Axl Rose
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
W. Axl Rose (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born William Bruce Rose Jr., February 6, 1962)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He has been the band's only constant member since its formation in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Renowned for his wide-ranging, powerful voice,<ref name="rollingstone.com">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose has been ranked among the greatest singers of all time by outlets such as Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Rose moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, joining bands like Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns before co-founding Guns N' Roses. The band's debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), sold over 30 million copies worldwide<ref name="Smith">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Havelock">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and remains the best-selling U.S. debut. Rose's relationships with Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour inspired multiple songs, including the chart-topping "Sweet Child o' Mine", though allegations of abuse,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and controversial lyrics on the band's next release G N' R Lies (1988) drew criticism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The twin albums Use Your Illusion I and II (1991), debuted at No.Template:Nbsp2 and No.Template:Nbsp1 on the Billboard 200, selling 35 million copies combined.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rose's volatile behavior during the Use Your Illusion Tour, with riots (including his arrest for inciting the Riverport Riot), media rants, and feuds with Metallica and Nirvana, fueled further controversy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The follow-up, "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993), was less successful and drew backlash for including a Charles Manson cover.
After the tour, Rose disappeared from the public eye while Guns N' Roses stalled on making a new album. Rose reemerged in 2001 with a new version of Guns N' Roses, eventually releasing Chinese Democracy (2008), the most expensive rock album ever produced.<ref name="AllMusic Biography">Template:Cite web</ref> Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, Rose declined to attend. In 2016, he reconciled with Slash and Duff McKagan for the record-breaking Not in This Lifetime... Tour, and also toured with AC/DC as a fill-in vocalist for two dozen shows. The band continued touring and releasing singles into the 2020s.
Early life
Axl Rose was born William Bruce Rose Jr. in Lafayette, Indiana, the eldest child of Sharon Elizabeth (née Lintner), then 16, and William Bruce Rose, age 20.<ref name="watchyoubleed">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Reitwiesner">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="RollingStoneBio">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His father has been described as "a troubled and charismatic local delinquent," and the pregnancy was unplanned.<ref name="watchyoubleed" /> The couple separated when Rose was around two years old.<ref name="watchyoubleed" /> His father abducted and allegedly molested him before disappearing from Lafayette.<ref name="watchyoubleed" /> Rose's mother later married Stephen L. Bailey and changed her son's name to William Bruce Bailey.<ref name="RollingStoneBio"/><ref name="Tannenbaum88">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He has two younger siblings: a sister, Amy, and a half-brother, Stuart.<ref name="RollingStone00"/><ref name="Wall07">Template:Cite web</ref> Stuart Bailey later played guitar in several Los Angeles bands and worked as a music supervisor in Hollywood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Until age 17, Rose believed Bailey was his biological father.<ref name="Neely92">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He never met William Rose Sr. as an adult; Rose Sr. was murdered in 1984 in Marion, Illinois, by a criminal acquaintance.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Rose learned of the murder years later.<ref name="Wall90">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose accused his stepfather of physically abusing the family and sexually abusing his sister.<ref name="The Band That Time Forgot">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="RollingStoneBio"/><ref name="Neely92"/>
The Bailey household was deeply religious. Rose attended a Pentecostal church multiple times per week and taught Sunday school.<ref name="James92">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He later described the environment as oppressive, recalling: "We'd have televisions one week, then my stepdad would throw them out because they were Satanic... Women were evil. Everything was evil".<ref name="James92"/>
Music became a refuge.<ref name="MTVRockumentary">Template:Cite video</ref> Rose sang in the church choir from age five and performed with his siblings as the Bailey Trio.<ref name="James89">Template:Cite magazine</ref> At Jefferson High School, he joined the chorus and studied piano.<ref name="James89"/> A second baritone, he developed "different voices" during practice to confuse his teacher.<ref name="Superteen89">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="MTVRockumentary"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He later formed a band with friends, including Jeff Isbell (later Izzy Stradlin),<ref name="Geffen98">Template:Cite web</ref> and befriended future musicians Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) and Paul Tobias, who would co-write songs with Rose and join Guns N' Roses in the mid-1990s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
