Few bands are as shrouded in the murky haze of rock mythology as The Doors, and parsing fact from fiction has been a virtually impossible task. But now, after fifty years, The Doors’ notoriously quiet guitarist, Robby Krieger, is ready to set the record straight. In his first-ever memoir, “Set The Night On Fire: Living, Dying, And Playing Guitar With The Doors”, written with Jeff Alulis and to be published by Little, Brown on October 12, 2021, Krieger opens up about the band’s meteoric career, his own darkest moments, and the most famous black eye in rock ‘n’ roll.
Through a series of vignettes, Krieger takes readers back to where it all happened: the pawnshop where he bought his first guitar; the jail cell he was tossed into after a teenage drug bust; his parents’ living room, where his first songwriting sessions with Jim Morrison took place; the empty bars and backyard parties where The Doors played their first awkward gigs; the studios where their iconic songs were recorded; and the many venues where concerts erupted into historic riots. “Set The Night On Fire” is packed with never-before-told stories from THE DOORS’ vital years, and offers a fresh perspective on infamous moments in the band’s career.
Krieger also goes into heartbreaking detail about his life’s most difficult struggles, ranging from drug addiction, to his twin brother’s mental breakdown, to his own battle with cancer. Counterbalancing the sorrow are humorous anecdotes about run-ins with unstable fans, famous musicians, and one really angry monk.
“Set The Night On Fire” is at once an insightful time capsule of ’60s counterculture, a moving reflection on what it means to find oneself a musician, and a touching tale of a life lived nontraditionally. It’s not only a must-read for Doors fans but an essential volume of American pop culture history. Fans can pre-order the book here.
Krieger is the guitarist for the legendary rock band The Doors and the songwriter behind some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Love Me Two Times”, “Touch Me”, “Love Her Madly” and their #1 smash, “Light My Fire”. The Doors have sold over a hundred million albums worldwide, inspired a major feature film, been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Robby is a Grammy-nominated solo artist and was listed among the “100 Greatest Guitarists” of all time by Rolling Stone. He is also an accomplished painter and the co-founder of the annual Medlock-Krieger Rock & Roll Golf Classic & All-Star Concert.
Jeff Alulis is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller “NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub And Other Stories”. He holds an MFA from USC’s Graduate Screenwriting Program, he has directed several award-winning music-based documentaries, and he has toured as the vocalist for seminal punk bands Dead Kennedys and Reagan Youth. Aside from writing, film, and music he is an avid traveler, and he documents his journeys at TrueAdventureStories.com.
“Set The Night On Fire” (320 pages/Price: $30.00/ISBN: 978-0316243346) will be published in the following countries:
U.K. – October 2021 – Orion/White Rabbit
Italy – November 16, 2021 – Rizzoli Lizard
Russia – Fall 2021 – AST
Finland – January 2022 – Like
Spain – Spring 2022 – Alianza
