Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir

Fahrenheit-182 (2025) is a memoir by Mark Hoppus (with Dan Ozzi). Hoppus is the bassist, singer, and lyricist for one of the most popular pop-punk bands of all time, blink-182. Hoppus was inspired to share his experiences after battling cancer and discovering his life was full of rare moments. Hoppus’s memoir is part of a growing genre of musician memoirs in which artists shed light on the life behind the fame. Fahrenheit-182 is a New York Times Bestseller.

This guide is based on the 2025 HarperCollins edition of Fahrenheit-182.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of physical abuse, cursing, suicidal ideation, mental illness, addiction, and illness.

Summary

Mark Hoppus was born in 1972 in Ridgecrest, California, in the Mojave Desert. His father worked on the military base in Ridgecrest, and his mother raised the children. Hoppus had a happy childhood until his parents divorced during the third grade. Hoppus felt lost, confused, and obligated to keep the peace in his family. He translated these feelings into a love of bass guitar, inspired by bands like The Cure and Descendents. He acquired his first bass and taught himself to play. In high school, Hoppus fully immersed himself in the music world, and his direction became clear when he moved to San Diego for college and met Tom Delonge. They became instant friends and wrote music together. They soon found a drummer, Scott Raynor, and performed early shows at parties and bars. Delonge had big dreams for the band, which they named “blink.”

Blink recorded their first demo tape in 1993, and then their first official album, Buddha. Hoppus merchandised and handed out tapes while Delonge pushed for live shows. A couple of friends got the band in touch with Cargo Records, who signed blink. Blink soon changed their name to blink-182 after an Irish techno band of the same name threatened to sue. Hoppus put his full focus into the band. Their music was featured in surfing videos, and they toured with the band Pennywise. Touring in a van was challenging but worthwhile for their music. In 1996, blink-182 was part of the Warped Tour. Cargo Records was overtaken by a bigger label, MCA. The band saw it as a chance for their music to reach even more people. They created their album Dude Ranch, which featured their first major single, “Dammit.” Soon, Raynor experienced addiction and other personal issues and quit the band, and Travis Barker became the new drummer. He brought a different energy to the dynamic. Blink-182 had a song featured in the popular comedy American Pie, as well as a cameo in the film, which Hoppus remains proud of.

The band hired a producer named Jerry, who brought the music to new heights. They recorded their top album, Enema of the State, which featured their best-known songs, “What’s My Age Again?,” “Adam’s Song,” and “All the Small Things.” The video for “What’s My Age Again?” was filmed in partial and total nudity, while “Adam’s Song” was more personal and related to Hoppus’s feelings of loneliness when tours ended. Hoppus soon met Skye, his future wife, and while she was unsure about dating him at first, they soon became inseparable and married. Opportunities continued to roll in for the band, including Total Request Live and other MTV appearances, as well as winning the MTV Music Video Awards for Best Group Video. Hoppus’s dad remained skeptical of his career until Richard Simmons stormed the dressing room at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, winning over his father.

Blink-182 made their Take Off Your Pants and Jacket album in response to commercialization. It included a song Delonge wrote about his parents’ divorce called “Stay Together for the Kids.” The song’s music video was filmed inside a house as it was being demolished, and the filming coincided with September 11, 2001. The video was edited for sensitivity following the events of 9/11. The band went on another major tour, and Hoppus started worrying about germs, constantly washing and sanitizing his hands. Hoppus and Delonge grew more distant and tense, and Delonge created another band called Box Car Racer while staying with blink-182. The band headlined with Green Day and enjoyed some competition and rivalry with them during the next tour. Following the tour, Skye gave birth to their son, Jack.

Blink-182 worked on their self-titled album and got Robert Smith of The Cure to do vocals for the song “All of This.” They took a year recording the album, which was costly and tried Delonge’s patience. During the next tour, Robert Smith came on as a guest during one of the shows and tried to kiss Hoppus. Delonge soon quit the band, and Hoppus felt lost and hopeless. He continued writing music with Barker under their new name +44, but it wasn’t the same. Shortly after, Hoppus encountered several deaths. While scuba diving, a woman drowned. Later, his producer, Jerry, died of an aneurysm. On a holiday, Hoppus and Skye witnessed a plane crash and saw a dead deer. Barker was then badly burned in a plane crash. Delonge called Hoppus, and the three bandmates reunited, but Hoppus worried too much time had passed.

After years of estrangement, Delonge and Hoppus began writing music again, leading to a reunion announcement at the Grammys that felt premature. Without Jerry, making a new album was chaotic and full of conflict, with Delonge isolating himself and Hoppus turning to alcohol. Delonge’s failed business venture, Modlife, caused more tension, and after a disastrous meeting with a label, the band unraveled again. Hoppus moved to London and enjoyed time with his family, but when the band reunited for a major show two years later, Delonge’s erratic behavior led to his departure once more. Hoppus and Barker recruited Matt Skiba and created the Grammy-nominated California, but their follow-up album, Nine, underperformed. As COVID-19 hit, Hoppus’s anxiety intensified, and during lockdown, he discovered a lump that led to a diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma. Chemo was a test of his strength; he journaled the experience, lost his hair, experienced depression, and slowly accepted the possibility of death. A chemo photo he accidentally posted publicized his illness and led to an outpouring of support that helped him heal emotionally. Hoppus was declared cancer-free mid-treatment. Delonge reached out when he heard Mark was sick, rekindling their friendship, and blink-182 reformed. Hoppus closes his memoir playing Coachella with Delonge and Barker, stronger than ever and grateful for each day.