At 17, Rose discovered his birth name while reviewing insurance papers and began using W. Rose, avoiding "William" to distance himself from his biological father.<ref name="Tannenbaum88"/><ref name="Neely92"/> The revelation marked a turning point. He became involved in delinquent behavior in Lafayette, was arrested more than 20 times, and served jail terms of up to three months.<ref name="Tannenbaum88"/><ref name="Kuipers91">Template:Cite magazine</ref> After being threatened with habitual offender charges,<ref name="James89"/> he moved to Los Angeles in December 1982.<ref name="Kuipers91"/>
In Los Angeles, Rose immersed himself in the band AXL, prompting friends to suggest the name "Axl Rose".<ref name="Tannenbaum88"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He legally adopted the name W. Axl Rose prior to signing with Geffen Records in March 1986.<ref name="Superteen89"/><ref name="Kuipers91"/><ref name="Sugerman91">Template:Cite book</ref>
Career
1983–1986: early years
Shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles, Rose met guitarist Kevin Lawrence outside The Troubadour in West Hollywood in March 1983 and joined his band Rapidfire. They recorded a five-song demo in May 1983 at Telstar Studios in Burbank,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which, after years of legal action, was released as an EP, Ready to Rumble, in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After parting ways with Lawrence, he formed the band Hollywood Rose with his childhood friend Izzy Stradlin,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> who had moved to Los Angeles in 1980,<ref name="Geffen98"/> and 16-year-old guitarist Chris Weber.<ref name="AllMusic L.A. Guns biography">Template:Cite web</ref> In January 1984, the band recorded a five-song demo featuring the tracks "Anything Goes", "Rocker", "Shadow of Your Love", and "Reckless Life", which was released in 2004 as The Roots of Guns N' Roses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler, future members of Guns N' Roses, joined Hollywood Rose before the band's dissolution.<ref name="Slash 84">Template:Cite book</ref> Rose then joined L.A. Guns.<ref name="AllMusic L.A. Guns biography"/> While struggling to make an impact on the Hollywood music scene, Rose held down a variety of jobs, including the position of night manager at the Tower Records/Video location on Sunset Boulevard. Rose and Stradlin also smoked cigarettes for a scientific study at UCLA for the reported wages of $8 per hour (Template:Inflation).<ref name="Sugerman91"/>
In March 1985, Rose and his former L.A. Guns bandmate Tracii Guns formed Guns N' Roses by merging their respective bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns with Stradlin, drummer Rob Gardner and bassist Ole Beich.<ref name="Spitz99">Template:Cite magazine</ref> By June, after several lineup changes, the band consisted of Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The lineup debuted at The Troubadour and proceeded to play the L.A. club circuit, eventually building a devoted fan following.<ref name="Spitz99"/> The band attracted the attention of several major record labels,<ref name="Spitz99"/> before signing with Geffen Records in March 1986.<ref name="James89"/> The following December, they released the four-song EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide on the Geffen imprint UZI Suicide.<ref name="RollingStoneBio"/>
1987–1989: breakthrough with Appetite for Destruction
In July 1987, Guns N' Roses released their debut album Appetite for Destruction. Although the record received critical acclaim, it experienced a modest commercial start, selling as many as 500,000 copies in its first year of release.<ref name="Wiggins03">Template:Cite web</ref> However, fueled by the band's relentless touring, a grassroots campaign for the "Welcome to the Jungle" music video,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the mainstream success of the single "Sweet Child o' Mine", the album rose to the No.Template:Nbsp1 position. To date, Appetite for Destruction has sold over 30 million copies worldwide,<ref name="Smith"/><ref name="Havelock"/> 18 million of which sold in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S.<ref name="RIAA">Template:Cite web</ref>
During the band's performance at the Monsters of Rock festival in Castle Donington, England, in August 1988, two fans were crushed to death when many in the crowd of 107,000 began slam-dancing to "It's So Easy". Rose had halted the show several times to calm the audience.<ref name="Tannenbaum88"/> From then on, he became known for personally addressing disruptive fans and giving instructions to security personnel from the stage, at times stopping concerts to deal with issues in the crowd. In 1992, Rose stated, "Most performers would go to a security person in their organization, and it would just be done very quietly. I'll confront the person, stop the song: 'Guess what: You wasted your money, you get to leave.'"<ref name="Neely92"/> As a result of the deaths at Monsters of Rock, the festival was canceled the following year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In November 1988, Guns N' Roses released the stopgap album G N' R Lies, which sold more than five million copies in the U.S. alone.