Adler’s Book Proposal

by Scott McKenzie
Posted On October 30, 2008

Galley Cat is reporting that former Guns ‘n Roses drummer Steven Adler is sending out a proposal today for a memoir entitled My Appetite for Destruction. The book deals with his drug addictions and efforts to hold onto sobriety. Undoubtedly, it will also contain his perspective on the excesses of the Guns as well as his exit from the band.

Everyone knows I love me some metal, and I go through musician-related books like Poison went through hairspray, but it seems to me this will be a tough sell. The tale of Guns ‘n Roses has been told in the last year or so by Mick Wall in W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose, by Stephen Davis in Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns ‘n Roses, by band insider Marc Canter in Reckless Road: Guns ‘n Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction, and of course by band member Slash and Anthony Bozza in Slash.

Most of these books were timed to release in conjunction wit the 20-year-anniversay of the band’s relase of Appetite for Destruction. So by the time Adlers book could get on the shelves, would people (other than metalheads like me) still care?

I’m going to check out some Sunset Strip informants and see if I can discover Adler’s co-author (if he has one) and any more details about the book. Adler is reportedly a nice dude (if obviously troubled, as seen on Celebrity Rehab), so hey, I’d buy the book and hardcore fans like me will also follow through. But is that enough to make a major publisher be willing to pony up cash for a big deal? I’m not so sure.

Unless he’s going with the scorched earth policy of tell-all and trashing his old band mates. Now that might attract some attention. I don’t know Alder would do that, but it would certainly increase the potential for a bigger deal.

Update on Friday, October 31: No one I talked to seemed to have any details about this book. A couple of writers who are big in the hard rock world had not heard anything. And a couple of guitar players from that era were clueless as well. So we’ll just have to wait and see about this book.