt before you do it.) Crue was formed after Nikki turned 21, so don't expect to read about those guys here, although there is a brief appearance by Mick Mars.
New respect for Nikki, his accomplishments and his outlook on life.
In his early years, Nikki was a scrapper, an outdoorsy guy (didn't expect that, did you?), a football player, pensive, intelligent, creative, and ambitious. Those last two traits helped him be a pretty decent thief back in those days, but he did what he felt he had to do to boost his music career. Obviously - it worked. Not much has changed except I don't think he scraps much, and I seriously doubt he has to steal anymore. Drugs and alcohol don't play a major role in this book - that comes along later (read "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's most Notorious Rock Band" but put on a seat belt before you do it.) Crue was formed after Nikki turned 21, so don't expect to read about those guys here, although there is a brief appearance by Mick Mars.
New respect for Nikki, his accomplishments and his outlook on life.
July 19, 2022
I will be the first to admit I’m not the biggest Motley Crue fan but I love memoirs and learning how people came to be who they are. This is definitely mostly about his early years like the title suggests with a bit of the present thrown in here and there. He did not have it easy and had to work hard to get to where he is today.
My main issue with the book is that it jumps around too much from place to place and moments in time. It was really hard to follow and I had to reread pages a few times to make sure I didn’t miss something. It actually reminded me of sitting on a porch listening to a friend tell rambling stories about his life and getting sidetracked by another story while telling the first one. This happens a lot throughout the book.
Which makes me think the audiobook with Nikki reading it would have been the way to go.
I really have to give him credit for his persistence and tenacity! You really have to respect how hard he worked to achieve his dream despite a lot of setbacks. 3.5⭐️
My main issue with the book is that it jumps around too much from place to place and moments in time. It was really hard to follow and I had to reread pages a few times to make sure I didn’t miss something. It actually reminded me of sitting on a porch listening to a friend tell rambling stories about his life and getting sidetracked by another story while telling the first one. This happens a lot throughout the book.
Which makes me think the audiobook with Nikki reading it would have been the way to go.
I really have to give him credit for his persistence and tenacity! You really have to respect how hard he worked to achieve his dream despite a lot of setbacks. 3.5⭐️
May 30, 2022
Not quite sure how I stumbled across this book but I saw it and was like “I need to read this!”
This is a memoir about Nikki’s first 21 years of his life, how he came into the name of Nikki Sixx. I thought it was interesting. I grew up in the 80’s, during the time MTV actually played music videos, so of course I knew who Motley Crue was. I wasn’t a fanatic but I did listen to their music. So I didn’t know much of anything about their background. I was a little too young to be caught up in tabloids. :)))
Anyways. It’s good! I’m amazed at how much he remembers of his life!! I can’t even remember last week! I laughed at his brazen attitude, of how many time he just “took” what he saw, what he wanted. I’m going to definitely watch Dirt, and definitely going to need read The Heroin Diaries.
If you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy this! Very interesting to read some of the stuff happening in the strip back then!
This is a memoir about Nikki’s first 21 years of his life, how he came into the name of Nikki Sixx. I thought it was interesting. I grew up in the 80’s, during the time MTV actually played music videos, so of course I knew who Motley Crue was. I wasn’t a fanatic but I did listen to their music. So I didn’t know much of anything about their background. I was a little too young to be caught up in tabloids. :)))
Anyways. It’s good! I’m amazed at how much he remembers of his life!! I can’t even remember last week! I laughed at his brazen attitude, of how many time he just “took” what he saw, what he wanted. I’m going to definitely watch Dirt, and definitely going to need read The Heroin Diaries.
If you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy this! Very interesting to read some of the stuff happening in the strip back then!
January 18, 2022
This book is genuinely fantastic. Generally I avoid books that aren’t fiction, but my mom bought me a signed copy for Christmas and I have liked Mötley for many years. The writing is magnificent in a way I didn’t expect, though I suppose I should have given that Sixx has been writing nearly his whole life. The storytelling is detailed which surprised me since I can hardly remember my own first 20 years, but I realize that a lot of the book is likely core memories for him as well as helpful accounts from other people that sparked his memory.
Even if you aren’t a fan of rock or Crüe, I would absolutely suggest this book.
Even if you aren’t a fan of rock or Crüe, I would absolutely suggest this book.
November 14, 2021
I've been a fan of Motley Crue since the first album, Nikki has always been the driving force and the creative hub of the band, his other projects have been no less impressive.
Having read the first two books (heroin diaries and this is gonna hurt) I couldn't wait for this one. Some of the information I knew from being a long time fan but this didn't detract from the book in any way, a fantastic read and a nice insight into the life of a man I have been a fan of and hugely respected for nearly 40 years.
Having read the first two books (heroin diaries and this is gonna hurt) I couldn't wait for this one. Some of the information I knew from being a long time fan but this didn't detract from the book in any way, a fantastic read and a nice insight into the life of a man I have been a fan of and hugely respected for nearly 40 years.
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