Non-fiction: Review of From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars by Virginia Hanlon Grohl

I think it’s fair to say that every parent, at some point in time, at least daydreams about their child growing up to be a sports star, famous actor, or rock star. We want to believe that we’ve done our jobs to spark our children’s natural talent, and they’ve become a success in the public eye as a result. In 2017, one mother who actually saw her daydreams come true in the form of a rock star son, decided to go to other such mothers and talk about their lives and their musically talented children. From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars by Virginia Hanlon Grohl is the result.

From Cradle to Stage is the short biographies of nineteen mothers, and their recollections of raising their musical children. Everything is based on face-to-face interviews performed by Ms. Grohl. (Forgive me for calling her Ms. Grohl, but after reading the book and falling in love with her approach to life and raising Dave, it feels natural to call her as such.) On top of this, scattered throughout the book are Ms. Grohl’s own vignettes describing her life and time being mother to Dave Grohl. (For the unaware, Dave Grohl is the former drummer of Nirvana and now leader of the band Foo Fighters.)

From Dr. Dre to Zac Brown, Pharrel to Josh Groban, Adam Levine to Geddy Lee, Amy Winehouse to Dave Matthews, Ms. Grohl practically covers the entire spectrum of Western music. Nineteen mothers interviewed, the reader gets a broad, interesting view to mid-20th century life, the diversity of people in the world, and different styles of parenting.

A surprising aspect of the book, and something to mollify would-be readers who are afraid every parent’s story is the same, don’t be afraid: each of the musicians comes from an entirely different tapestry of life. Indeed, some come from stable, musical families where music was present in everyday life, leading to the child being musical or gifted. But not every story has that foundation. Broken homes, cross-country moves, pushy parents, passive parents, late bloomers, completely unmusical families—these are part of the upbringings of people who have become well known for their music. How, is the interesting aspect.

If I had a criticism of From Cradle to Stage it would be the relative sugar coating. To be clear, the book appears to be 100% factual and well-intended. The artists described are highly successful, and largely deserve the praise they receive, as do the mothers for their own successful, personal endeavors and raising people who give us satisfaction through music. In short, the positive commentary is not out of place or over the top. That being said, there are many things left unsaid or unaddressed. We’re all aware of the strong role parents play in a child’s life and character—the nurture side of nature. Thus, knowing that several of the artists discussed have some heavy marks on their public record puts a fly in the ointment of the praise directed their parents’ way. I’m fully aware the book was not intended to open old wounds or be tabloid bullshit, and I’m glad it’s not. But not at least hinting at some of those parent/child issues, or not taking the opportunity to address the importance of the role of parenting in the more personally challenging aspects of life takes away a bit of the book’s authenticity.

In the end, From Cradle to Stage is likely of interest to two groups of people. First are people who are in tune with the last three or four decades of “radio music”—rock, country, rap, alternative, pop, etc, and are interested in the stories behind some of those genres’ most well-known artists. The second group which may find interest in the book are parents, parents who are either interested in their child’s creative talents, or who have already raised an atypical, creative child. I find myself in both groups, therefore the book was a no-brainer. (Thank you Ms. Grohl for your book and the best of luck pursuing your own hobbies and interests.)