Dave Grohl Popular Books

Dave Grohl Biography & Facts

David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, for which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of the rock band Nirvana from 1990 to 1994. At 17, Grohl joined the punk rock band Scream after the departure of their drummer Kent Stax. Grohl became the drummer for Nirvana after Scream broke up in 1990. Nirvana's second album, Nevermind (1991), was the first to feature Grohl on drums and became a worldwide success. After Nirvana disbanded following the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, Grohl formed Foo Fighters as a one-man project. The first Foo Fighters album was released in 1995, and a full band was assembled to tour and record under the Foo Fighters name; they have released 11 studio albums. Grohl is the drummer and co-founder of the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, and has recorded and toured with Queens of the Stone Age and Tenacious D. He has also participated in the side projects Late! and Probot. Grohl began directing Foo Fighters music videos in 1997 and released his debut documentary, Sound City, in 2013. It was followed by the documentary miniseries Sonic Highways (2014) and the documentary film What Drives Us (2021). In 2021, Grohl released an autobiography, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music. In 2022, he and the Foo Fighters starred as themselves in the comedy horror film Studio 666. In 2010, Grohl was described by the Classic Rock Drummers co-author Ken Micallef as one of the most influential rock musicians of the previous 20 years. Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Nirvana in 2014 and as a member of Foo Fighters in 2021. Early life David Eric Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio, on January 14, 1969, the son of teacher Virginia Jean (née Hanlon) and newswriter James Harper Grohl. He is of German, Slovak (on father's side), Irish and English (on mother's side) descent. In addition to being an award-winning journalist, James had also served as the special assistant to Senator Robert Taft Jr. and was described as "a talented political observer who possessed the ability to call every major election with uncanny accuracy". When he was a child, Grohl's family moved to Springfield, Virginia. When he was seven, his parents divorced, and he was subsequently raised by his mother. At the age of 12, he began learning to play guitar. He grew tired of lessons and instead taught himself, eventually playing in bands with friends. He said, "I was going in the direction of faster, louder, darker while my sister, Lisa, three years older, was getting seriously into new wave territory. We'd meet in the middle sometimes with Bowie and Siouxsie and the Banshees."At 13, Grohl and his sister spent the summer at their cousin Tracey's house in Evanston, Illinois. Tracey introduced them to punk rock by taking the pair to shows by a variety of punk bands. His first concert was Naked Raygun at The Cubby Bear in Chicago in 1982. Grohl recalled, "From then on we were totally punk. We went home and bought Maximumrocknroll and tried to figure it all out." In Virginia, he attended Thomas Jefferson High School as a freshman and was elected class vice-president. In that capacity, he managed to play pieces of songs by punk bands like Circle Jerks and Bad Brains over the school intercom before his morning announcements. His mother decided he should transfer to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria because his cannabis use was lowering his grades. He stayed there for two years, beginning with a repeat of his first year. After his second year, he transferred yet again to Annandale High School. While in high school, he played in several local bands, including a stint as guitarist in a band called Freak Baby. During this period, he taught himself to play drums. When Freak Baby fired its bass player and reshuffled its lineup, Grohl switched to drums. The reconstituted band renamed itself Mission Impossible.Grohl said he did not take formal drumming lessons and instead learned by listening to Rush and punk rock. Rush drummer Neil Peart was an early influence: "When I got 2112 when I was eight years old, it fucking changed the direction of my life. I heard the drums. It made me want to become a drummer." During his developing years as a drummer, Grohl cited John Bonham as his greatest influence, and eventually had Bonham's three-rings symbol tattooed on his right shoulder. Mission Impossible rebranded themselves Fast before breaking up, after which Grohl joined the hardcore punk band Dain Bramage in December 1985. Dain Bramage ended in March 1987 when Grohl quit without warning to join Scream, having produced the I Scream Not Coming Down LP. Many of Grohl's early influences were at the 9:30 Club, a music venue in Washington, D.C. He said, "I went to the 9:30 Club hundreds of times. I was always so excited to get there, and I was always bummed when it closed. I spent my teenage years at the club and saw some shows that changed my life." Career Scream (1986–1990) As a teenager in DC, Grohl briefly contemplated joining shock-rockers Gwar, who were looking for a drummer. At age 17, Grohl auditioned with local Washington, D.C., favorites Scream to fill the vacancy left by the departure of drummer Kent Stax. In order to be considered for the position, Grohl lied about his age, claiming he was older. To Grohl's surprise, the band asked him to join, so he dropped out of high school in his junior year. He has been quoted as saying, "I was 17 and extremely anxious to see the world, so I did it."Over the next four years, Grohl toured extensively with Scream, recording a live album (their show of May 4, 1990, in Alzey, Germany, being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10) and two studio albums, No More Censorship and Fumble, on which Grohl penned and sang vocals on the song "Gods Look Down". During a Toronto stop on their 1987 tour, Grohl played drums for Iggy Pop at a CD release party held at famed club the El Mocambo. In 1990, Scream unexpectedly disbanded midtour following the departure of bassist Skeeter Thompson. Nirvana (1990–1994) While playing in Scream, Grohl became a fan of the Melvins and eventually befriended them. During a 1990 tour stop on the West Coast, Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne took his friends Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, of the band Nirvana, to see Scream. Following the breakup of Scream, Grohl called Osborne for advice. Osborne informed him that Nirvana was looking for a drummer and gave Grohl the phone numbers of Cobain and Novoselic, who invited Grohl to Seattle to audition. Grohl passed the audition and soon joined the band. Novoselic later said, "We knew in two minutes that he was the right drummer." Grohl told Q: "I remember being in the same room with them and thinking, 'What? That's Nirvana? Are you kidding?' Because on their record cover they looked like psycho lumberjacks..... Discover the Dave Grohl popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Dave Grohl books.

