In a new book, Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx looks back at lean, driving years

'I learned a very, very valuable lesson very early in my life: You work hard and you don’t complain. I work extra hard because I don’t think I’m naturally as gifted as some of my peers,' says Nikki Sixx, who has a new autobiography out. Photo: AP

Before he was a heavy metal icon, he sold lightbulbs. Before he shouted at the devil, he shouted at his mom. Before he was Nikki Sixx, he was Franklin Feranna.

The Mötley Crüe co-founder and bassist looks back at his formative years in his new autobiography The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx, revealing family secrets and the origins of his drive to succeed.