<ref name="RIAA" /> The band – and Rose in particular – were accused homophobia, nativism, and racism for the song "One in a Million",<ref name="Goldstein89">Template:Cite news</ref> which featured Rose using the slurs "nigger" and "faggots".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the controversy, Rose defended his use of the racial slur by referencing the rap group N.W.A and the John Lennon song "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" saying, "it's a word to describe somebody that is basically a pain in your life, a problem. The word nigger doesn't necessarily mean black."<ref name="James89"/> In 1992, however, he conceded that "I used a word that was taboo. And I used that word because it was taboo. I was pissed off about some black people that were trying to rob me. I wanted to insult those particular black people. I didn't want to support racism. When I used the word faggots, I wasn't coming down on gays."<ref name="Neely92"/> In response to the allegations of homophobia, Rose said he considered himself "pro-heterosexual" but is "not against [homosexuals] doing what they want to do as long as it's not hurting anybody else and they're not forcing it upon [him]".<ref name="Neely92"/> He blamed this attitude on "bad experiences" with gay men, citing an attempted rape in his late teens and the alleged molestation by his biological father.<ref name="Neely92"/><ref name="James89"/><ref name="Sischy92"/> The controversy led to Guns N' Roses being dropped from the roster of an AIDS benefit show in New York organized by the Gay Men's Health Crisis.<ref name="James89"/><ref name="Sugerman91"/>
With the success of Appetite for Destruction and G N' R Lies, Rose found himself lauded as one of rock's most prominent frontmen. By the time he appeared solo on the cover of Rolling Stone in August 1989, his celebrity was such that the influential music magazine agreed to his absolute requirement that the interview and accompanying photographs would be provided by two of his friends, writer Del James and photographer Robert John.<ref name="WAR">Template:Cite book</ref> MTV anchorman Kurt Loder described Rose as "maybe the finest hard rock singer currently on the scene, and certainly the most charismatic".<ref name="Loder90">Template:Cite video</ref>
1990–1993: international success with Use Your Illusion
In early 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording the full-length follow-up to Appetite for Destruction. Recording sessions initially proved unproductive due to Steven Adler's struggle with drug addiction, which made him unable to perform and caused sessions to be delayed for several days at a time.<ref name="Spitz99"/> Adler was fired the following July and replaced by Matt Sorum of the Cult.<ref name="Spitz99"/> Keyboardist Dizzy Reed also joined the band that year at Rose's insistence.<ref name="Spitz99"/> Sorum and Reed played their first show with Guns N' Roses at Rock in Rio 2 in January 1991. The group fired its long-time manager, Alan Niven, in May of that year; Rose reportedly forced the dismissal of Niven against the wishes of his bandmates by refusing to complete the new album until Niven was gone.<ref name="Neely91">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He was replaced by roadie Doug Goldstein, whom Izzy Stradlin described as "the guy who gets to go over to Axl's at six in the morning after he's smashed his $60,000 grand piano out of the picture window".<ref name="Kent03"/>
In May 1991, still without an album to promote, the band embarked on the two-and-a-half-year Use Your Illusion Tour, which became known for its financial success and myriad controversial incidents that occurred during shows, including late starts, on-stage rantings and even riots. Rose received much criticism for his late appearances at concerts, sometimes taking the stage hours after the band was scheduled to perform.<ref name="Neely92"/> In July 1991, 90 minutes into a concert at the Riverport Amphitheater near St. Louis, after on-stage requests from Rose for security personnel to confiscate a fan's video camera, Rose himself dived into the crowd to seize it. After being pulled back on stage, he announced, "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!" and departed, following which some 2,500 fans staged a riot, resulting in an estimated $200,000 in damages.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In September 1991, with enough material completed for two albums, Guns N' Roses released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, which debuted at No.Template:Nbsp2 and No.Template:Nbsp1 respectively on the Billboard 200, a feat not achieved by any other group.<ref name="Sugerman91"/> By the albums' release, however, Rose's relationships with his bandmates had become increasingly strained. His childhood friend Izzy Stradlin abruptly left the group in November 1991; he was replaced by Gilby Clarke of Kill For Thrills.<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref name="Sischy92"/> Of his reasons for leaving, Stradlin said, "I didn't like the complications that became such a part of daily life in Guns N' Roses,"<ref name="Musician92">Template:Cite magazine</ref> citing the riot and Rose's chronic lateness as examples, as well as his new-found sobriety making it difficult to be around other bandmates' continued alcohol and substance abuse.<ref name="Geffen98"/><ref name="Musician92"/> On April 20, 1992, Rose performed with Elton John at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a duet with John and also sang "We Will Rock You".
