From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars

by Virginia Hanlon Grohl, Dave Grohl (foreword)

Written by Virginia Grohl, the mother of Dave Grohl—former Nirvana drummer and current frontman for the Foo Fighters— From Cradle to Stage shares stories and exclusive photos featuring mothers of rock icons, the icons themselves, and their Behind the Music -style relationships

While the Grohl family had always been musical-the family sang together on long car trips, harmonizing to Motown and David Bowie-Virginia never expected her son to become a musician, let alone a rock star. But when she saw him perform in front of thousands of screaming fans for the first time, she knew that rock stardom was meant to be for her son. And as Virginia watched her son's star rise, she often wondered about the other mothers who raised sons and daughters who became rock stars. Were they as surprised as she was about their children's fame? Did they worry about their children's livelihood and wellbeing in an industry fraught with drugs and other dangers? Did they encourage their children's passions despite the odds against success, or attempt to dissuade them from their grandiose dreams? Do they remind their kids to pack a warm coat when they go on tour?

Virginia decided to seek out other rock star mothers to ask these questions, and so began a two-year odyssey in which she interviewed such women as 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.

With exclusive family photographs and a foreword by Dave Grohl, From Cradle to Stage will appeal to mothers and rock fans everywhere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography, Parenting

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 2017

About the author

Virginia Grohl is a longtime educator and writer. She is also the mother of Dave Grohl, frontman for the Foo Fighters and former drummer for Nirvana.

Reviews

[Fiona Mackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off really well, with interesting interviews but then tapered off. Perhaps I may have been more engaged if I was aware of more of the artists, but there were several that I didn't know about and this coloured my response.
I wanted more in depth interviews, but it was a very 'once over lightly' approach that left me quite unsatisfied.
Great idea, but didn't live up to its promise.

[Naomi Krokowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so entertaining and thought-provoking! Virginia Hanlon Grohl explores the background of several music stars' moms and their relationships and influence. I was intrigued that, as a retired educator, she noticed patterns of these artists having difficulty fitting in at school. Their parents often advocated for their creative children to pursue their passions, as well as typically made large sacrifices of time and money. I was pleasantly surprised she chronicled a diversity of musical genres' high achievers. I figured I would enjoy this book, but Grohl has raised a heck of a kind and hardworking son and that was impressive and evident. I enjoyed learning about the struggles as well as the joys the parents and artists experienced. Highly recommended!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by Virginia Hanlon Grohl, mother of the famous rock star Dave Grohl. While watching her son on stage, filled with pride for what he had achieved, she wondered about the other mothers of rock stars. She wanted to know about their journey's with their famous sons and daughters and at that moment the idea of meeting with them and compiling this book was born.
With the full backing of Dave and her daughter Lisa, Virginia travelled far and wide and met with the mothers of stars of the music world and listened to their stories and their feelings. Some stories were sad and there were many up's and down's and not all ended happily but throughout the book the reader quickly gets the sense of love and pride that these mothers have for their children's achievements.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will highly recommend it. I received it from the author via Goodreads in return for an honest review, thank you.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring book. Every story was basically the same. Mrs. Grohl meets someone's mother and they serve coffee or tea and home baked whatever. Life was tough but these mothers were strict and loving and raised their children to do the right thing. Which is why Dr. Dre has five kids with four woman and has been accused of spousal abuse or why Amy Winehouse destroyed her life with drugs and alcohol.

Total piece of fluff. Not worth the paper it's written on.

[Itasca Community Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie says:
I am a huge Foo Fighters fan, and I was excited to read this book by the mother of frontman Dave Grohl. I thought it was an interesting take on a rock-and-roll memoir. Virginia Grohl tells us plenty about her son’s early life and how he became the rock star he is today, but she also talks with other moms who have raised rock stars. I enjoyed hearing her connect with them through their shared experiences. The story that stuck out to me the most was that of Mary Morello, Tom Morello’s (from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave) mother. She raised him in the Chicago area, and together they integrated Libertyville, IL. My dad grew up in Libertyville, and it was eye-opening for me to hear about life there in the late 1960s. If you want a peek into the lives of rock stars, I highly recommend this book.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir about Virginia Hanlon Grohl's relationship with her son Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighter fame. She also interviewed mothers of other rock stars. Here are some of the moms interviewed- The mom of:

Geddy Lee
Dr. Dre
Kelly Clarkson
Gary Clark, Jr.
Josh Groban
Amy Winehouse
Curt Cobain
Miranda Lambert

Often these musicians were not focused in the classroom; sometimes they were disruptive, and virtually all of them were committed to a life of music by the age of 12.

