Former GUNS N’ ROSES Drummer STEVEN ADLER Joining Forces With The Ultimate Warrior
May 4, 2011, 13 years ago
BraveWords.com exclusively reveals that on May 17th, drummer STEVEN ADLER (formerly of GUNS N’ ROSES, currently in ADLER’S APPETITE) will hold a press conference and book signing at Hollywood Soundcheck (located at 8872 Sunset Blvd) next to The Viper Room. Also on May 17th, Steven Adler will reveal that he is joining forces with The Ultimate Warrior – the former WWF champion and first to beat Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI in 1990. Furthermore, Adler will announce details of “a big television show and major record deal” at Hollywood Soundcheck.
Not coincidentally, May 17th is the paperback publication date of Adler’s memoir, My Appetite For Destruction – Sex & Drugs & Guns N’ Roses. It was originally released in hardcover on July 27th, 2010. “It’s wonderful. It’s like getting a gold record again,” Adler admitted to BraveWords.com scribe Aaron Small in a one-on-one interview. “The book is really exciting and very powerful, being able to talk about all the things that are inside of me, inside my heart, the things that are holding me back. The biggest part of being able to write the book was being able to make amends with the guys in GN’R – Axl, Slash, Duff and Izzy. Once I did that, I felt free again. In my book, I take not 110%, but 111% responsibility for everything that happened in my life.”
Steven’s Mom, Deanna Adler, is releasing a book on November 1st, Sweet Child Of Mine: How I Lost My Son To Guns N’ Roses. “That’s a great title! That’s another thing, in the past I had problems with my family: my brother Jamie and my mother. I’ve realized that time is too short; everybody passes away, it’s inevitable. I don’t want to hate my mother or my brother, or anybody for that matter. Once I got off the drugs, I was able to get along with my family. Now me and my brother and mother are closer than ever.”
Somewhat surprisingly, Steven’s mother utilized the same co-writer as her son did – Lawrence J. Spagnola. “He’s a fabulous writer. Larry’s fucking bad-ass. We would just go out for breakfast or lunch, he’d have a little tape recorder and I’d tell him stories. The main thing I wanted for the book was to be an easy read and for it to be like me and you are talking right now, and I think he accomplished that. So for my Mom to want to use him, I don’t blame her. He’s phenomenal.”
The introduction to My Appetite For Destruction reads: “After 40 years, 28 ODs, three botched suicides, two heart attacks, a couple of jail stints, and a debilitating stroke, Steven Adler, the most self-destructive rock star ever, is ready to share the shattering untold truth.” It’s a miracle Steven’s still with us! “All I say to that is God has something planned for me. You would think it’s easy to kill oneself, but it’s really not. Unless you put a gun in your mouth, it’s not easy to kill yourself – believe me, I tried. I was very out of it, lonely, sad. I tried and it just didn’t work. I got tired of doing it. What’s the saying? I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
Adler kicked the drugs in a very public way, courtesy of Dr. Drew Pinsky and VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, in 2008 and 2009 respectively. “Dr. Drew is my mentor! I am so thankful that he is part of my life. I actually just did the last season – about six weeks ago I finished Celebrity Rehab again with Dr. Drew. In 2008, I got off the heroin and the crack and the pills, I feel like I made a 170 degree turn in my life. Recently I went in to work with Dr. Drew again to get off the marijuana and Jagermeister. I was on the Jagermeister/marijuana maintenance program. Whoever thought rehab could be fun? If you just give a little effort, you’ll be surprised how people will jump to help you. So I accomplished getting off the Jager and the marijuana – now I’m just high on life and hugs and rock and fuckin’ roll baby.”
The skeptical view is that Steven made a lot of money from getting sober on television, that VH1 paid big bucks to be part of their reality TV crew. Is there any truth to that? “I heard Steven Tyler (of AEROSMITH) was saying something about that. It’s such a great feeling to feel that love from my older brother who cares about me so much; I love and adore him. But I would have done it for nothing. I didn’t get that much money. Put it this way, I already have enough money. My wallet’s so fat, that if I fell off it I’d break my neck. I would have done it for free. I did it for the fact that I had the opportunity to work with the best doctor in the addiction field. I tried every other way and nothing worked, but it worked with him (Dr. Drew).”
Adler’s Appetite is about to hit the road with a revamped lineup. “We got a new guitar player, a new singer and the band is stronger than ever, more powerful than ever. We’re so looking forward to getting back on tour. We were built for this – playing rock ‘n roll for rock ‘n roll fans.” A complete list of tour dates can be found at AdlersAppetiteOnline.com.
Since Adler’s Appetite started in 2003, the band has gone through seven different singers, including Jizzy Pearl (LOVE/HATE, L.A. GUNS), Sheldon Tarsha and Rick Stitch (LADYJACK). According to Steven, “singing the GN’R tunes, you’re trying to sing like the greatest singer in the world – Axl Rose. Axl’s one in a hundred billion. To try and do his songs, his lyrics, five, six, seven nights a week, is punishing to anybody. It’s too tough and some people just weren’t built for touring. I think (late AC/DC vocalist) Bon Scott said it best, ‘you think it’s hard doing a one night stand, try doing it in a rock ‘n roll band’.”
Work on the debut album from Adler’s Appetite has begun. “We’re going to be finished up hopefully by the end of summer. We’ve got this tour now for the next two months. We’ve got a very, very wonderful special guest coming in to be singing on the record too. We’re very excited but I’m not going to mention anybody. It’s funny, it’s taken 20 years of wasting my life, but I’m finally getting the recognition that I worked hard for and I deserve. All the love from all the fans, shit all the love I get from people when I walk down the street to 7-11, it’s amazing!”
In a rather ironic twist of fate, last year Adler’s Appetite worked with producer and CINDERELLA drummer Fred Coury – who in 1987 sat in for Steven at a handful of Guns N’ Roses shows when he broke his hand. “Yes I did. I hit (MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist) Nikki Sixx’s face a good 10 or 15 times. But Fred Coury only produced two demo songs, ‘Stardog’ and ‘Fading’, which are on iTunes right now. I love Fred Coury. He’s a great drummer, a great person, a great producer and maybe I might do some more stuff with him later on. But right now we have somebody else in mind, a huge industry giant. I can’t mention anybody yet. But on May 17th at Hollywood Soundcheck, right next door to The Viper Room on Sunset Blvd., I’m going to be doing a book signing and that’s when I’m going to be able to talk about everything with the record, the band, who’s going to produce it and the record deal. It’ll be a big press conference; I’m very excited about that.”