From Cradle To Stage

Virginia Grohl, mother of Dave Grohl, had not seen any of it coming. Not the arenas of screaming fans, not Nirvana or the Foo Fighters, not the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and certainly not her son, Dave, performing with Sir Paul McCartney at The White House. Theirs had always been a life full of music-the family sang together on long car trips, harmonising to Motown and David Bowie. But when Virginia saw Nirvana play for the first time to crazed applause, she knew nothing would ever be the same. She was the mother of a rock star.

Since then, Virginia often wondered about the mystical force that urges some of us to listen, to play, to surround ourselves with music. She wanted to talk about it with the other mothers whose sons and daughters were sharing stages with Dave, and she decided to seek them out wherever they were. So began a two-year odyssey, where she had conversations with women from all over the world. Among the mothers she's spoken to are:

Carolyn Williams, Pharell Williams' mother

Verna Griffin, Dr. Dre's mother

Marianne Stipe, Michael Stipe of REM's mother

Janis Winehouse, Amy Winehouse's mother

Patsy Noah, Adam Levine's mother

Donna Haim, mother of the Haim sisters

Hester Diamond, Mike D of The Beastie Boys' mother

FROM CRADLE TO STAGE will appeal to mothers everywhere, but particularly to those with children who march (or play) to the beat of their own drum; and it's for those children who have their mothers to thank for everything. For music lovers, it's the ultimate backstage pass-for anyone who has wondered what it's like to be on the inside...looking out at a packed arena. Featuring an exclusive introduction by Dave Grohl, interviews are interwoven with the Grohl family story and the resultant book is a very intimate portrait of what makes a rock star.