ARTIST ON ARTIST
Nikki Sixx Artwork and the Impending Release of Autobiographical Novel and Soundtrack The Heroin Diaries

The release of a new book by Motley Crue‘s bassist and chief songwriter Nikki Sixx called The Heroin Diaries with a CD soundtrack including a song Sixx wrote called “Life is Beautiful” (available as a download to accompany the book) marks a positive return and a new chapter in the life of one of the world’s most celebrated and infamous rock stars. When Sixx entered the studio to record with close friends DJ Ashba and James Michael, they took inspiration from the chapters from the book and created the book’s soundtrack, and in turn became the band SIXX: AM.

Visit the official SIXX: AM site to listen to the single (with accompanying lyrics) or watch the video for “Life is Beautiful.” The song and video can also be downloaded from the official Heroin Diaries site, which contains a photo gallery, press release, and excerpts from the book, along with several videos of behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the press conference and SIXX: AM world premiere concert performance (which can also be downloaded).

The image at far right is my rendition “˜Portrait’ (Pencil) of Rock ‘n’ Roll icon Nikki Sixx from my portfolio: Rock and Roll Portraiture: From Dylan to
Sixx (view them also at my MySpace Page). The other image is what I used as a reference.

It is hard to describe the reason why I decided to create my artwork, but I was truly inspired to do it anyway, and I didn’t need a reason, but sometimes you don’t if something moves you so much and you just have it within your heart, you know that you have to put a part of yourself out there, an emotional response.

I find Nikki Sixx such an inspiration, having read through extracts of the diaries I couldn’t stop crying, he just seemed so lost and broken, to be able to put himself out there now says so much and is such a positive response to what he went through, it is so obvious that he needed to be loved, a friend, and unfortunately all he had at that moment in time was a needle, he dealt with his own situation in the only way he knew how at the time. The parts of the diary and the downloadable song can be found online at the Heroin Diaries Official Site.

Sixx announced that 25% of all book royalities will go to a charity close to his heart: Running Wild In The Night, a charity that he began in association with Covenant House, Los Angeles. The organization helps rescue homeless and runaway youth from the street.

Sixx, a former runaway himself, said he was drawn to the organization because “music gave me the opportunity to get off the streets and gave me something to live for.”

The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star book will be released on September 18, 2007 with accompanying CD soundtrack (written and produced by Sixx, James Michael, and DJ Ashba under the moniker Sixx: A.M.) available on August 21, 2007. The autobiographical novel is considered to be, “The most addictive Tale since The Dirt.” (The Dirt, by the way, a true biography written by all four members of Motley Crue, is considerably un-put-down-able and is a must-have to have in your collection.)

Related Web sites

www.nikkisixx.net
www.myspace.com/nikkisixx
www.myspace.com/heroindiaries
http://flashenhanced.com/heroindiaries
www.myspace.com/sixxam
www.sixxammusic.com
www.myspace.com/djashba
www.myspace.com/jamesmichaelofficial
www.motley.com