The Hamden Journal has shared a Fox News interview with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, who discusses his ongoing sobriety (20 years and counting), as well as his decision to move to  Wyoming in 2020, and his recently published memoir, The First 21. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

Fox News: You’ve been sober for 20 years. What’s that been like for you?

Sixx: "I love being sober for many reasons. Somebody told me recently, 'Man, you look pretty good with everything you’ve been through.' (Laughs) It was a journey. I was six years sober. I didn’t quite get it. I mean, I got it, but I slipped and went out one day and then I was four years sober. And then I slipped. I didn’t want to go back and forth. I checked myself into rehab 20 years ago because I wanted to get it. And then I wanted to pass that message on. I want them to see what recovery can look like."

Fox News: What do you hope audiences will get from your book?

Sixx: "You know, after I got clean years ago, I spent a lot of time digging into my life. And my family therapist told me something cool. I was talking to him about how important it is to be sober, being a great parent. I tell him, 'I got it right.' And he goes, 'You will screw your kids up.' I said, 'But what do you mean?' And he goes, 'We all screw our kids up.'"

Read the complete interview here.

 Nikki Sixx is now a four-time New York Times best-selling author with his new book, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx entering the coveted list at #8 on the Hardcover chart and #11 on the Combined Print And Ebook List. The First 21 joins Nikki Sixx’s other three bestsellers, The Heroin Diaries, This Is Gonna Hurt, and the Mötley Crüe biography, The Dirt: Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band.

In addition, The First 21 also quickly rose to Amazon’s bestsellers list since its release on October 19, occupying the top spot on Amazon’s rock music books chart and in the Top 40 overall biographies and memoirs chart. The First 21 is also #22 on the USA Today’s best-selling books top 150 list, as well as #9 on Canada’s The Globe And Mail bestsellers list, evident of the book’s global appeal.

“I am such a fan of books and storytelling,” said Nikki Sixx. “The whole process is extremely creative from the beginning to the end, which allowed me to open up candidly in the memoir about addiction, sobriety and reflect about the formative years of my life, while unpacking the complicated childhood that had some twists and turns along the way. I am really happy The First 21 connected with people in such a deep way.”

About The First 21:

Nikki Sixx is one of the most respected, recognizable, and entrepreneurial icons in the music industry. As the founder of Mötley Crüe, who is now in his twenty-first year of sobriety, Sixx is incredibly passionate about his craft and wonderfully open about his life in rock and roll, and as a person of the world. Born Franklin Carlton Feranna on December 11, 1958, young Frankie was abandoned by his father and partly raised by his mother, a woman who was ahead of her time but deeply troubled. Frankie ended up living with his grandparents, bouncing from farm to farm and state to state. He was an all-American kid—hunting, fishing, chasing girls, and playing football—but underneath it all, there was a burning desire for more, and that more was music. He eventually took a Greyhound bound for Hollywood.

In Los Angeles, Frank lived with his aunt and his uncle—the president of Capitol Records—for a short time. But there was no easy path to the top. He was soon on his own. There were dead-end jobs: dipping circuit boards, clerking at liquor and record stores, selling used light bulbs, and hustling to survive. But at night, Frank honed his craft, joining Sister, a band formed by fellow hard-rock veteran Blackie Lawless, and formed a group of his own: London, the precursor of Mötley Crüe. Turning down an offer to join Randy Rhoads’ band, Frank changed his name to Nikki London, Nikki Nine, and, finally, Nikki Sixx. Like Huck Finn with a stolen guitar, he had a vision: a group that combined punk, glam, and hard rock into the biggest, most theatrical and irresistible package the world had ever seen. With hard work, passion, and some luck, the vision manifested in reality—and this is a profound true story finding identity, of how Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. It's also a road map to the ways you can overcome anything, and achieve all of your goals, if only you put your mind to it.