LONGWOOD, FL-It was a long climb up the ladder of success for Jack Valentine, one of the original members of the iconic rock band Mtley CrÜe. An unsung pioneer of theatrical rock and roll, his goal in 1970 was to be the most famous drummer in the world. Aided by guitarist Mick Mars, Valentine sought to accomplish this goal by crafting the world's first upside down drum machine in the years before stage theatrics took precedence among bands such as KISS. Ironically, Valentine decided he did not want the fame right when he was at its doorstep. Instead, he turned and ran the other direction.
Motley Rock Stories ($17.99, paperback, 978-1-60034-774-0) by Jack Valentine chronicles the lives of two desperate people sharing the same dreams, same apartment, same road tours, and life in the crazy world of Southern CaliforniaŐs rock and roll community in the early '70s. Watch as Mick Mars, the "Howard Hughes" of rock and roll and Valentine's fellow band mate, climbs to the pinnacle of success, and Valentine, faced with the same opportunity to make himself a household name, abandons the path to celebrity when he sees it as eventually leading to his demise.
For Valentine, the allure of fame and fortune was all a mirage of deception that he saw destroy many a talented musician. He speaks from personal experience when he says, "Money and fame can't buy you love. God's greatest gift to mankind other than Himself is the love of your family. Fame and fortune will just leave you wanting more. Being a rock star is not a bad thing, but before someone embarks on that road I hope they would remember 'the love of money is the root of all evil.'"
Jack Valentine is married with three children and runs a video production business in San Diego.
Xulon Press, a part of Salem Communications Corporation, is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 3,900 titles published to date. Retailers may order Motley Rock Stories through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. Salem Communications is the country's leading Christian communications company with interests in radio, Internet, and magazine publishing.
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2007