THE STORYTELLER
Tales of Life and Music
by Dave Grohl
On Sale Now
#1 New York Times bestseller
Over 1 MILLION COPIES sold!
Named one of Variety’s Best Music Books of 2021
Included in Audible’s Best of The Year list
A Business Insider Best Memoirs of 2021
One of NME’s Best Music Books of 2021
From the beloved Foo Fighters front man and drummer of Nirvana, a collection of stories that have engaged, entertained, and astonished almost 2 million readers worldwide—featuring exclusive new content for the paperback…because there’s always more to the story
Dey Street Books is thrilled to publish the new trade paperback edition of THE STORYTELLER by Grammy winning musician, Emmy-winning director, and bestselling author Dave Grohl.
Dave Grohl’s THE STORYTELLER created a sensation when it was published and has gone on to sell over 2 million copies around the world. Readers praised the book for Dave’s heartfelt, authentic voice, his love of family and music, and the zest for life that pours from every page.
Now, in this deluxe paperback edition further showcases Dave’s love of writing, but also his appreciation for his fans, offering a wide variety of extra content, including:
• The story of when Dave first met Paul McCartney, previously an audiobook exclusive • An essay on how Dave approaches creativity (here’s a hint: you don’t have to think outside of the box when you can just ignore the box altogether)
• A series of prompts to inspire readers to jump into their own creative pursuits • Dave’s playlists for early morning pancake making, manning the grill, and getting behind the wheel and blasting the tunes
• An in-depth examination of the creation of four Foo Fighters favorites, including the inspiration behind the lyrics and how Dave and these songs have grown together
THE STORYTELLER redefined the parameters of the music memoir. With this paperback, the legacy continues.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
19-time GRAMMY-winning musician, 2-time Emmy-winning director, bestselling author and 2-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Grohl has been one of the most beloved and respected figures on the international music scene since his recorded debut with Nirvana on 1991’s generation-defining Nevermind. Grohl took center stage with Foo Fighters’ 1995 self-titled debut, the first album in a massive catalogue that includes The Colour & The Shape (1997), There Is Nothing Left To Lose (1999), One By One (2002), In Your Honor (2005), Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007), Wasting Light (2011), Sonic Highways (2014), Concrete and Gold (2017), Medicine at Midnight (2021) and, most recently, the band’s universally acclaimed 11th album, But Here We Are (2023).
Foo Fighters celebrated their 26th anniversary with their 2021 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame —marking the second time Grohl received the honor, having previously been inducted as a member of Nirvana in 2014.
Grohl has a well-earned reputation as a prolific collaborator: His various endeavors have included “Cut Me Some Slack,” written and recorded with Paul McCartney and Grohl’s Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear; Them Crooked Vultures, formed with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age’s Joshua Homme, playing live and in-studio with late legends David Bowie and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, as well as working with Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Elton John, Nine Inch Nails, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, to name but a few…
In 2013, Grohl made his debut as a feature director/producer with the acclaimed documentary Sound City—the story of the Van Nuys CA studio where Nirvana recorded Nevermind in 1991, which would sell more than 30 million copies and transform the modern musical landscape. Premiering to unanimous raves at Sundance and achieving a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Sound City focused both on the history of the legendary studio and on the ongoing fight to preserve the human element of music. Hailed by The New York Times as “candy to several generations’ worth of rock fans” and NPR as “a celebration of just how unbelievably awesome it is to make rock music for a living,” Sound City has since been certified as a Gold Longform Video by the RIAA, while the Sound City—Real To Reel companion album took the 2013 GRAMMYs for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Rock Song (“Cut Me Some Slack”).
Grohl’s subsequent directorial efforts have included the eight-part HBO docuseries Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways, which premiered in October 2014 and went on to win two of the four Emmys for which it was nominated (outstanding sound mixing for nonfiction programming and outstanding sound editing for nonfiction programming). Described by Grohl as a love letter to the history of American music, Sonic Highways was comprised of eight one-hour episodes, each chronicling the creation of one song on Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways album, each written and recorded in a different American musical landmark – Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In April 2021, What Drives Us—Grohl’s feature-length documentary tribute to “every musician that has ever jumped in an old van with their friends and left it all behind for the simple reward of playing music” premiered via The Coda Collection to unanimously positive reviews. Comprised of firsthand accounts from Grohl, his Foo Fighters bandmates and a diverse cast of van tour veterans ranging from up and comers RadKey and Starcrawler to Ringo Starr and St. Vincent to members of U2, Metallica, Black Flag, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC and many more, What Drives Us is a unique and poignant exploration of a common bond: the unstoppable drive of young musicians to share their music with the world.
October 5, 2021 marked Dave Grohl’s debut as an author with THE STORYTELLER: Tales of Life and Music, published by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins. Shooting to #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List — on the Nonfiction Print as well as Combined print and ebook lists — as well as topping the bestselling book charts in Canada, Ireland and Great Britain, THE STORYTELLER quickly added International Bestselling Author to Grohl’s ever-growing list of accomplishments and accolades. Driven by rave reviews and sold out performances of an intimate, three-hour one-man show, and Best of 2021 nods from the likes of Audible, Business Insider, NME and Variety, THE STORYTELLER has captivated individual readers and live audiences alike.
PRAISE FOR THE STORYTELLER:
“Candid, humble and full of stories about big-time stars…music lovers will want to put this one in heavy rotation.” — CNN
“The message that burns through The Storyteller is to those who watch him onstage now: Deep down, I’m just like you. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I obsessed over the same music you do. I’m a fan.” — Billboard
“Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, demonstrates the good-naturedness he’s known for in this heartfelt standout that explores everything from the loss of Kurt Cobain to the road to fatherhood.” — Audible (Best of the Year list)
“Both a timestamp of the past and a living example of what can be accomplished through creation. Lovers of chronicled melodic adventures and those seeking artistic inspiration will want to check it out.” — Parade
“… the world benefits just as much from hearing his inspiring stories told as only one of rock’s great stadium rockers turned storyteller can tell them.” — Forbes
“He may be a slight musical genius, but Grohl’s journey from modest, punk-obsessed troublemaker, to drumming in the most popular band of the decade, to launching an enduring solo career that puts his rock and roll ethos at its center, is a truly inspiring tale.” — Consequence of Sound
“The title The Storyteller fits perfectly. The book is filled with plainspoken, conversational prose that ably pulls readers into each tale, no matter how linear or digressive. The pages fly by, the memoir having the feel of a series of chats over drinks with a friend who just happens to have worked with nearly every notable mainstream and indie-rock musician of the last few decades.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Grohl candidly shares his reverence for the enduring power of music. . . Reflecting on his fame, Grohl writes, ‘ have never taken a single moment of it for granted.’ Paired with his sparkling wit, this humility is what makes Grohl’s soulful story a cut above typical rock memoirs. There isn’t a dull moment here.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Grohl bares his soul and shares his passion in this must-read memoir, which will resonate with music lovers and his fans.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Kinetic… Grohl writes with equal fervor about his path from ‘that guy from Nirvana’ to the leader of the uberfamous Foo Fighters and his parenting experiences. An exciting read for fans and a remarkable perspective on the last 30 years of rock music.” — Booklist
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:
THE STORYTELLER: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
On Sale in Trade Paperback: October 31, 2023
Trade Paperback ISBN: 9780063076105 | $21.99
E-book ISBN: 9780063076112 | $18.99
Hardcover ISBN: 9780063076099 | $29.99
Digital Audio of Paperback Edition ISBN: 9780063351912 | $27.99
Digital Audio of Hardcover Edition ISBN: 9780063076129 | $27.99
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