Book Review of Michael Sweet's autobiography
Honestly
My Life And Stryper
revealed
Michael Sweet
With Dave Rose and Doug
Van Pelt
Big3 Records
You
get a strong sense that Michael Sweets new book is written from the heart. His
relationship with God, family, and Stryper are revealed in surprisingly honest
and candid ways. Michael has ADHD, suffered serious financial problems, and has
seen the popularity of the once arena selling Stryper wane. But through it all
he has found a renewed faith in God, even after his late wife’s passing. It is
a life that you thought you knew. From the glossy highly produced albums to the
incredible stage and arena performances, you would have thought that Stryper
was on top of the world. They were. Then they were not.
Michael
reveals his life in the band and his family in stunning and spectacular detail.
No stone, however painful, is left
unturned. He is a professional through and through. His music is a reflection
of the man who values faith and love. You cannot help but hear his soul in all
he has produced. Even during the dark times. And there were many dark times.
The loss of his wife is especially sad, and he shares with the reader, one of
the hardest and personal things anyone should ever face. We are there with him
as she takes her last breath. There is a beauty in his emotions, as they spill
across the pages like tears. Yet we sense something else.
Strength. His strength,
through God, to overcome adversity and heartbreak.
Overall
the book is a fantastic fun ride, on the roller coaster of memories, from the front
man of two of rocks greatest bands. Both his time in Stryper and more recently
Boston, reveal a man obsessed with perfecting his ideal of musical creation.
You can feel the love he shares for his family, the music, and his fans. You feel
the pride he has in what Stryper created and his renewed and sometimes painful
attempt at the reunion. The book paints a picture of a man who can make
mistakes and learn from them. The format of the writing fits perfectly with
Michael’s brand of storytelling. Revealing behind the rock star curtain, a man
of faith, family and love.
