In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker, screenwriter and former Sunset Strip rocker Craig A. Williams, co-director of If These Walls Could Rock, the documentary exploring the legendary Sunset Marquis and its six decades at the center of rock ’n’ roll history.

Craig’s connection to the Marquis goes back more than a decade, when he was first brought in to tell the story of the iconic West Hollywood hotel. What he discovered was far more than a collection of wild rock-star stories. The Sunset Marquis became a rare sanctuary where artists could escape the spotlight, create, connect and simply be themselves.

We get into how a relatively hidden hotel became part of the stories of Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Slash, Dave Grohl, Cyndi Lauper, Sheryl Crow, Morrissey and countless other artists. We also talk about the challenge of separating rock ’n’ roll mythology from the stories that could actually be documented, some of the unbelievable moments that didn't make the final film, and what Craig learned from spending years surrounded by this incredible history.

But at the heart of If These Walls Could Rock is an unexpected story about family. We talk about founder George Rosenthal and his son Mark, whose complicated relationship ultimately became an important part of the hotel's story and gives the documentary an emotional center beyond the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

Craig also shares what it was like to return to a place he once dreamed about as a teenage musician on the Sunset Strip and ultimately become one of the people responsible for telling its story.

If These Walls Could Rock is ultimately about much more than a hotel. It’s about music, creativity, community, privacy, legacy and the places that become part of our stories.

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