I really enjoyed listening to the book which was read by Virginia. There is also an interview at the end of the book between Virginia and her son Dave.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories. This is why most of my podcasts are items like The Moth, TED Talks, and Storycorps. This is a collection of stories from mom's who raised creative (now "rockstar" but not all rock-n-roll) kids. It was fun and interesting to see similar traits between the now famous children, but many different parenting styles.
I audiobooked this one and it is read by the author.

[Debi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as enchanting as I expected. Not bad, though.
Good layout, insight, and writing. Interesting to have a glimpse of various artists' upbringings and childhood personalities.
Appreciated personal essays (and foreward).
Loved the final vignette. Helpful, maternal advice.
Agree: Faulkner is overrated.

[Nathan McConville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virginia Grohl’s book is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read.

If you know me well, you know her son, Dave Grohl’s 2013 SXSW key note speech literally changed my life (after listening to it I quit my job, and went in search of my passion, and soon after started my own business, Artesa. Thank you Mr. Grohl you are my Edgar Winter). After reading her book I now understand where Dave gets the magic of composing beautiful sentences that become songs, and speeches.

Just like her son, Virginia Grohl writes a book filled with inspirational stories not only of rock star children, but their incredible mothers. She finds a charming way to tell the stories of these amazing women, their struggles in life and the time of history they endured. Her “Vignette’s are beautiful, behind the scene stories of her part in the history of rock we know as Nirvana and Foo Fighters, and obviously young Dave Grohl.

This book is a MUST read to very mother of young children to lead them into doing great things, not just in music, but with whatever their passions are. It’s the perfect guide to allow the parents of a gifted child see the gift the child was born with, and allow them to follow their destination, even if it’s through the unconventional route of dropping out of school.

The way Virginia uses the English language to compose her stories will make every reader fall in love with her as a writer, I know it’s made me wish for her to start writing books as often as she can. Her son might have a gift for music, the charisma that makes us fans love him, and the humility to be the friendliest man in Rock, but her gift of storytelling is, dare I say it, brighter.

For the longest time my dream has been to meet Dave Grohl and thank him for the impact he has had in my live, maybe share a single malt whiskey and a conversation, now my dream has widened, I want Virginia sitting in that bar table as well and listen to more of her stories.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love From the Cradle to the Stage, but alas I did not. Back in December I stumbled across the television documentary series based on this book on Paramount + from 2021. The show featured author Virginia Hanlon Grohl and her son Dave visiting a musician and their mothers to investigate the experience of raising and parenting a professional musician. I had anticipated that the book would be the same as the show – focusing on conversations between Virginia Grohl and the various mothers digging into their lives and their approaches to parenthood. Throwing in some fun anecdotes about these famous children and this should be a winner… but that’s not exactly how the book works, although it is laid out that way. But the way the chapters come together is much more Grohl telling her subjects’ story in an abbreviated way without allowing the details to enrich the narrative and largely without sharing their voices. Instead, go watch the six episodes which cover Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons and his mom Christene, Pharell Williams and his mom Dr. Carolyn Williams, Miranda Lambert and her mom Bev, Brandi Carlile and her mom Teresa, Tom Morello and his mom Mary (she’s freaking awesome), and Geddy Lee and his mom Mary Weinrib.

2.5, full review : https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...

[Helen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Grohl's mom compares her own experiences with other musicians mom's. A lot of the backgrounds are similar - children who are unchannelled balls of energy, discovery of a musical talent then determination and support needed to make it a success. All of these stories though are told with care and feeling and personal recollections thrown in.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for a summer read? You found it. This book is for music lovers. Virginia Hanlon Grohl meets with a slew of mothers, who share their point of view.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of fantastic stories in here. Mary Weinrib and Mary Morello's stories are my favorite and I'm so glad they were also recorded for the tv series. Mama Grohl seems so down-to-earth.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I thought it was going just cover rocker moms but we get everyone from Kurt Cobain's mom to Dr. Dre's mom to Miranda Lambert's mom! It was delightful! I really enjoyed this as an audiobook with Virginia Grohl narrating and Dave Grohl doing the Foreword. There's also a little candid chat at the end of the book between Mama Grohl and son. Such a fun read!!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book that combines short stories from different mothers that raised rock stars. In between chapters it also features stories from Virginia Hanlon Grohl herself and her experiences. I loved the photographs added in each chapter.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! If you’re a music fan, I highly recommend it! Awesome little vignettes and stories from Rock Mothers from musicians from multiple genres.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a Christmas gift from a special friend--and I really, really thank her for it! I've already recommended it to others. Virginia Grohl is a talented writer and each interview, along with her vignettes about raising Dave, made me feel almost as if I was sitting on the sofa or patio right along with her and someone's mother. Rock and roll fans, music fans of all types, and especially moms (or dads) trying to raise children that have all the attributes that make a star a star can enjoy this book. There are commonalities among the parents' stories--primarily the lack of acceptance by normal schools--but there are differences also. These stars had good upbringings, stable family lives, divorce and havoc, stepparents as well as parents, incidents with alcohol, drugs, and even death (her remarks about Kurt Cobain and the included picture were heartbreaking) from early on in their lives. But their talent gave them so much to compensate and to propel them to the heights of fame. And, you know, for the most part, they're really good people. This was a well-written book with thoughtful choices of stars and their mothers. Most of my friends would enjoy this. Would you?

