Guns N' Roses

Raised in a working-class Indiana family, high school dropout Axl Rose had, by age 20, compiled a police record that included charges for public intoxication, criminal trespass, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. An ELO and Queen fan, the singer became friends with guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and the two joined forces in L.A. in the early ’80s to form a band. Crafting their name from those of two groups they’d played in, Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, they formed Guns n’ Roses with English-born biracial guitarist Slash, whose parents, both in the music industry, had moved to L.A. when he was 11. With bassist Duff McKagan, whose own past included stealing a purported 133 automobiles, and drummer Steve Adler, the Gunners accrued notoriety.

After independently releasing an EP, Guns n’ Roses signed with Geffen in 1986, and, with producer Mike Clink (Heart, Eddie Money), put out Appetite for Destruction. Opening for Aerosmith, the band built a live following; and in September 1988, with wide MTV exposure given “Sweet Child o’ Mine” (#1, 1988) and “Welcome to the Jungle” (#7, 1988), the album reached #1; it stayed there for five weeks and on the charts for nearly three years.

Next came GN’R Lies, a Top 5 album that combined tracks from the EP with new songs, notably “Used to Love Her,”and “One in a Million,” In 1988 two fans died in crowd disturbances at England’s Monsters of Rock Festival, and, while opening select dates for the Rolling Stones’ 1989 tour garnered G n’ R a larger audience, Slash shocked television viewers with an obscenity-laden speech at the American Music Awards the following year. Concurrently, reports surfaced of heroin use by Rose, Stradlin, and Adler, and Adler was fired for not straightening out. Matt Sorum, formerly of the Cult, was brought in on drums and with Dizzy Reed on keyboard, 1990 was a year of regrouping.

The following year brought even greater success if no less turmoil. G n’ R embarked on its first headlining world tour and released “You Could Be Mine” (#29, 1991) from the Terminator 2 soundtrack. 1991 saw the simultaneous release of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, both shipping platinum. Due to tension with Rose, Stradlin then left and formed the JuJu Hounds. Stradlin’s replacement was Gilby Clarke. The band then set off on a 28-month tour. Among 1992’s highlights were an MTV Vanguard Award for the group’s body of work and an appearance in April at the Freddie Mercury Tribute, an AIDS benefit that via satellite drew the largest concert audience in history. In 1993 G n’ R released The Spaghetti Incident? , an album of covers that paid homage to the band’s punk roots. By 1994, rumors were proliferating that the band had broken up. Clarke released a solo album, Pawn Shop Guitars, and at the year’s end Slash recorded a solo album with Snakepit, featuring Sorum and Clarke, Mike Inez of Alice in Chains, and Jellyfish guitarist Eric Dover on lead vocals.

None of these solo projects attracted G n’ R-size audiences, and G n’ R itself was falling apart. Slash was convinced to sign over rights to the Guns n’ Roses name to Rose, later to the guitarist’s regret. Clarke was fired. And Slash quit over creative differences with Rose, who insisted on introducing industrial and electronic elements into the G n’ R sound. As the years dragged on, McKagan and Sorum eventually left. Rose seemed to go into seclusion, but was reportedly writing and recording, and at various points tried to recruit Moby and Youth as postmodern producers. Both declined, and Rose recorded with producer Roy Thomas Baker and a revolving cast of musicians. Finally, in 1999, a new, industrial-flavored song called “Oh My God” appeared on the End of Days film soundtrack. Then in late 2000, Rose’s management promised a 2001 release for the long-delayed Chinese Democracy. That was followed by a New Year’s Eve concert in Las Vegas where a handful of new songs and a new lineup of Guns n’ Roses was first introduced: guitarists Buckethead, Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails), and Paul Tobias; bassist Tommy Stinson (Replacements); keyboardist Chris Pittman; and drummer Brian “Brain” Mantia. The only holdover from the past was keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who first appeared on GN’R Lies. After another appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, the new G n’ R continued touring.  Chinese Democracy was finally released in 2008, but did not match the success of previous albums.  

Favorite Songs Paradise City You Could Be Mine 14 Years November Rain Civil War Pretty Tied Up			Favorite Albums Appetite For    Destruction Use Your Illusion I Use Your Illusion II

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