Another riot occurred in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, during a co-headlining tour with Metallica.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Prior to Guns N' Roses' appearance, Metallica's set was cut short after singer-guitarist James Hetfield suffered second-degree burns in a pyrotechnics accident. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, and the band members could not hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt, causing the band to collectively leave the stage early.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The riot resulted in an estimated $400,000 in damages.<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November of that year, Rose was convicted of property damage and assault in relation to the Riverport riot; he was fined $50,000 and received two years' probation.<ref name="Kent03">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Guns N' Roses played its final show of the Use Your Illusion Tour on July 17, 1993, at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> it proved to be Rose's last live performance with the band for seven and a half years.<ref name="ClassicRock03">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The following August, Rose testified in court against Steven Adler, who had filed a lawsuit contending that he had been illegitimately fired. When the judge ruled against Rose, he agreed to an out-of-court settlement of $2,500,000 and 15% of the royalties for everything Adler recorded prior to his departure.<ref name="Wall07"/><ref name="Kent03"/> In November of that year, Guns N' Roses released "The Spaghetti Incident?", a cover album of mostly punk songs, which proved less successful than its predecessors. Rose had included the hidden track "Look at Your Game, Girl", a song written by convicted murderer Charles Manson, which he intended as a personal message to his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour.<ref name="Kent03"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Stickwith">Template:Cite web</ref> Controversy ensued, and the band subsequently pledged to donate any royalties to the son of one of Manson's victims.<ref name="Wall07"/><ref name="Manson cover">Template:Cite web</ref>
1994–2000: hiatus
Template:See also Without consultation from his bandmates, Rose did not renew Gilby Clarke's contract with the band in June 1994,<ref name="Wall07"/> as he claimed Clarke to be only a "hired hand".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Tension between Rose and Slash reached a breaking point after the latter discovered that Rose had hired his childhood friend Paul "Huge" Tobias as Clarke's replacement.<ref name="Wall07"/> Although the band recorded material during this time, it was ultimately not used because, according to Rose, their lack of collaboration prevented them from producing their best work.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roses's final public performance until 2001 was covering The Beatles song "Come Together" alongside Bruce Springsteen in January 1994 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 1995, Rose legally left the band and created a new partnership under the band's name, a step he said he took "to salvage Guns not steal it".<ref name="PRTN">Template:Cite web</ref> Rose reportedly purchased the full rights to the Guns N' Roses name in 1997.<ref name="gnrname">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Slash claimed he and other bandmates signed away rights to the name before the July 5, 1993, show in Barcelona, Spain with Axl delivering an ultimatum: they had to sign the name over to him or he would not perform.<ref name="RollingStone00">Template:Cite magazine</ref> (In 2008, however, Rose said Slash's claims were false and that the alleged coercion would have rendered the contract legally untenable.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>)
Slash finally left Guns N' Roses in October 1996 due to his differences with Rose,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Matt Sorum was fired in June 1997 after an argument over Tobias's involvement in the band.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Duff McKagan departed the band in August of that year, leaving Rose and Dizzy Reed as the only remaining band members of the Use Your Illusion era.<ref name="RollingStone00"/>
As the stability of Guns N' Roses collapsed, Rose withdrew from public view. The band never officially broke up as Rose continued to recruit new musicians to replace band members who either left or were fired. By the late 1990s, he was considered to be a recluse, rarely making public appearances and spending most of his time in his mansion in Malibu. In various media reports, he was referred to as the "Howard Hughes of rock" and "rock's greatest recluse".<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref name="Sutcliffe01">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose was said to spend his nights writing and rehearsing with the various new lineups of Guns N' Roses, working on the band's next album, Chinese Democracy.<ref name="RollingStone00"/>
2001–2011: touring in support of Chinese Democracy
After a warmup show in Las Vegas a few weeks earlier, Rose resurfaced with Guns N' Roses at Rock in Rio 3 on January 14, 2001, to commence the decade-long Chinese Democracy Tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A surprise appearance at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards was followed by an incident in November when a riot erupted at Vancouver's General Motors Place after Rose failed to show up for a scheduled concert. When venue staff announced the cancellation, a riot broke out, resulting in an estimated $100,000 in damages.<ref name="ClassicRock03"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The riot led to the tour's cancelation by the promoter Clear Channel.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
