by Lou Carlton
First published 2021
Frank Feranna grows up bouncing between farms and states after his father abandons the family. His troubled mother cannot provide stability, so his grandparents raise him across multiple locations. Despite living the life of an all-American kid who hunts, fishes, and plays football, Frank burns with desire for something more. Music calls to him. He boards a Greyhound bus bound for Hollywood to chase his dreams. In Los Angeles, Frank briefly stays with his aunt and uncle, who works as president of Capitol Records, but soon finds himself alone. He survives through dead-end jobs dipping circuit boards, clerking at stores, and selling used light bulbs. At night he develops his musical skills, joining the band Sister and forming his own group called London. He turns down an opportunity to play with Randy Rhoads and experiments with new names like Nikki London and Nikki Nine before settling on Nikki Sixx. Frank envisions creating a band that fuses punk, glam, and hard rock into an irresistible theatrical experience. Through determination and passion, his vision becomes reality as Mötley Crüe. This story chronicles how an Idaho farmboy transformed himself into a music industry icon.
Genres: 20th-century, american, coming-of-age, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, rags-to-riches
Setting: Capitol Records, Hollywood, Idaho
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
224 pages · Hardcover · Da Capo