Classic Metal

The stories surrounding the hard rock and heavy metal movement during the '80s are the stuff of legend. At no other point in time has one genre of music gained such notoriety.

In the book Tales from the Stage, we hear firsthand from Bruce Kulick, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Herman Rarebell, Eddie Trunk, Tracii Guns, and 10 other classic metal pros who take us for a roller coaster ride down the Sunset Strip, revisiting their rise to fame in the '80s-'90s, and filling us in on the status of their current careers, and lives outside of music. Their strange-but-true tales are the basis for this Classic Metal edition of Fact or Fiction.

Michael Toney, who wrote the book, told us that he took a simplistic idea and added an intimate twist. "Each of the participants have been interviewed hundreds of times," says Toney. "In order to make these interviews cutting edge, I had to get very personal. Not only do we discuss their careers in detail, we dive into their personal lives, including finances, cars, homes, drug use, groupies, and more. Most people are shocked to learn most of these guys live incredibly modest lives."

More Fact or Fiction

Comments: 4

  • Randell James from Ann Arbor, Michigan9 out of 10. (I know way too much about this stuff.) I missed the one about Rock Star being about Judas Priest. It was nothing like the Judas Priest experience. The band wouldn't sign off on the movie so everything was changed. It was based on a band, based on the band Judas Priest. I saw the movie and enjoyed it though.
  • Anonymous7/10...ain't bad.
  • Suzanne Hall from Menifeerock out with your #%*& out...queensryke
  • Graeme! from Sydney, Australiacool quiz, but i just wanted to be the first comment ha ha
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.