Best Seller Dave Grohl Books of 2024

  • Nothing is Real synopsis, comments

    Nothing is Real

    David Hepworth

    Pop music’s a simple pleasure. Is it catchy? Can you dance to it? Do you fancy the singer?But what’s fascinating about pop is our relationship with it. David Hepworth is interested...

  • Exit Stage Left synopsis, comments

    Exit Stage Left

    Nick Duerden

    A SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN & TELEGRAPH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE MONTH GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE DAY FINANCIAL TIMES 'BEST SUMMER BOOKS 2022' PICK 'Incredibl...

  • This Is a Call synopsis, comments

    This Is a Call

    Paul Brannigan

    The biography of the extraordinary career of Dave Grohl, drummer of Nirvana, front man of the Foo Fighters, based on original and exclusive interviews ("A rich history"New York Tim...

  • Born to Drum synopsis, comments

    Born to Drum

    Tony Barrell

    “An engaging journey into the wild and wonderful world of drumming.”CLEM BURKE, BlondieTo have a great band you need a great drummer. For the first time, Tony Barrell shines a long...

  • Kurt Cobain synopsis, comments

    Kurt Cobain

    Christopher Sandford

    In this compelling biography, Christopher Sandford explores the full, inside story of Kurt Cobain. From the disruptive childhood which had such a crucial impact on Cobain's person...

  • The Silver River synopsis, comments

    The Silver River

    Jim Moginie

    A moving and inspiring memoir of families lost and rediscovered, by a founding member of legendary band Midnight Oil.For fifty years, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player Jim ...

  • From Cradle to Stage synopsis, comments

    From Cradle to Stage

    Virginia Hanlon Grohl

    Written by Virginia Grohl, the mother of Dave Grohlformer Nirvana drummer and current frontman for the Foo FightersFrom Cradle to Stage shares stories and exclusive photos featurin...

  • Dave Grohl synopsis, comments

    Dave Grohl

    William English

    We’ve all looked upon the UK Top 40 at some point in the last few years with undeniable disdain, whether it be for the seemingly eternal dominance of dance music or the baffling su...

  • No One Left to Come Looking for You synopsis, comments

    No One Left to Come Looking for You

    Sam Lipsyte

    A darkly comic mystery by the author of Hark and The Ask set in the vibrant music scene of early 1990s New York City.Manhattan’s East Village, 1993. Dive bars, DIY music venues, sh...

  • Living on a Thin Line synopsis, comments

    Living on a Thin Line

    Dave Davies

    The all new, mustread memoir by legendary Kinks guitarist Dave Davies'BOOK OF THE DAY' Guardian'This powerful tellall from the Kinks guitarist puts the spotlight on his own bad be...

  • Later ... With Jools Holland synopsis, comments

    Later ... With Jools Holland

    Mark Cooper

    ’You never knew what you were going to be confronted with when you went on Later…’ Nick Cave‘Later… is a voyage of discovery for us as well as the viewers’ Dave GrohlDave Grohl and...

  • Dave Grohl synopsis, comments

    Dave Grohl

    Paul Brannigan

    Écrire une biographie sur le toucheàtout Dave Grohl pourrait sembler un choix curieux, les lecteurs étant plutôt habitués à le situer comme simple batteur de Nirvana, ce groupe fan...

