The No. 1 New York Times bestseller has moved over two million copies globally
Dey Street Books is thrilled to publish the new trade paperback edition of The Storyteller by Grammy-winning musician, Emmy-winning director, and bestselling author Dave Grohl. Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller created a sensation when it was published and has gone on to sell over two million copies around the world. Readers praised the book for Dave’s heartfelt, authentic voice, his love of family and music, and the zest for life that pours from every page.
Now, the book is available in a deluxe paperback edition, further showcasing Dave’s love of writing, but also his appreciation for his fans, offering a wide variety of extra content, including the story of when Dave first met Paul McCartney, previously an audiobook exclusive; an essay on how Dave approaches creativity (here’s a hint: you don’t have to think outside of the box when you can just ignore the box altogether); a series of prompts to inspire readers to jump into their own creative pursuits; Dave’s playlists for early morning pancake making, manning the grill, and getting behind the wheel and blasting the tunes; and an in-depth examination of the creation of four Foo Fighters favorites, including the inspiration behind the lyrics and how Dave and these songs have grown together.
Nineteen-time Grammy-winning musician, two-time Emmy-winning director, bestselling author and two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Grohl has been one of the most beloved and respected figures on the international music scene since his recorded debut with Nirvana on 1991’s generation-defining Nevermind. Grohl took center stage with Foo Fighters’ 1995 self-titled debut, the first album in a massive catalog that includes 11 studio albums.
Foo Fighters celebrated their 26th anniversary with their 2021 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame —marking the second time Grohl received the honor, having previously been inducted as a member of Nirvana in 2014.
Grohl has a well-earned reputation as a prolific collaborator: His various endeavors have included “Cut Me Some Slack,” written and recorded with Paul McCartney and Grohl’s Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear; Them Crooked Vultures, formed with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age’s Joshua Homme, playing live and in-studio with late legends David Bowie and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, as well as working with Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Elton John, Nine Inch Nails, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, to name but a few…
In 2013, Grohl made his debut as a feature director/producer with the acclaimed documentary Sound City—the story of the Van Nuys CA studio where Nirvana recorded Nevermind in 1991, which would sell more than 30 million copies and transform the modern musical landscape. Premiering to unanimous raves at Sundance and achieving a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Sound City focused both on the history of the legendary studio and on the ongoing fight to preserve the human element of music. Sound City has since been certified as a Gold Longform Video by the RIAA, while the Sound City—Real To Reel companion album took the 2013 Grammys for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Rock Song (“Cut Me Some Slack”).
Grohl’s subsequent directorial efforts have included the eight-part HBO docuseries Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways, which premiered in October 2014 and went on to win two of the four Emmys for which it was nominated (outstanding sound mixing for nonfiction programming and outstanding sound editing for nonfiction programming). Described by Grohl as a love letter to the history of American music, Sonic Highways was comprised of eight one-hour episodes, each chronicling the creation of one song on Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways album, each written and recorded in a different American musical landmark – Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington, DC. In April 2021, What Drives Us—Grohl’s feature-length documentary tribute to “every musician that has ever jumped in an old van with their friends and left it all behind for the simple reward of playing music” premiered via The Coda Collection to unanimously positive reviews. Comprised of firsthand accounts from Grohl, his Foo Fighters bandmates and a diverse cast of van tour veterans ranging from up-and-comers RadKey and Starcrawler to Ringo Starr and St. Vincent to members of U2, Metallica, Black Flag, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC and many more, What Drives Us is a unique and poignant exploration of a common bond: the unstoppable drive of young musicians to share their music with the world.
October 5, 2021, marked Dave Grohl’s debut as an author with The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, published by Dey Street Books, an imprint of the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins. Shooting to No. 1 on The New York Times Bestseller List — on the Nonfiction Print as well as Combined print and ebook lists — as well as topping the bestselling book charts in Canada, Ireland and Great Britain, the book quickly added International Bestselling Author to Grohl’s ever-growing list of accomplishments and accolades. Driven by rave reviews and sold out performances of an intimate, three-hour one-man show, The Storyteller has captivated individual readers and live audiences alike.
