''Can I Say'' is a 2015

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

by American drummer

Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...

, written with the help of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' and ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' contributor Gavin Edwards. It was published on October 20, 2015 by

William Morrow and Company William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981, and sold to News Corporation News Corporation (abbrev ...

. The book features contributions from many of Barker's friends and family members, including members of

Blink-182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...

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, and

The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer the MC Bat Commander and bassist Crash McLarson have remained the band's two constant fixtures. ...

Summary and themes

Barker dedicated the book to his family. The book opens with Barker's first-hand account of surviving his 2008 plane crash, before discussing his early life. The book chronicles Barker's childhood, his

vegan diet Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. D ...

, and his early love of drumming, as well as the formation of his companies

Famous Stars and Straps {{Infobox company , name = Famous Stars & Straps (FSAS) , logo = Famous Stars and Straps (logo).png , vector_logo = , type = Clothing/ Accessory Company , genre = , foundation = 1999 , founder = ...

and

LaSalle Records LaSalle Records was an American record label and a former division of Atlantic Records. History The record label was founded in 2004 and was owned by musician Travis Barker. The label is located in Corona, California. Most of the bands curren ...

. He also discusses the break-ups of Blink-182 and the ''Meet the Barkers'' reality show. Barker also relates his marriages to Melissa Kennedy and

Shanna Moakler Shanna Lynn Moakler (; born March 28, 1975) is an American model, actress, and reality television star. She was the winner of the Miss New York USA pageant in 1995 and was the first runner-up at Miss USA 1995. After winner Chelsi Smith won the Mi ...

, and his relationship with

Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...

. He discusses his battles with

sex addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The con ...

and

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...

, his

fear of flying Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromechanophobia (although ae ...

, and his friendship with Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, whose death he describes as having a profound effect on him.

Release and reception

William Morrow and Company released an initial hardcover printing of 100,000 copies on October 20, 2015. with a paperback version released on September 6, 2016. An audiobook, narrated by Cary Hite and produced by Buck 50 Productions, came out on September 15, 2016. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' called the book a "riveting, brutally honest memoir", while ''

'' called it "a fascinating look into the life of a talented, hard-partying musician who has beaten the odds several times." Not all reviews were positive, however, with ''New Noise Magazine'' reviewer John B. Moore complaining, writing, "Is the book honest? I guess; is it salacious? You bet; is it worth more the read? Not if you've evolved past dick jokes." Barker said it was hard doing the press for the book, due to frequently being asked to comment on the plane crash and his addiction problems on talk shows; he said he was also disappointed by the headlines of articles about the book focusing on his relationships and the more outrageous parts of the memoir. However, Barker told ''

The Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...

'' that he was happy with how honest the book was, saying, "Some of the stuff in the book makes my skin crawl with shame. But it was important to say it."

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Page on HarperCollins
2015 non-fiction books Books about rock musicians American autobiographies Music autobiographies William Morrow and Company books