[Karol Gajda · Rating 1 out of 5]

My library had 5 copies of this on the new releases shelf, which seems far too many considering all of the books I'd like to read that they don't have. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much. And that's what I got. From Cradle to Stage, at the very least, needs a basic fact checker. For example, Licensed To Ill did not sell 50 million copies, come on! All of the Beastie's albums put together have sold 50 million copies worldwide. It's such a simple thing, but indicative of the general laziness here. I got through 4 chapters and only barely. Poor writing and lack of truthfulness abound.

And a note to the Wake County Library System: don't buy so many copies of books that obviously aren't going to have a big audience.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Dave Grohl, so I knew I had to read this book. It was an interesting concept because you rarely get to see things from the parent's perspective. That being said, I wish the interviews between Virginia Grohl and the other parents had been a little more in depth. But let's be realistic, if she had given me what I wanted this book would have been an anthology of memoirs too big to carry around in my purse. The idea was great and the delivery was the best under the circumstances, but I still wish I had been given more.

[Eric Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun read! Stories of Foo Fighters and Nirvana that only a mom would know. While every teacher and other adult in Dave's life was describing him as a screw up or bad kid, Virginia supported her son in focusing his energy on his passion. I'd say she made the right call.

[Satinder Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining at a very superficial level, and the interviews, while very positive in nature, provided very little depth or understanding.

[Kayleigh Rundell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyment depends if you like the artists or not, most of whom I did 😊

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acabei de ouvir o audiobook senti que estava a dizer adeus a uma nova amiga que me estava a contar as mais diversas histórias... Virginia Grohl, a mãe do músico Dave Grohl, narra este livro onde ela decidiu contactar e conversar com outras mães de rock stars. Ou seja, em vez da normal análise da ascensão de músicos super famosos, tem sim uma perspectiva que me interessou muito: a perspectiva das suas mães.

Como é que eles eram em crianças? Como e quando descobriram o seu amor pela música? Que desafios tiveram com a escola? Que desafios e angústias tiveram as mães?

Virginia fala com as mais diversas mães, desde a mãe de: Dr. Dre, Amy Winehouse, Adam Levine, Kurt Cobain, Tom Morello e muitos mais. Adicionando algumas retrospectivas do crescimento do próprio filho, Dave Grohl. Conversas repletas de histórias super interessantes e algumas delas engraçadas!

Além disso, Virginia Grohl é uma ex-professora, esteve no sistema de ensino durante décadas e foi precisamente ela que iniciou as críticas relativamente às escolas e como não estão de todo preparadas para crianças divergentes ou que simplesmente têm um maior interesse nas artes.
No final, ela deixa uma conclusão que eu aprecio muito (que por acaso é também falada no livro "O Elemento" de Sir Ken Robinson). Somos muito rápidos de momento a colocar rótulos para qualquer pessoa divergente às normas mas que se calhar é necessário termos a semente da dúvida de: a minha criança não é hiperactiva ou tem falta de atenção, é simplesmente um músico, desportista, et cetera.

Isto não está relacionado com o livro em si mas eu mesma tive experiência de uma criança que era rotulada de difícil, hiperactiva, you name it, porque não estava quieta mas incrivelmente conseguia ficar horas sentada no mesmo sítio a desenhar, pintar ou a tocar um instrumento.

Voltando ao livro, gostei da forma como as histórias estavam organizadas com intervalos com pensamentos ou histórias da própria Virgina. Já para não falar de que nunca mais vou ver Rage Against The Machine da mesma forma...

