GLENN HUGHES (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, ex-DEEP PURPLE, ex-BLACK SABBATH) will release his long awaited autobiography, Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star, on May 12th. Following is a statement direct from the publisher:

"We are pleased to announce that there will be a launch event in London for Glenn's book on the evening of Thursday, May 12th. We will be inviting everybody who has pre-ordered a copy of Glenn's book and record package, but would also like to extend an invitation to Glenn's wider loyal fanbase.

The evening will feature a solo acoustic set by Glenn, a preview of the book packages, and the opportunity to meet Glenn, co-author Joel McIver and the team at Foruli.

Anybody who would like to enter a draw to receive an invitation to the event should please email their name and the title of the first track on the first Black Country Communion album to: glennlaunch@foruli.co.uk. All entries will be entered into a draw to receive one of twenty invitations to this exclusive event.

For those that pre-ordered, your invite will be arriving shortly via email."

Go to this location for more information.

The paperback edition of the book will be published by Jawbone and is currently scheduled for release in October 2011. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon now at this location.

As previously reported, BraveWords.com's Mitch Lafon recently caught up with the rock icon to discuss all things BCC and beyond. Part I can be found here. Part II of the chat follows below:

BraveWords.com: Tell me about the Deep Purple And Beyond: Scenes From The Life Of A Rock Star book that you are writing. Will it be a tell-all book? Is it an autobiography?

Hughes: "It is, but there have been a lot of things about me that have been grossly exaggerated and some things that are really true. What I will talk about in the book is my use, the drugs, the booze, the birds and the blow. There’s a lot of music and my claim to fame in this book. I will also talk about my near-death experiences (there’s been quite a few of those).”

BraveWords.com: Is it difficult to go back and re-live those experiences in the written word?

Hughes: "Yes, that’s why it’s taken five years. The first two years were… listen I’m going to have to show my ass in the book anyways. Everybody knows what happened in the ‘80s. Everybody knows I wasn’t the man I am today. We’ve all seen the glory and promises that can happen to someone who has kicked a life long habit of drugs and alcohol and worked rigorously hard to get to where I am today.”

BraveWords.com: The obvious question is: are you still clean and sober?

Hughes: "For a long time and that’s because and let’s make it clear – the drugs and the alcohol stopped working for me. It just stopped and it wasn’t fun anymore. I was too tired of being sick and tired. At some point, every alcoholic and drug addict (in their disease) will have that moment. Some don’t get that moment. Some of our well-known and unknown people have lost their lives because they didn’t get to that defining moment called ‘divine intervention’.”

BraveWords.com: Is the book coming out this year?

Hughes: "As you know, the luxury edition with all the bells and whistles – the music, embossed in gold and what have you is coming out in May. There will also be paperback and hardback editions coming at the end of the year. There are a lot of photos and stuff nobody knows about because I’m actually a private fellow and people who read the book will go, ‘oh, Christ I didn’t even know he did that or bloody hell that was a close one’.

BraveWords.com: Or ‘how is he still alive’?

Hughes: "There’s been some grandiose rock ‘n roll times and some of my friends would be dead if it had happened to them. It really tells the story of what can happen to a chap from the North England who becomes incredibly famous in a rock ‘n roll band and then falls prey to the wrong people, the wrong dealers, all the chicks, the pimps and the monkeys. It’s like a movie… a bad movie that turned into a really great ending.”

BraveWords.com: It is a better movie than the ANVIL story?

Hughes: "That was a wonderful movie. Mine is a different story. I didn’t work for a long time and I’ll say this to you – I don’t remember the’80s. I don’t remember Seventh Star with Tony Iommi. I did twelve concerts in the ‘80s, Mitch. That tells you that my addiction wanted me alone in a bathroom with a crack pipe rather than be on stage with my friend the bass and singing to a lot of people. That’s the danger and unhealthiness of drug addiction. It wanted me isolated, alone and away from the world, but that’s not the case these days. I’m a completely different man.”

Click here for the complete interview.