( 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.