After the promoter canceled the tour, Rose again withdrew from the public view. During this time, he joined Slash and Duff McKagan in a lawsuit against Geffen Records in an unsuccessful attempt to block the release of the Greatest Hits compilation album,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and lent his voice to the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as the DJ for the radio station, K-DST.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a rare interview in January 2006, Rose said "people will hear music this year."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> While Guns N' Roses toured extensively throughout 2006 and 2007, with several guest appearances by Izzy Stradlin, Chinese Democracy again failed to materialize.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As the band's lineup continued to evolve, his constant bandmates were guitarist Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman. Rose collaborated with his friend Sebastian Bach on his album Angel Down in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fifteen years after its last album, in November 2008, Guns N' Roses released Chinese Democracy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The protracted development of the album cost $13 million, making it the most expensive rock album of all time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It received generally favorable reviews but undersold industry expectations. Rose did not contribute to the album's promotion; by December, he had reportedly been missing for at least two months and had not returned phone calls or other requests from his record label.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a subsequent interview, Rose said he felt he had not received the necessary support from Interscope Records.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A year after the album's release, in December 2009, Guns N' Roses embarked on another two-and-a-half years of touring, including a headlining performance at Rock in Rio 4.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012–present: Hall of Fame and regrouping; AC/DC
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Together with the other members of Guns N' Roses' classic lineup, Rose was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, their first year of eligibility.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He did not attend the induction ceremony in April, however,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as he had announced in an open letter three days prior.<ref name="CNN">Template:Cite web</ref> Rose, who had long been on bad terms with several of his former bandmates, wrote that the ceremony "doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected".<ref name="CNN"/> He subsequently joined his band in residencies at The Joint in Las Vegas in 2012 and 2014, as part of the Appetite for Democracy Tour celebrating the anniversaries of Appetite for Destruction and Chinese Democracy.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-2014, the group's new album, recorded concurrently with Chinese Democracy, and a remix album were completed and pending release, but no new material emerged.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rose and Slash reunited for the Not in This Lifetime... Tour, one of the most-anticipated reunion tours in rock history.<ref name="Greene16"/> Alongside Dizzy Reed and returning member Duff McKagan, who had previously made guest appearances with the band, they comprised two-thirds of the band's Use Your Illusion-era lineup, with Chinese Democracy-era members Richard Fortus and Frank Ferrer joining new member Melissa Reese to fill in the rest of the lineup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose shared a stage with Slash for the first time in nearly 23 years during the group's surprise performance at The Troubadour in April 2016, ahead of its headlining shows at Coachella.<ref name="Greene16">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The tour was a massive success, and became the third highest-grossing concert tour of all time at the time of its conclusion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 16, 2016, Australian hard rock band AC/DC announced that Rose would be joining them and performing as the lead singer for the remainder of the band's Rock or Bust World Tour, after long-time lead vocalist Brian Johnson had to stop touring due to hearing problems.<ref name="RS April 2016">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Subsequent reports indicated that guitarist Angus Young would be continuing the band with Rose as its official lead singer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This did not happen however; on September 30, 2020, AC/DC officially announced that Brian Johnson, along with Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams had returned to the band in 2018 and recorded an album, showing that Rose only stepped in to help finish the tour and that he was never brought in to replace Johnson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2018, Rose appeared in an episode of New Looney Tunes as himself, singing an original song "Rock the Rock".