Sully Erna – School of Hard Rocks

Above: Photo by Kevin Pletcher, Concert-pictures.com

It’s not often that the local band breaks out onto the national and international music scenes, never mind earning three Grammy Award nominations, selling millions of records and headlining major tours. But Godsmack and its front man (not to mention song writer, singer, guitar and drum player) Sully Erna have done all that and more. For about a decade Erna and his hard rocking band have been finding success at every turn. After a start playing in their hometowns of Lawrence, Mass., and Salem, N.H., the band landed its first headlining tour, “The Voodoo Tour,” followed by joining Ozzfest and Woodstock ’99. Last February Erna switched from penning chart-topping songs to writing about life before Godsmack’s breakout in his book “The Paths We Choose.”