Being a long time Stryper fan, I was excited when I found out that Michael Sweet was writing a book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Now a lot of rock and roll autobiographies give us the usual stories about their rise to fame, the parties and drugs, and of course the women in their lives. While those are fun to read, I was hoping for something a bit deeper and more inspirational from Michael’s book and I was not disappointed.
The book begins with Michael’s first exposure to music from his parents and his first foray into the music business with a first place finish in a third grade talent show. Of course, a good section of the book focuses on the early years of Stryper, their struggles to make a name for themselves on the Sunset Strip while staying true to their beliefs and getting the message of God to those who wouldn’t otherwise hear it. Everything is not all sunshine and roses and Michael seems to have a very love/hate relationship with the band and his bandmates as they struggle through financial difficulties which lead to eventual bankruptcy and falling prey to the pitfalls of the road.
Michael gives the reader a very honest account of his internal struggles as he leaves Stryper and Los Angeles to work at his in-laws’ family business, a Massachusetts cranberry bog far from the life he had become accustomed to. With the help of dedicated friends, fans and the love and support of his first wife, Kyle, Michael begins pursuit of a solo career which eventually leads to a stint in the band Boston. But as life is a series of ups and downs, just as his solo career seems to be headed in the right direction, Michael is devastated with the loss of Kyle after a brave battle with ovarian cancer. With his children by his side, Michael decides to hit the road and take his family on tour. Just when it seems that his life is always a tale of “two steps forward, three steps back” Michael reunites with Stryper for all the right reasons and is able to find love again with his current wife Lisa.
“Honestly” is an honest portrayal of the groundbreaking Christian rock group Stryper and the life of their frontman, Michael Sweet. It is an inspirational story of a man who put his faith in God and eventually trusted Him to lead the way.
