( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY!
WOW!
HEY, EVERYBODY, MY NEXT GUESTS ARE THE 13 GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING
ROCK STAR FROM THE FOO FIGHTERS AND NIRVANA
( BAND PLAYING ) AND EVEN BETTER, HIS MOM, PLEASE
WELCOME DAVE AND VIRGINIA GROHL.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WE MET BRIEFLY AT THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AT THE AWARDS.
YOU ACTUALLY BRING YOUR MOM TO A LOT OF FUN PLACES.
>> OH, MAN, SHE'S BEEN ON TOUR MORE THAN MOST ROCK MOMS I KNOW.
SHE'S PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE ON THE ROAD, THOUGH.
YOU KNOW, I GIVE HER A LAMINATE, AND PLAY A GIG, AND COME BACK TO
THE DRESSING ROOM AND SHE'S HAVING A BEER WITH GREEN DAY.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: IN THIS CASE, YOU BROUGHT HIM.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK CALLED "FROM CRADLE TO STAGE:
STORIES FROM THE MOTHERS WHO ROCKED AND RAISED ROCK STARS."
OKAY.
SO IT'S YOUR STORY OF RAISING THIS MAN OVER HERE.
AND TALKING TO OTHER MOTHERS WHO RAISED ROCK STARS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: NOW, LIKE ANY GOOD MOTHER, YOU BROUGHT AN
EMBARRASSING PHOTOGRAPH TO START OFF HERE.
THERE IS-- OKAY.
AT WHAT POINT DID IT OCCUR TO YOU...
( LAUGHTER ) THAT HE MIGHT BE A ROCK STAR?
THIS WAS GOING TO BE HIS LIFE?
>> WELL, I DEPARTMENT KNOW HE WAS GOING TO BE A ROCK STAR.
I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE A MUSICIAN.
I KNEW REALLY EARLY HE WAS GOING TO BE AN ENTERTAINER.
I HAD THE FEELING THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR BLOOD
SOMEWHERE THAT YOU JUST START OUT BEING GOOFY.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: BEATS HARD WORK.
( LAUGHTER ) >> AND SILLY AND MAKING PEOPLE
LAUGH.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
>> AND THAT'S THE WAY HE WAS.
>> Stephen: IT SEEMED LIKE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN YOUR FOCUS,
DAVE, BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER ALSO BROUGHT ALONG ONE OF YOUR REPORT
CARDS I'D LIKE TO SHARE.
THERE IS AN ACTUAL REPORT CARD FROM SIXTH GRADE, I BELIEVE,
'08Y-'81.
>> THAT WAS A TOUGH ONE.
A TOUGH YEAR.
>> Stephen: IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR HERE.
LET'S SEE... HMM... "RESPECTS AUTHORITY."
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
( LAUGHTER ) "IS COURTEOUS."
"NEEDS IMPROVEMENT."
"ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY: UNSATISFACTORY."
"EXERCISES SELF-CONTROL: NEEDS IMPROVEMENT."
"EXERTS EFFORT: UNSATISFACTORY.
BEGINS AND COMPLETES WORK ON TIME, UNFACTLY.
WORKS NEATLY, WORKS ACCURATELY-- >> HOW LONG IS THIS STATEMENT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
>> I HAVE TO BE HONEST.
I WAS KICKING ASS UP TO FIRST GRADE AND IT WAS ALL DOWNHILL
FROM THERE.
>> Stephen: AND AT 17 YOU TELL YOUR MOM, WHAT?
>> I STARTED PLAYING MUSIC WHEN I WAS MAYBE NINE OR 10 YEARS
OLD, AND I JUST KIND OF TOOK TO IT.
ONCE I STARTED PLAYING IT I COULDN'T THINK OF MUCH ELSE.
I WAS JUST FOCUSED ON PLAYING MUSIC, AND I GOT THE BUG.
SO ALL OF MY FOCUS AN AND ENERGY WENT TO JUST PLAYING.
AND SO KIND OF EVERYTHING ELSE WENT OUT THE WINDOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY MOTHER, HAVING BEEN A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER FOR
35 YEARS, I THINK SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME KIDS DON'T NECESSARILY
THRIVE IN THAT FLUORESCENT-LIT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK OUTSIDE OF IT A LITTLE MORE.
SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO START TRAVELING EUROPE AND THE
WORLD WHEN I WAS 17 OR 18 PLYING MUSIC.
AND MY MOTHER, BECAUSE SHE HAD SEEN GENERATIONS OF KIDS WHO
MIGHT HAVE BEEN REALLY BRIGHT KIDS STRUGGLE WITHIN THAT
SYSTEM, SHE SORT OF LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, "OKAY.
OF."
>> "IT'S A GREAT YET IDEA."
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID GO?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU WEREN'T WORRIED AT ALL?
HERE'S A 17-YEAR-OLD KID.
HE'S GOING OFF TO EUROPE WITH HIS HAND BAND-- WHAT WAS THE
BAND?
>> AT THAT TIME IT WAS A BAND CALLED SCREAM.
>> Stephen: HE'S GOING OFF TO WITH SCREAM TO EUROPE,.
