Behind the Music: Reflections on Creativity and Challenges

Stephen Pearcy, lead singer and frontman of the rock band RATT, visits Google to discuss his book "Sex, Drugs, RATT and Roll: My Life in Rock."

Women. Spandex. Drugs. Hair spray.

Welcome to heavy metal rock ’n’ roll, circa 1980, when all you needed was the right look, burning ambition, and a chance. Cranking out metal just as metal got hot, RATT was the perfect band at the perfect time, and their hit single “Round and Round” became a top-selling anthem. The bigger RATT got, the more excessive lead singer Stephen Pearcy and his bandmates became. There was nothing these guys wouldn’t snort, drink, bed, or break. But as RATT scrambled up a wall of fame and wealth, they then experienced a gut-wrenching free fall. Pearcy’s stunningly honest rock ’n’ roll confessional, by turns incredible, hilarious, and lyrical, is more than a story of survival—it’s a search for the things that matter most.

Originally published in July of 2013.

Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.