You’ve likely heard some stories so often that they’ve lost their edge. Jason Newsted knows that. That’s why the former Metallica bassist isn’t interested in writing another rock memoir filled with recycled tour tales and backstage clichés. Instead, he’s opening the door to the moments that stayed with him. The ones that never made headlines.
In a new interview with Spin, Newsted revealed that his long-awaited memoir is finally taking shape after years of work.
“I have a few lined up, but I have to do my memoir first as far as release,” he said. “I have my poetry and lyric book done. I have the one that I did all the drawings. But I have to do my memoir and get the ball rolling.”
He’s already spent about five years writing it.
“I’ve actually been working on it for about five years. I’ve got 130 chapters. Some are one page and some are five pages. It’s that kind of a read. More internal things and photos and fun vibe told a page at a time.”
Fans expecting another tell-all filled with familiar Metallica stories may be surprised.
“I don’t do any kind of beaten-to-death redundancy with stories that have already been told a whole bunch of times,” Newsted explained. “I’ll do my view on a couple things that people might not have known about a certain famous gig or a certain famous event or award show or something, but I don’t go over and over all the shit that everybody’s already told.”
He added that readers shouldn’t expect scandal or score-settling.
“A lot of more inside personal things and stuff. No mudslinging or that shit. None of that stupid drug story stuff or anything other than factual things about painkiller addiction.”
The memoir has been a long time coming. More than a decade ago, Newsted revealed he had received a book offer but decided the timing wasn’t right.
“As the Newsted thing was winding down, I had a book offer,” he said at the time. “I realized I didn’t want to do it right now. Maybe someday. I’m hoping I can build some more stories with this and then write the book some time along the way when I settle down.”
The past year has added another deeply personal chapter to his life. Newsted revealed in May that he had quietly battled throat cancer after being diagnosed in 2025. He underwent surgery that May before receiving the all-clear in April 2026.
The 63-year-old believes decades of relentless touring contributed to his health battle, saying one year on the road with Metallica was like living “four or five” normal years because of the constant travel and demanding schedule.
While preparing his memoir, Newsted is also returning to the stage. Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band will launch its first-ever North American headlining tour this summer, beginning July 1 before wrapping up with two nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium on July 24 and 25. The group will also join Blackberry Smoke for 10 shows in July.
Newsted played with Metallica from 1986 until 2001 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo in 2009.
After decades in one of rock’s biggest bands, could Jason Newsted’s untold stories become one of the most revealing memoirs in heavy metal?
