Duff McKagan. It's So Simple... And Other Lies

The iconic bassist of Guns N' Roses, Duff McKagan, shares in his book not only the typical temptations of a rock star: quick fame, big money, and drugs, but also how he faced death and rose from the ashes like a phoenix. It’s possible that my friends and former bandmates remember some of the stories I’ve told differently than I do. But I know that any story can be viewed from different angles. These stories are my stories, told from my perspective. This truth is my truth. – Duff McKagan A straightforward story of true hell and rock 'n' roll paradise. – David Fricke, Rolling Stone magazine Multi-instrumentalist musician Duff McKagan played both drums and guitar in various bands in his native Seattle, but gained real fame as the bassist of Guns N' Roses. The band's album Appetite For Destruction became the best-selling debut collection in rock music history. Duff was the youngest of eight children in a family that economized on everything. From an early age, he used drugs and alcohol and dropped out of school at 18. It seemed that nothing good was in store for his life. But Duff took fate into his own hands. He turned out to be very talented and highly determined. Avoiding a tragic death from an overdose—McKagan was drinking up to ten bottles of wine a day!—he gave up his bad habits, earned millions of dollars, bought a house, started a family, and after graduating from business school, founded his own consulting firm in finance and investments. And, of course, he became a rock star. Duff recounts all of this in his autobiography. Through his memories, we will see how the star of Guns N' Roses rose, what the band members, including the legendary Slash, were like at that time, and how the hits that conquered the charts were created. This is a book about pain and overcoming it. A book about the choices we make and their consequences. A book about a man who challenged himself and won.