  • Dentro De La Mente De Dave Grohl - La Fuerza Creativa Detras De Nirvana Y Foo Fighter synopsis, comments

    Dentro De La Mente De Dave Grohl - La Fuerza Creativa Detras De Nirvana Y Foo Fighter

    Eternia Publishing & Zander Pearce

    DENTRO DE LA MENTE DE DAVE GROHL:LA FUERZA CREATIVA DETRAS DE NIRVANA Y FOO FIGHTER:UNA VIAJE A TRAVES DE LA HISTORIA, LA CARRERA Y EVOLUCION DE UN ICONO DEL ROCK"Dentro De La Ment...

  • Small Man in a Book synopsis, comments

    Small Man in a Book

    Rob Brydon

    Rob Brydon tells story of his slow ascent to fame and fortune in Small Man in a Book.A multiawardwinning actor, writer, comedian and presenter known for his warmth, humour and insp...

  • Lyrics synopsis, comments

    Lyrics

    Bryan Ferry

    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERCelebrate the 50th anniversary of Roxy Music's iconic first album with this collection of Bryan Ferry's evocative lyrics of aspiration and romantic longi...

  • A History of Heavy Metal synopsis, comments

    A History of Heavy Metal

    Andrew O'Neill

    'Absolutely hilarious' Neil Gaiman'One of the funniest musical commentators that you will ever read . . . loud and thoroughly engrossing' Alan Moore'A man on a righteous mission...

  • Inside The Mind Of Dave Grohl - The Creative Force Behind Nirvana And Foo Fighter synopsis, comments

    Inside The Mind Of Dave Grohl - The Creative Force Behind Nirvana And Foo Fighter

    Eternia Publishing & Zander Pearce

    INSIDE THE MIND OF DAVE GROHL: THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND NIRVANA AND FOO FIGHTERAN INDEPTH LOOK AT THE STORY, CAREER AND EVOLUTION OF A ROCK ICON“Inside The Mind Of Dave Grohl” is ...

  • The Dave Grohl Story synopsis, comments

    The Dave Grohl Story

    Jeff Apter

    Teenage punk, selftaught musician, bandleader, session man, smoker, drinker, multimillionaire, David Grohl has achieved a rare feat, a rock ‘n’ roll double crown having been a memb...

  • Paper Cuts synopsis, comments

    Paper Cuts

    Ted Kessler

    'A great writer' 'A music journalist of integrity' 'There's only one Ted Kessler!'Paul Weller ...

  • Toute mon histoire synopsis, comments

    Toute mon histoire

    Dave Grohl

    « Chez certains, c’est le goût qui provoque des réminiscences ; pour d’autres, c’est le regard ou l’odorat. Dans mon cas, c’est le son, jouant comme une mixtape jamais achevée en a...

  • The Storyteller synopsis, comments

    The Storyteller

    Dave Grohl

    Por suerte, mi memoria se ha mantenido relativamente intacta. Desde pequeño, siempre he medido mi vida en avances musicales, y no en meses o años. Para recordar un momento y un lug...

  • Foo Fighters synopsis, comments

    Foo Fighters

    Mick Wall

    There’s a reason why Dave Grohl is known, however naively, as “the nicest man in rock.” A reason why millions have bought his Foo Fighters albums and DVDs, his concert and festival...

  • Wayward synopsis, comments

    Wayward

    Vashti Bunyan

    'Magical and transporting . . . Wayward proves that Bunyan has lived the best possible life, on her own idiosyncratic terms'Maggie O'Farrell'A gorgeous account of outsiderness and ...

  • Dave Grohl synopsis, comments

    Dave Grohl

    Tina Evans

    Step into the extraordinary life of a rock legend with "Dave Grohl: The Life and Music of a Rock Legend." This revolutionary book offers an intimate glimpse into the world of ...

  • A Fabulous Creation synopsis, comments

    A Fabulous Creation

    David Hepworth

    ‘Hepworth’s knowledge and understanding of rock history is prodigious … [a] hugely entertaining study of the LP’s golden age’ The TimesThe era of the LP began in 1967, with ‘Sgt Pe...

  • Die Leben des Brian synopsis, comments

    Die Leben des Brian

    Brian Johnson

    Seit über 40 Jahren ist Brian Johnson Sänger von AC/DC, der erfolgreichsten HardRockBand aller Zeiten. Erstmals erzählt er jetzt sein Leben – eine der unterhaltsamsten Geschichten ...

  • Nirvana synopsis, comments

    Nirvana

    Thomas Westphal

    Nirvana war eine amerikanische Rockband, die 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington, gegründet wurde. Gegründet von Leadsänger und Gitarrist Kurt Cobain und Bassist Krist Novoselic, wechselt...