The first episode of From Cradle To Stage is available now to stream via Paramount+. Released just in time for Mother’s Day, the six-part series explores the connection between musicians and their mothers.
From Cradle To Stage was developed by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl along with his mother Virginia Hanlon Grohl. The initial entry in the series explores the relationship between Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds and his mother Christene Reynolds.
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The new series is based on Hanlon Grohl’s 2017 book From Cradle To Stage: Stories From The Mothers Who Rocked And Raised Rock Stars, published by Seal Press. In the book, she conducts interviews with the mothers of prominent musicians including Dr. Dre, Amy Winehouse, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levin and Michael Stipe.
Anticipation has been building for the Live Nation Productions adaptation since it was announced in 2018. A number of teasers have been released for the show, including one showing the Foo Fighters leader and his mother going out on the road to interview musicians and their mothers.
In the latest teaser, the pair are back behind the wheel, this time singing to pass the time. The duo gives an a capella rendition of Carly Simon’s 1972 hit “You’re So Vain” before Virginia Hanlon Grohl asks Dave Grohl about why he never took an interest in the band Manhattan Transfer.
Now, the first entry of the series is out, and it focuses on the relationship between Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and his mother Christene Reynolds.
Featuring ample home video footage, the episode introduces viewers to Reynolds’ Mormon “super-mom,” a gifted pre-med student who made the deliberate decision to focus on building a family. Dan Reynolds was raised alongside 8 siblings, and all of the children were immersed in music by their supportive parents.
During the episode, Dave Grohl tours the family’s basement music setup. The Imagine Dragons singer reveals this is where Reynolds’ brothers regularly played music together with their bands.
“I think really what really got me into music,” Reynolds says, “more even than maybe just being naturally passionate about it, was wanting to fit in with my brothers, wanting to have a place.”
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In future episodes, the series will explore the dynamic between other musicians and their mothers, including Pharrell and Dr. Carolyn Williams, Miranda Lambert and Bev Lambert, Brandi Carlile and Teresa Carlile, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and Mary Morello along with Rush’s Geddy Lee and Mary Weinrib.
From Cradle To Stage is unique for providing a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of musicians. More fundamentally, the series explores the foundation mothers provide for developing artists in their formative years.
Grohl underscored the importance of the bond between musicians and their mothers in a promotional statement posted to the Foo Fighters website.
“I believe that the relationship between a musician and their mother is so important because it’s the foundation of their understanding of love, which is surely every artist’s greatest muse,” Grohl’s statement reads. “Having the opportunity to travel the country and tell the stories of these amazing women behind the curtain not only shed some light on the music that they inspired, but also made me appreciate the love that I was given from my own mother, my best friend. It goes without saying that we are all indebted to the women who have given us life. For without them, there would be no music.”
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The first episode of From Cradle To Stage is available to watch via Paramount+. The official trailer for the series is available to watch below.
From Cradle To Stage episodes
5/6: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) and Christene Reynolds
5/13: Pharrell and Dr. Carolyn Williams
5/20: Miranda Lambert and Bev Lambert
5/27: Brandi Carlile and Teresa Carlile
6/3: Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and Mary Morello
6/10: Geddy Lee (Rush) and Mary Weinrib
More about Dave Grohl
From Cradle To Stage isn’t the only project Dave Grohl has been focused on recently. The musician has developed a number of additional efforts in film, television and performance.
Grohl actually made his directorial debut back in 2013 with Sound City, a documentary that focused on the storied recording studio Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, L.A.. The film highlights the vintage equipment used to produce a number of legendary albums including Nirvana’s Nevermind.
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In more recent years, Grohl developed What Drives Us, a new documentary focused on life on the road as a rock musician. Focused the experience of touring in vans, the documentary features a range of artists including Pat Smear, DH Peligro, L7’s Jennifer Finch, Flea, St. Vincent, Slash, Exene Cervenka, Kira Roessler and Steven Tyler.
In support of the film, Grohl appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he spoke about the unique window his film offers into the lives of musicians.
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“The advantage that I have when interviewing musicians is that we speak the same language,” Grohl says on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “We sit down and we talk to each other about shared experiences. What I found in talking to these musicians is that it all really does come from the same place. When you’re a kid and you fall in love with rock and roll, you can’t live without it. Eventually, you throw everything away, leave your life behind, jump in a stinky old van with your friends and just go share it with the world with no guarantee that it will ever pay off.”
What do you think of From Cradle To Stage‘s first episode? Let us know in the comments below.