The Paths We Choose [Hardcover]

Sully Erna (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2007

With over ten million albums sold and multiple Grammy nominations, the hard rock band Godsmack has become one of the most successful groups of the last decade. The band's driving beats and searing lyrics have garnered widespread acclaim, while their well-known work ethic has earned the industry's respect. Fans who attend Godsmack concerts are sure to be rewarded with a fiercely energetic show. The force behind the band comes largely from founder and front man Sully Erna. Onstage, growling into the microphone with characteristic intensity, he appears perfectly at home, and it's no wonder. Erna has been immersed in the world of rock ever since he got his first drum set at the age of five. Given his achievements, that early start might suggest that his career was a straight shot to the top. The truth is, Erna took so many detours during the years between his first drums and Godsmack's first contract that, more than once, he nearly forgot his destination. In The Paths We Choose, he relates the turbulent story of his life before the platinum albums and packed arenas. "The Lawrence I remember was full of murderers, thieves, and rapists and half the time those people were your next-door neighbors," Erna writes of his childhood hometown in the gritty Boston suburbs. Although the danger of the streets was a constant reality, young Sully's world really revolved around music. From the day he convinced his mom to pay for drum lessons, "beating the skins" was all he ever wanted to do. As he grew older, Erna began devoting all his energy to one band after another. Life as a marginally-successful (and sometimes downright unsuccessful) musician was always unpredictable, and Sully's good times were equally matched by his frustrations. He learned that talent and passion were not enough; he also had to know who to trust. Beautiful blondes attracted Erna like a moth to an open flame, and his affairs with them were intense and often unstable. Outwardly hardened, yet privately vulnerable, he couldn't open up. This, combined with his high-adrenaline lifestyle, seemed bound to catch up with him and did. Here, Sully delves with surprising sensitivity into the emotional struggles that almost forced him to abandon his ambitions. Musical fame was never a given for Sully Erna. He could easily have continued to be "just another punk on the streets." The extraordinary success he now enjoys with Godsmack only came by an unlikely combination of talent, sweat, lucky breaks, and hard falls. Any one of the decisions he made along the way could have brought him to a dead end. But that just might be the whole point. Sully's story shows us that whatever hardship we may face, ultimately, our choices determine our destiny. He's made the most of every advantage and obstacle he has faced, and reminds us that we can, too. But for Sully, career success is not an ultimate destination. Every day brings a new fork in the road another path to choose.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Bartleby Pr (February 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910155682
• ISBN-13: 978-0910155687
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Rock

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A definite must read!, February 26, 2007

By 

Avid Book Consumer (Port Huron, Mi. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paths We Choose (Hardcover)

My husband bought this book and really liked it so I hesitantly picked it up. Having read several other musicians books about their pathetic attempts at immortality and endless conquests; I was skeptical about the contents of this one. I am so glad I have a find out for yourself attitude. This is by far one of the best books I have read in a LONG time. He is real and honest about his childhood and becoming a man. It's one of those books that make you laugh out loud and then cry a few pages later. It's almost as if you can hear him telling you the stories. He had a rough childhood and was NO angel but he had heart and he had potential as you can see by the man he is today. I would definetly recommend this book. The only thing some may not particularly like is the profanity and violence but such is life.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Hard Knocks to Hard Rock, May 17, 2007

By 

apr7m (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paths We Choose (Hardcover)

This memoir is inspiring to anyone who thinks their dreams are unattainable, or if they have lost sight of what they are. This is not a book solely about Godsmack, this is a book about achieving your goals through persistence. It should be required reading for teenagers/young adults, aspiring musicians, anyone who find themselves at a crossroads in their life and about to choose their direction. Sully tells his story in somewhat of a spiritual context, implying that we all have a path and it's found by listening to our heart that, and we can choose to stay on it go the wrong way! Sully himself knew he was not always on the right path! He takes us through his journey of discovering it, starting as "just another punk in the street" in the industrial, crime-ridden city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, where it would have been so easy to stay that way-but he knew he had a different path to follow! In a straightforward prose, he takes us through his trials and tribulations with friends, enemies, girls, school, jobs, family, and of course MUSIC-where Sully never lost his vision! He also trusted both the wrong and the right people along the way and learned some lessons and maintained a definite strength. In the end the message is very simple -don't let adversity stand in your way. It's an honest tale told with sensibility, heart and is funny at times (one of my favorite parts was when Sully describes the "Larceny Of Bread.") I myself grew up in Lawrence and now work in the entertainment industry, so I can relate to this story on different levels. Thank you for telling your story, Sully. It's really admirable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good background to the band, May 14, 2007

By 

Johnny Barista - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paths We Choose (Hardcover)

Sully has a cool way about him when he writes. You learn a ton about him before he became famous and his stories to his road to glory are pretty funny. He gets into how he formed Godsmack and I was pretty shocked when I realized how he brough it together. You have to read it to understand what I'm talking about. Overall the book kept me interested. You don't have to be a Godsmack fan to enjoy this story. But I can guarantee you if you've never heard of Godsmack or don't like them now, you'll attitude will change after you read this book. Sully really made it in an industry he seemed doomed to fail in.