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2021, Rose again appeared as himself in a cartoon, this time Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Rose and Guns N' Roses continued touring after the Not In This Lifetime... Tour, with the Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The group released two singles in 2021, "Absurd" and "Hard Skool", the first release of newly recorded material since 2008. Hard Skool was heavily praised in comparison to Absurd, both songs feature vocals recorded in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="HARDSK">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2023, Rose and the band would release the two singles "Perhaps" and "The General", the latter having a music video uploaded to YouTube on January 24.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, they performed live in Indio, California at Coachella in October as part of the 2023 tour and had their first headlining slot at Glastonbury Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band continued touring in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2025, Sumerian Comics announced Rose will be co-writing a new graphic novel alongside Nathan Yocum titled Axl Rose: Appetite For Destruction. The co-author described it as a "raw, neon-noir fever dream, part rock anthem, part cyberpunk prophecy".<ref>GUNS N' ROSES Singer AXL ROSE And SUMERIAN COMICS Announce 'Axl Rose: Appetite For Destruction' Graphic Novel</ref>
Artistry
Influences
An early influence on Rose was Dan McCafferty of Nazareth. He stated in a 1988 interview, "If it wasn't for Dan McCafferty and Nazareth I wouldn't be singing. I used to lock myself in the bathroom and try to hit those notes in "Love Hurts", ya know?".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rose was also influenced by Hanoi Rocks,<ref name="slash2007">Template:Cite book</ref> Queen,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> AC/DC,<ref name="Fink2014">Template:Cite book</ref> the Rolling Stones,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="influ">Template:Harvnb. "Our basic root is hard rock, a bit heavier than the Stones, more in a vein like Aerosmith."</ref> Aerosmith,<ref name="influ" /> Rose Tattoo,<ref name="Stenning">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Led Zeppelin, the Who, Cheap Trick (particularly the live album Cheap Trick at Budokan), Judas Priest (Unleashed in the East),<ref name="88int"/> Aerosmith, Van Halen, the New York Dolls,<ref name="amg-afd">Template:Cite web</ref> T. Rex,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Sex Pistols,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Black Sabbath,<ref name="RnR Hall of Fame">Template:Cite web</ref> and Nirvana.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose's orchestral-style songwriting on the Illusion albums was influenced by the Electric Light Orchestra, Elton John, and Queen, particularly their album Queen II.<ref>Template:Harvnb. "Axl was also succinct in admitting his other influences ... Along with ELO and Queen, Elton John was responsible for Guns N' Roses progression."</ref> Rose cited the Rolling Stones songs "Far Away Eyes" and "Miss You" as favorites.<ref name="88int">Template:Cite web</ref>
In the early 90's, Rose became a fan of electronica and industrial music, particularly the works of Nine Inch Nails, influencing Rose during the development of Chinese Democracy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Wall2008p263">Template:Harvnb</ref> He also cited the U2 and Brian Eno collaboration Original Soundtracks 1 as a major influence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a 2016 interview, Rose cited Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Dan McCafferty, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Don Henley, Jeff Lynne, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Scott, Etta James, Fiona Apple, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown as among his favorite singers.<ref name="rollingstone.com"/> Rose later cited Queen as his favorite band, and Mercury as his favorite singer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Voice
Rose's voice type is bass-baritone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A study of the vocal ranges on studio recordings of singers included on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All-Time" list concluded Rose had the highest vocal range, ranging five octaves from F1 to Bb6.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
During his late teens, Rose was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a psychiatrist interpreted his delinquent behavior as evidence of psychosis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The same evaluation noted his high IQ.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rose later questioned the diagnosis, stating in an interview that it was based solely on a standardized test: "All of a sudden I'm diagnosed manic-depressive... The medication doesn't help me deal with stress. The only thing it does is help keep people off my back".<ref name="RIPJames89"/>
