The Toledo Blade Online
The Toledo Blade OnlineThe Toledo Blade Green Edition
Click here to subscribe or renew!
Temp: 42°
Humidity: 82%
Saturday, 11/21/09

Click to Receive RSS Feeds!EmailPrint IndexHelp FacebookMySpaceDiggDel.icio.usFark

Article published May 31, 2007
Godsmack's Erna leaves dark past, emerges a survivor

Sully Erna was a scary guy growing up.

He was hyperactive, short-tempered, and always on the cusp of a fight. That's when he wasn't actually in a fight. He drank too much, drugged too much, and busted things up just for kicks. A product of rugged Lawrence, Mass., a working- class suburb of Boston, he was one misadventure away from murder.

Here is an excerpt from his book, The Paths We Choose (Bartleby, 277 pages, $21.95):

"As he got within feet of me, he raised the knife above his head in a stabbing position, only seconds away from plunging it into me. I pulled the shotgun up, pumped it once to load the chamber, and pointed it directly into his face. I remember feeling nothing for this person at that point."

Erna was 16 and on the verge of killing someone.

He was the stereotypical drummer: violent and wild.

Sully Erna, the lead singer of the hard rock band Godsmack, which will be in Toledo tonight at the SeaGate Convention Centre, is a different guy. Much different. He's in his late 30s, drug and alcohol free, passing on his hard-earned wisdom to troubled youth, doing his best to be a good father to his 5-year-old daughter, and staying away from situations in which his only option is to punch someone out.

His is a cautionary tale, but he's not looking for sympathy and he doesn't look back with sadness. As recounted in The Paths We Choose, a refreshingly honest memoir in which Erna holds nothing back, even details that make him look bad, his story ultimately is that of a survivor.

"I don't regret a thing, and looking back - all the crazy girlfriends, all the fights - I wouldn't do anything different," he said in a phone interview. "I still have my moments but I don't feel like punching anyone in the face anymore."

His band is almost entirely Erna's creation. After kicking around for years drumming in heavy metal, hair metal, and hard rock bands with limited success, Erna decided in the mid-'90s to start his own group with one catch: he would be lead singer. He had never fronted a band before, but was confident he could make the transition, and after dealing with friends and others making fun of his voice, he worked hard enough to turn it into a legitimate instrument, sounding a bit like Metallica's James Hetfield.

As with most things, Erna makes no apologies for his vocal chops.

"I was born with this voice, I'm an alto, and I can't sound like Judas Priest even if I want to," he said.

Godsmack played gigs wherever and whenever, building an audience that has helped them sell millions of CDs and earn a Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental performance. The band - rounded out by Shannon Larkin on drums, Robbie Merrill on bass, and Tony Rombola on guitar - has released six discs, including last year's "IV." Their sound is classic hard rock with Erna front and center handling the vocals, writing lyrics, and playing guitar and harmonica.

Erna, who practices the Wiccan religion, said the current tour ends in early fall, just in time for him to be off and take his daughter, Skylar, to her first year of kindergarten. He also will continue working with his public service organization Community Alliance for Teen Safety, which spreads the word that there are alternatives to drug abuse, violence, and other dangerous behavior.

As for that incident with the shotgun: he pulled the trigger, but the gun wasn't loaded, something for which he is eternally grateful. As he writes:

"Sometimes these memories seem like scenes from a movie that I know really well and have watched a thousand times. I could have spent the rest of my life in prison if that gun had been loaded and it scares... me to know that I was ready to throw my life away over a bad temper and a lot of pride I wasn't willing to suck up."

All tickets for tonight's 8 p.m. concert are $39.50, from the SeaGate Convention Centre box office, 401 Jefferson St., or by calling 419-474-1333.

Contact Rod Lockwood at:
rlockwood @theblade.com
or 419-724-6159.


Permanent Link

 RECENT RELATED ARTICLES

Bowling Green moe show canceled | 10/15/2009
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Toledo concert canceled | 10/07/2009
David Cook concert rescheduled at Owens Aug. 9 | 06/01/2009
Bret Michaels brings music, quest for love to Toledo | 05/21/2009
Maureen Davis in Toledo for concert | 05/21/2009

Movies
Updated: 7:49 am
Movie review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon *** >>
Culture
Updated: 11:25 am
'New Moon' getting mixed reviews
THIN SLICES >>
Movies
Updated: 7:51 am
Movie review: Precious ***** >>
Events
Updated: 7:53 am
Library exhibit: Batman's appeal never grows old >>
Movies
Updated: 7:55 am
Movie review: The Blind Side ***1/2 >>
TV/Radio
Updated: 5:43 am
Last Oprah show will be in 2011, she says >>
More peach/entertainment stories





click here!

ADVERTISING SECTIONS
Kelly Heidbreder
Updated: 7:32 am
'Tis the season to plant bulbs >>

Kathie Smith
Updated: 7:01 am
Foods for the 'Border Battle' >>

Barbara Hendel
Updated: 7:38 am
ATT: Fall gala benefits area outreach organizations >>

More columnist stories

MOVIE SHOWTIME LISTINGS!
Showtimes, Descriptions, Trailers

TV LISTINGS!
Times, Channels, Descriptions


FIND RECIPES
Find great recipe ideas


Restaurant Guide

Search by cuisine


BROWSE CALENDAR
November - 2009
« October December »
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
MOST READ STORIES
1.  2 men slain in 13 hours; killers remain at large
2.  Swine flu claims Wood County man
3.  Convenience store robbed in North Toledo
4.  Skeldon could get buyout
5.  Obama’s vendetta
6.  Woman, 21, gets 13 years for killing
7.  Ottawa Hills resident sues over council speech
8.  Ex-pastor injured in Oct. crash dies
9.  Ohio sues big credit rating units over losses
10.  Humane Society seeks help in burned-cat case
MOST E-MAILED STORIES
1.  Owens failed to address shortcomings in nursing
2.  BGSU plans for 2 new dormitories
3.  Buckeyes sport retro look of 1954
4.  Owens students get apology for lost accreditation
5.  Toledo fares poorly in survey
6.  Skeldon says he will step down Dec. 31, but Konop wants him dismissed immediately
7.  Ex-OSU coach Bruce instills passion for rivalry
8.  Company outlines $37.5M port plan
9.  Chrysler boosts Dundee plant; engine line to gain jobs, add output
10.  Owens faculty vote no confidence in provost


AP  News Headlines



AP  Business Headlines



AP  Sports Headlines


AP  Features Headlines
Copyright 2009 The Blade. By using this service, you accept the terms of our privacy statement and our visitor agreement. Please read them.
The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660, (419) 724-6000
To contact a specific
department or an individual person, click here.
The Toledo Times ®