Description
Product Description
Guns N' Roses was quickly heralded as the greatest rock n roll band on the planet. During the late 80’s and 90’s the hedonistic rock gods Axl, Slash, Izzy, Steven and Duff scored sold out stadium concerts on the way to multi-platinum success. Appetite for Destruction still stands as the biggest selling debut album in rock history. During it all, original drummer Steven Adler stole hearts and headlines with his insane antics. But Steven was soon crippled by a tragic heroin addiction that led to him to being kicked out of the band he helped found.
At the center of this maelstrom stood Steven’s mother, Deanna Adler, the GNR-proclaimed “first fan” of the group. Deanna was there at the beginning in 1983, when school chums Steven and Slash were building their street cred on the Sunset Strip. Deanna witnessed it all but has never told her incredible story, until now.
In honest, direct prose, Deanna gives an unflinching account of her son Steven’s drug fueled ascent to becoming the co-founder of Guns N’ Roses, and his subsequent fall to drugs and alcohol. In one of the most brutally raw, revealing books written on substance abuse, Deanna delivers a powerful, inspirational message of hope to anyone dealing with opioid addiction.
Excerpt from Sweet Child of Mine:
My darkest fears exploded when I found Steven in the center of the bathroom floor, naked, his body bent at an impossible angle. He was soaked in a pool of blood and mucus. His face was smashed beyond recognition, his mouth and chin looked completely caved in.
I reached for my son and almost slipped on some pebbles strewn across the tile. Then I realized they were Steven’s teeth. I dropped to my knees, crying hysterically.
I heard a groan, then… “ma.”
Review
"Spagnola's writing is compelling and touching. There is no glamour to substance abuse, only self-destruction. Deanna Adler's book is a worthwhile read for anyone, as it resonates on so many levels." -NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Fran Drescher "An inside story few Guns N' Roses fans have heard before." -ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, MEN'S JOURNAL CONTRIBUTOR, Kitt Doucette "A gripping display of the dangers of drug addiction overcome by the persistence of a mother's love." -#1 NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR of 'What Do You Want to Do Before You Die'?, Jonathan Penn "The only thing more relentless than the ravaging effects of drug addiction is Adler's commitment to her son's well-being. Sweet Child of Mine provides a beacon of hope to anyone who has a family member struggling with addiction." -ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, Darla Murray "Behind every strong drummer there is an even stronger mother." -RECORDING ARTIST AND PRODUCER, DJ Quik
About the Author
Deanna Adler was born in 1941 to Norman and Lillie Scheiner. She lost most of her family to the holocaust in Poland. After an abusive marriage, Deanna moved from Cleveland to LA where she raised three sons with her second husband Mel. For the last thirty years, Deanna has campaigned against drug abuse appearing on Dr. Drew's celebrity rehab, and writing "Ask Deanna" columns in Kerrang! and One Life magazines where she gave honest, hard-earned advice to teenagers on three continents. Sweet Child of Mine is her first book, a gripping memoir of her personal battle to save her son Steven, original drummer and co-founder of Guns N' Roses, from crack and heroin addiction.
Lawrence J. Spagnola is the coauthor of Rodney King's memoir The Riot Within, and the New York Times Bestseller, My Appetite for Destruction. He is the Christopher Award winning writer of the Emmy winning, Golden Globe nominated holocaust film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. He is a Harvard graduate and a Rockefeller Fellow.