Despite his volatile public image, Rose was not a habitual drug user, though he occasionally experimented.<ref name="Kent03"/><ref name="RIPJames89">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1986, he intentionally overdosed on painkillers during a period of stress, later recalling: "I just grabbed the bottle of pills in an argument and just gulped them down... I ended up in the hospital." The experience inspired the lyrics to "Coma".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the early 1990s, Rose embraced homeopathic medicine and began undergoing past life regression therapy.<ref name="RollingStone00"/> He publicly shared memories of being sexually abused by his biological father at age two, which he said stunted his emotional development:<ref name="RollingStoneBio"/><ref name="Neely92"/><ref name="Sischy92">Template:Cite magazine</ref> "When they talk about Axl Rose being a screaming two-year-old, they're right".<ref name="Neely92"/> He attributed recurring health issues to psychosomatic "self-punishment",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and during the Chinese Democracy sessions, employed a psychic to evaluate potential hires by reading their auras.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Responding to criticism of misogynistic lyrics, Rose acknowledged deep-seated resentment toward women rooted in childhood experiences.<ref name="Neely92"/> In a 1992 interview, he said: "I've had problems with my own masculinity... My mother picked my stepfather over me and watched me get beaten by him... I overheard my grandma going off on men when I was four".<ref name="Neely92"/>
Relationships
In early 1986, Rose began a relationship with Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. He wrote "Sweet Child o' Mine" for her, and she appeared in its music video. The couple married in Las Vegas on April 28, 1990,<ref name="Dougherty94">Template:Cite magazine</ref> but Rose filed for divorce less than a month later.<ref name="Spitz99"/> They briefly reconciled, and Everly became pregnant.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> They chose names - Shiloh Blue for a boy, Willow Amelia for a girl - but she miscarried in October 1990, which deeply affected Rose.<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref name="Dougherty94"/> Following an altercation, Everly left in November, and the marriage was annulled in January 1991.<ref name="Dougherty94"/>
In mid-1991, Rose entered a high-profile relationship with supermodel Stephanie Seymour, who appeared in the videos for "Don't Cry" and "November Rain". Rose grew close to Seymour's son, Dylan, and tried to be a father figure, having lacked one himself.<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref name="Kent03"/> The couple became engaged in February 1993 but separated three weeks later.<ref name="Dougherty94"/>
Rose is close friends with rock singer Sebastian Bach,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2012, he befriended Lana Del Rey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also close with Lisa Marie Presley and performed "November Rain" at her memorial service in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Rose's friendship with Slash deteriorated after Slash left Guns N' Roses in 1996. In 2006, Rose claimed Slash had shown up uninvited the previous year to offer a truce.<ref name="Slash 2008 446">Template:Harvnb</ref> In 2009, Rose referred to him as "a cancer."<ref name="idiomag2009-03-23">Template:Cite web</ref> By August 2015, Slash stated they had reconciled, later explaining: "We had a lot of issues born out of third-party stuff... the longer we didn't talk, the more it got blown out of proportion".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Beta Lebeis and Team Brazil
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Rose grew close to his assistant Beta Lebeis, describing her as a maternal figure.<ref>Interview with Beta Lebeis Beth, the ' Brazilian and tattooed mama' of Axl Rose (July)</ref> Lebeis said, "According to him, I am the mother he never had".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They first met in 1991 while she was babysitting Seymour's son.<ref name="beta">Template:Cite web</ref> By the late 2000s, Beta and her son Fernando became the de facto managers of Guns N' Roses under the name "Team Brazil," following issues with previous management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
At Rock in Rio III in 2001, Rose publicly thanked Beta and her family: "I've been taken care of for the last seven years by a Brazilian family... She has been a mother to me, to my manager, to my other assistants and anyone in the band who ever needed her".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Politics
On April 28, 2015, Rose sent a letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo urging the removal of the death penalty option in the Bali Nine case on humanitarian grounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Following the execution of two individuals, Rose publicly criticized Widodo for "ignoring the international outcry".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rose has frequently used Twitter to voice political opinions, including criticism of figures in the Trump administration,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Apple CEO Tim Cook.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 7, 2020, he condemned Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a direct response from Mnuchin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Guns N' Roses later released a T-shirt satirizing the administration's pandemic response.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Legal issues
