On the Beat With Staci Layne Wilson

I am always looking for interesting people to interview. Recently I came across a fascinating woman in Staci Layne Wilson, a best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker and more. Staci was kind enough to give me her time yesterday and she discussed all of it, including her family, her career and her projects.

As the daughter of Don Wilson, founding member of the Ventures, and Buni Bacon, actress and model, show business seemed to be a natural career path for Staci, but she created her own niche in the industry. That path actually started at the age of 12, when she started writing for a magazine.

From there, Staci has gone on to compile an impressive resume of books and films. One of the things that impressed me was the range of subjects in her projects, often even combining topics in her work. Referring to this on her website, Staci writes there are “always elements of rock music and Hollywood history infused with touches of dark humor.” That mixture is a winning combination.

One of her most successful projects was “The Ventures: Stars on Guitars,” a documentary of her father's band. Clearly a labor of love, it has drawn rave reviews from musicians and fans. Most importantly, it was special to her father, who lived to see it.

The Ventures sold 100 million records and had 14 singles in the Billboard Hot 100. In 2008, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a fan of the Ventures, I can declare how much I loved Staci's doc. I'm sure it would appeal to any fan of music or just great bios.

Of course, I had to ask Staci about “Rock & Roll Nightmares: True Stories Volume 1 and Volume 2.” Together (and I recommend buying both), there are 800+ pages of tragic, crazy and unbelievable rock and roll stories. Like a true creator, Staci wrote these books to fill a void she discovered. She filled that void with two books unlike any others.

Another of her non-fiction books is “So L.A.-A Hollywood Memoir.” Of course it is her story, filled with captivating stories, as only she could tell them, straight-forward with the perfect sprinkling of her unique humor.

As I mentioned earlier, Staci covers many genres. She also has several other books, both fiction and non-fiction. Staci covered a few in our interview, but time wouldn't allow us to discuss all of them. You can see all on her website or Amazon. I have already put several on my next book shopping list.

I was sad to see the interview end. As I waited for the video to process, I kept thinking about what a dynamic vibe she has. She's positive and energetic, confident and humorous. From the excerpts I have seen, that all comes through in her writing. I seriously can't wait to dive into her books.

I thank Staci for her time and consideration. I encourage everyone to go to StaciLayneWilson.com to learn more about her and all of her work. I am sure you will be as engrossed as I am.