Rockers Who Have Refused to Write Memoirs

Writing a memoir is not for everyone.

For one thing, the process of literally writing a book is not as easy as simply jotting down some stories and releasing it into the world — it takes time, planning, revision and diligence. But perhaps more importantly: it takes a certain level of confidence to put one’s life down on the page and put it out for the public to consume, question and possibly judge.

Some find it can be a cathartic experience to look backward at one’s own life, while others have struggled to piece together a book that both tells the truth and doesn’t give away every single secret. Take it from Cher, who released part one of her self-titled memoir in 2024 after years of hesitation.

“It was a bitch,” she freely admitted on The Tonight Show in November of 2024. “It’s not going through your life that’s hard so much. But I did it a couple of times because the first time it didn’t work out. The second time I just didn’t want to tell anything. And then I thought, ‘You know what? Give back the money.’ It’s hard because when you’re telling your life there’s parts you’d like to guard.”

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