Além disso, o audiobook acaba de forma esplêndida! Porque enquanto Dave Grohl foi gravar a narração do prefácio, que é escrito por ele, ele ficou um bocadinho à conversa com a mãe. Ou seja, quase em estilo podcast super descontraído, ambos estão a falar das semelhanças entre os mais diversos músicos e acrescentam também uma ou outra história do percurso do Dave enquanto adolescente mas sempre com as dicas da mãe, o que resulta na tão famosa frase internacional, intercultural e intemporal, num tom exasperado e envergonhado: "Oh, Mum!"

Nem as celebridades se escapam!

E por isso mesmo, recomendo este livro, uma leitura leve e repleta de histórias interessantes.

"The school system failed our creative children... not the other way around." By Virginia Grohl

"DNA is a miraculous thing. We all carry traits of people we have never met somewhere deep within our chemistry. (...) Someone who shared that same love of music and song. I was blessed with a genetic symphony, waiting to perform. All it took was that spark.…" foreword by Dave Grohl

[Opinião temporária: que é como quem diz, escrevi umas linhas assim rapidinho, quando decidir fazer a opinião como deve ser, venho cá actualizar]

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs Grohl is rightly proud of her son's achievements. As a pivotal component in Nirvana's unlikely transition from rank outsiders to global icons, Dave G remained mostly on the periphery throughout its tenure. The Seattle trio's fusion of punk aesthetic and bedsit disaffection didn't set out to conquer the world, but did exactly that with integrity intact. A price its leader Kurt Cobain would pay with his life.

Fast forward 20 years and Dave is very much the antithesis of Cobain's discomfort with stardom. In a sense, who can blame him? He still fights the good fight. Although no Foo Fighters song will change the world any time soon, it's inoffensive and hummable. Reliable 7/10 daytime radio poprock. Here is a man content in his own skin, and don't we know it.

What then was the motivation behind Mrs Grohl's book? A desire to capitalise on her son's "huge success" or an empathetic arm around the mothers of those "at the top of the world" whose struggles and sacrifices might otherwise go unnoticed? Some worthy stories are included, uppermost how Geddy Lee's grandmother kept her family alive during their internment in Nazi concentration camps. And how Mrs Winehouse battled relentlessly to save her daughter from the grip of alcoholism. However, these are well run stories chronicled in detail elsewhere and are trivialised in the book's short chapters. Several others are barely noteworthy (Josh Groban, anyone?), leaving the impression that a lot of close friends were waiting by the phone.

However, it's self-aggrandizing tone here that rankles most. Clearly Mrs Grohl loves her visits to the Grammys, as I lost count of the references. She bleats about her degree in English literature. She regales us with the story of her son hiring a bus full of party guests for her birthday, from which lesser mortals "looked up at us jealously". And she can't resist sticking it to mothers who wasted their time with therapists and private school tuition ("what happened to their prodigy?") Apparently a line of besuited lawyers are waiting to trade their BMWs for an hour onstage playing guitar alongside our hero. Yawn.

The chapters on music's matriarchs are interspersed by vignettes about Dave's rarely questioned humility in the face of superstardom. Great father. Host with the most. Humanitarian. "Genius". Liberties are taken. She beams at being present "when Nirvana played for the last time" at a party following their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Nirvana died with Cobain in 1994. And "pounding drums mercilessly, screaming angry lyrics to fast-paced songs" is apparently new territory. It's as though punk never happened. Pity this book did.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Despite the subtitle, Virginia Hanlon Grohl actually interviews moms, and occasionally dads, of rock, pop, rap, country, and jazz artists. In between these, she shares stories about her son, Dave Grohl.

One recurring theme, perhaps because Grohl is a former schoolteacher, is that of our educational system. I love this observation from her conversation with Val Matthews, mother of Dave Matthews. "It is hard to forgive school programs that can't find ways to generate interest from kids who show great talent and commitment to artistic endeavors. It is my profound hope that someday, somehow, our school systems will begin to reflect the diversity of their student population. Much attention, or at least speechmaking, has addressed the need for cultural and racial diversity. But that's just a small part of the need for change. We must find a way to involve the creative minds of those artists and thinkers who don't always move comfortably according to the patterns our schools set up."

Another recurring theme is the concerns parents have for their rock star children and their children as their fame grows. Grohl writes, "The bleak days when the kids go from city to city with just enough money for hot dogs and Slurpees aren't what mothers of the musician-adventurers fear. It's that next step, the one where money and fame replace impoverished obscurity. What will all that money be used for? What and who will enter the picture once fame is the new reality?"