As a teenager in Indiana, Rose was arrested more than 20 times.<ref name="Tannenbaum88"/> He later said, "Five of those times I was guilty... I was drinking at a party underage. The other times I got busted because the cops hated me".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In November 1987, Rose was arrested onstage after assaulting a security guard during a concert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was held backstage and offered release if he apologized, but refused and was taken into custody.<ref name="vult_Conc">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1990, Rose was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly striking his neighbor with an empty wine bottle.<ref name="LATIM">Template:Cite web</ref> He claimed the neighbor had swung a bottle at him first, following repeated disputes over loud music.<ref name="LATIM"/> The incident inspired the lyrics to "Right Next Door to Hell" on Use Your Illusion I.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1992, Rose was arrested for his role in the Riverport Riot, which occurred the previous year when he abruptly ended a concert near St. Louis.<ref name="nyti_AxlR">Template:Cite news</ref> He was found guilty of property damage and assault, fined $50,000, and sentenced to two years' probation.<ref name="vari_AxlR">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1998, Rose was arrested at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona for threatening a security guard during a luggage search.<ref name="98arr"/> He was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.<ref name="98arr">Template:Cite web</ref> His publicist described the event as a misunderstanding, saying Rose was trying to protect a fragile memento.<ref name="98arr"/>
In June 2006, Rose was arrested in Sweden for biting a security guard's leg during an altercation in a hotel lobby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was deemed too intoxicated to be questioned immediately and was later fined $5,500 and ordered to pay $1,360 in damages.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Rape charge and assault allegations
In 1985, Rose and Slash were charged with felony statutory rape following allegations that Rose had engaged in sexual activity with 15-year-old Michelle Rhoades.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="RSMich"/> The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.<ref name="medi_Insi">Template:Cite book</ref> Slash referenced the incident in his memoir, describing a woman who "freaked out intensely" after being with Rose.<ref name="RSMich"/> Rose also commented on the event, recalling that the individual had disrupted equipment and left the premises unclothed.<ref name="medi_Insi"/>
In 2024, Rhoades publicly shared additional claims, stating she had been in a relationship with Rose at age 15 and experienced a miscarriage.<ref name="RSMich">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She alleged that during a visit to a studio, she was assaulted by Rose and others present, and later left the location without clothing.<ref name="RSMich"/> A third party confirmed assisting her afterward.<ref name="RSMich"/> Rhoades said she chose not to pursue charges due to emotional distress, and claimed Rose apologized to her.<ref name="RSMich"/> No legal action was taken following these renewed allegations.<ref name="RSMich"/>
In 1993, Rose filed a lawsuit against model Stephanie Seymour, alleging assault at a holiday gathering.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seymour filed a counterclaim citing assault and battery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both suits were settled out of court.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1994, Rose's ex-wife Erin Everly filed a civil suit alleging physical and emotional abuse during their relationship, which was also settled privately.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On November 22, 2023, Rose was sued by actress Sheila Kennedy under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily extended the statute of limitations for sexual assault claims.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy alleged an incident occurred in 1989 and had previously referenced it in her memoir and a documentary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Rose denied the allegations, stating he had no recollection of meeting Kennedy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His legal team filed to dismiss the suit in February 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The case was privately settled with prejudice in December 2024, with Rose reiterating his denial: "As I have said from the beginning, I deny the allegations. There was no assault".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lawsuits
In 1992, an audience member involved in the Riverport Riot sued Rose for $210,000 in damages. The case was settled out of court for $160,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2004, Rose unsuccessfully attempted to block the release of The Roots of Guns N' Roses, a compilation of early Hollywood Rose recordings.<ref name="ROOTS"/> Later that year, he joined Slash and Duff McKagan in an unsuccessful lawsuit to prevent the release of Greatest Hits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, Slash and McKagan sued Rose over publishing and songwriting credits, which Rose attributed to a clerical error during a publisher transition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, Rose was sued by a rental company for returning a leased car in damaged condition and failing to make payments dating back to 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
That same year, former manager Irving Azoff filed a lawsuit seeking $1.87 million in unpaid touring fees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="azoff">Template:