DIDN'T WORRY YOU AT ALL?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: SEX, DRUGS, ROCK 'N' ROLL.
>> A LITTLE OF THAT.
BUT HE WAS GOING TO BE PLAYING MUSIC.
HE WAS GOING TO BE PLAYING MUSIC IN PARIS.
AND IN AMSTERDAM, AND I WAS STAYING BEHIND IN FAIRFAX COUNTY
IN THE CLASSROOM.
I ALMOST WANTED TO GO WITH HIM.
>> Stephen: SO NOTHING?
NO WORRIES AT ALL?
>> UHM, HERE'S THE THING-- THE OTHER GUYS IN THE BAND WERE
OLDER.
THEY WERE ABOUT 10 YEARS OLDER, MAYBE?
AND I KNEW THEM VERY WELL.
AND I KNEW THEY'D TAKE CARE OF HIM.
AND THEY DID.
WE'RE ALL STILL GOOD FRIENDS.
>> Stephen: NOW, HAVE YOU TOLD YOUR MOM EVERYTHING THAT HAS
HAPPENED?
( LAUGHTER ) HAVE YOU TOLD YOUR MOM
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD?
BECAUSE MOMS DON'T NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING.
>>Y DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE --
>> Stephen: I THINK IT IS.
>> TO AIR THEIR DIRTY LAUNDRY.
>> Stephen: I THINK IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
IS THERE ANYTHING-- IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVEN'T TOLD YOUR
MOTHER?
DAVE GROHL, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE NOT TOLD YOUR MOTHER
THAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
AND I'LL TURN OFF THE CAMERAS.
>> I FELT SAFE ON THE ROAD.
IT WAS AT HOME WHERE I GOT IN ALL THE TROUBLE, YOU KNOW.
THERE WAS ONCE WHEN I USED TO SNEAK HER CAR OUT AT NIGHT BY
WAITING UNTIL SHE WAS ASLEEP AND GO AND FIND HER KEY CHAIN--
WHICH WAS THIS BROADWAY TICKET YOU GOT FROM "EVITA" AND THE
THING WAS LIKE A COW BELL SO IN ORDER FOR ME TO GET IT OUT OF
THE HOUSE WITHOUT MAKING NOISE I'D GET A TOWEL, WRAP IT IN A
TOWEL, GO OUT TO THE FORD FIESTA, BACK IT DOWNTOWN
DRIVEWAY, START IT UP THE STREET-- THIS ONE NIGHT I WAS
BRINGING IT BACK UP TO THE HOUSE UP THE DRIVEWAY, BUT I HAD TO
CUT THE ENGINE BEFORE I GOT UP THE DRIVEWAY, AND I GET UP THE
DRIVEWAY AND PULL UP THE EMERGENCY BREAK AND GET OUT OF
CAR AND CLOSE THE DOOR AND AM WALKING THROUGH THE KITCHEN, AND
WE HAVE A PICTURE WINDOW, AND I'M TIPTOEING THROUGH THE LIVING
ROOM AND I LOOK OUT AND THE CAR IS ROLLING DOWN THE STREET.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT SHE NEVER KNEW!
I GOT AWAY WITH IT!
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU SAY IN HERE THAT THE FIRST ROCK MOM YOU
KNEW WAS KURT COBAIN'S MOM, WENDY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND DID KURT'S DEATH CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP
AT ALL, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A ROCK MOM?
>> I THINK IT DID.
>> YEAH.
>> IT WAS SUCH A DARK, SAD TIME.
AND DAVID CAME HOME AFTER THAT, SO WE ALL SORT OF HAD TO
REGROUP.
AND, YES, WE TALKED A LOT.
WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO SAY EVERYTHING TO EACH OTHER.
BUT THAT WAS A PARTICULARLY SORT OF INCREDIBLE TIME.
IT'S HARD TO EXPRESS HOW-- >> YEAH.
BUT WHENEVER I FELT OVERWHELMED ANYTHING, I WOULD JUST GO BACK
TO VIRGINIA, WHERE I GREW UP, AND MY MOM-- I'D JUST GO BACK TO
THE BEDROOM THAT I GREW UP IN.
SO WHENEVER I FELT OVERWHELMED WITH EVERYTHING, I'D JUST GO
BACK HOME, HANG OUT WITH MY MOM, AND SEE MY FRIENDS THAT I WENT
TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH, AND HAVE BARBECUES-- ALL MY DROP-OUT
FRIENDS.
IT WAS GREAT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER WANT TO GO BACK TO YOUR TEACHER AND
SHOW THEM YOUR 13 GRAMMYS?
>> I MADE THE MISTAKE OF SHOWING MY KIDS MY REPORT CARD ONCE
BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY AND THAT BACKFIRED ON ME.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS TREMENDOUS.
YOU ALSO INTERVIEWED A DOZEN OR MORE OTHER ROCK MOMS.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE BOOK.
IT'S CALLED "FROM CRADLE TO STAGE."
IT'S AVAILABLE NOW.
VIRGINIA AND DAVE GROHL, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANKS.
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU, DAVE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.