And, finally, a recurring theme of pride in what these children do outside of their profession."It should be noted, though, that most of us secretly value unreported acts of generosity and kindness even more than prestigious trophies. We are most proud of commitments to family or community that reveal the real essence of the man or woman our child has become..."

From Cradle to Stage is a fascinating glimpse into a world inhabited by a few yet the themes resonate with any parent.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loooooved this book! Mostly for music buffs though, if you don't know the singers/artists featured it would make the interviews with their moms less poignant.

The book was written by Dave Grohl's mom Virginia and it's evident where Dave got his rad personality from because she's awesome. In between her interviews with various rock star moms she has passages about Dave and his youth and early years as a musician so lots of Nirvana talk. Fact: Dave celebrated his 40th birthday at Medieval Times. I celebrated my 17th birthday there. Dave and I have something in common. My favorite Virginia Grohl story was on 9/11 when Dave called her panicking, because she lived minutes from the Pentagon which had been hit. She said she was safe but Dave insisted on her coming to California where he and his family was located. The only hitch was all flights were grounded. So Dave told his mom he had secured a tour bus and soon her tiny cul-de-sac was filled with the gigantic tour bus of Warren Haynes. She traveled with Warren and his band from Virginia to Denver where he had a show, then on to LA. They stopped and cleaned up and ate dinners at truck stops along the way. Virginia talked about what great sleep she got every night falling asleep with her curtain pulled on her tour bus bunk to the smells of MJ. Amazing.

My favorite rock star Mom featured (it was tough to pick) is Tom Morello's mom Mary. What an amazing lady! You need to read for this passage alone. Overall a very enjoyable read. It's a good primer if you're thinking of mothering a future rock star as Virginia gives tips at the end of the book on how to handle their high energy as children. ;-)

[Kari Blackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Grohl has a solid reputation for being innovative and talented. He’s also known as an all-around stand up guy who pours time into family and charitable causes. This book made it clear that his precious mother, who seems fun, approachable, and non-judgmental, played a significant role in his success and ultimate happiness.

In this book, his mother alternated between heartwarming stories about experiences with Dave and interviews with other musicians’ mothers. It was interesting to learn that most of these mothers slowly realized that, despite their best efforts, their children didn’t fit into the square box of society’s perfect “poster child” who excelled at school and easily focused on classwork. Many of these children were impossibly stubborn, leaving parents exasperated and concerned until they witnessed how music became a passion for their children. Many of these mothers had the courage to support their children with difficult decisions, such as dropping out of school and performing at bars as minors. Such a decision intrigues me … my gut reaction is that I would never allow my kids to do this, but as the book continues, I realized that the parents were often helpless to stop the driving force behind their kids’ desire to perform. I appreciated the new perspective.

His mother often questions where a child’s talent comes from, implying that talents are inherited and not born within each person. This was interesting to me because it brought up notions of the nature vs nurture debate. Is there a music gene?

This book is 3.5 stars for me. It started off strong yet became tedious to read the stories in the middle of the book. At times, it felt like I was reading a resume. And although it was mostly entertaining, there was nothing groundbreaking about the stories or writing style. I recommend it as a quick and easy read.

Best parts about the book:
- Relationship between Mrs. Grohl and her son
- Insight into Amy Winehouse
- Last chapter plea to mothers of unconventional children

[Stavros Kossyfas · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was ok, but to be honest I found it boring for the most part. Most of the parts that were not about Dave were disinteresting in my opinion, while even those interesting few could not keep my attention all throughout. I understand that it was not supposed to be a book only about Dave Grohl or the bands he's been part of, but I would have appreciated more a way of describing and narrating other artists' stories similar to the one used for Dave's. Instead of funny and previously unpublished stories, I got to read a kind of wiki for their lives, which I am not a fan of, as I can do that with a google search. All in all I don't know how mothers might appreciate it, but as a young music lover and fan of many artists in this book, I was expecting more, even as far as actual treatment by the parents that led the artists to success is concerned...

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Grohl’s mother, Virginia, wrote this collection of inspiring stories about music stars and their mothers. Her perspective as an educator, musician, and mother of a successful rock musician lends insights into the similarities and differences in each of the life journeys of talented musicians like her own son, Pharrell Williams, Miranda Lambert, Gary Clark Jr, Dr. Dre, Kelly Clarkson, Michael Stipe, Zac Brown, Josh Groban and many more. I loved hearing these detailed accounts of motherhood and their child’s unique experiences. The stories gave me hope for all of the kids that don’t fit the standard academic success as defined by the U.S. public education system. There are so many forms of intelligence and ways to succeed beyond making good grades and attending prestigious universities.