NIKKI SIXX: 'I Take Complete Responsibility For My Actions, Good And Bad'

Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Glam-Metal.com: Nikki, What do you hope that fans will learn about the addiction from reading your book, "The Heroin Diaries"?

Sixx: My hope is it both paints a picture of not just the addiction, but how we can get there and the recovery part too. The whole picture is important. If someone is struggling, or has someone in their life that is.

Glam-Metal.com: Do you feel that music saved your life?

Sixx: For me, yes, 100%. I have a hard time imagining how life would have been without it. Today it's not just music, but when I was in those years between 13-26, it was the only thing I had that gave me hope.

Glam-Metal.com: How important is it to have music programs in schools today? Tell us about the proceeds from the book that will got to Covenant House and help establish a fund for the children to have music in their lives.

Sixx: Music, arts, and all creative programs are very important in my opinion. Not only in life, but also in our school systems. Covenant House is not so much a school, but an outreach program for at-risk youth. When they bring these kids off the street and start getting to the core issues dealing with it all. They have had to endure, then the recovery part starts and a creative outlet for them to plug into is what we're creating. My goal is to bring awareness and income to Covenant House. So these programs being set up will be in place for years and years to come and maybe, just maybe One (hopefully more) kids will stick out the Covenant House program and get back on their feet and have an opportunity to do something positive with their life... Maybe changing someone else's life in return and so on and so on.

Glam-Metal.com: Do you feel the rock lifestyle played a major role in your addiction?

Sixx: No that I did all on my own. I take complete responsibility for my actions, good and bad.

Glam-Metal.com: What were your initial expectations when you first began writing for "The Heroin Diaries"? How difficult was it to relive the past, in order to set the vibe for the entire album, chapter by chapter?

Sixx: Our expectations were absolutely zero. We had the outlook that we were doing something that we don't believe had ever been done before. Which was scoring a soundtrack to a book. It was for us complete freedom, as producers and songwriters to not really have to niche into anything. The album takes you on a journey, musically, lyrically, and it does go left. But very far to the left, and very far to the right. For us, it was complete freedom to do that because we had no expectations. We never expected to be on radio. The fact that it is and doing so well at radio is just is icing on the cake. It is fantastic not to follow a standard, as songwriters and producers.

Glam-Metal.com: Over how long a time period would you say did it take to score the music for the entire "The Heroin Diaries" soundtrack?

Sixx: Yeah, we did a double album of music. We just were so open. There were no rules. If it was a twelve-minute song, or if it was a one-minute song, we just went with whatever the song needed. If it had a heavier feel, or more of an acoustic feel, or if it had a more orchestrated feel whatever the song called for and whatever it went with the three of us is where we went. It went very quickly. We probably had over 30 songs. I would say about eight months. Quite quick, to be honest with you.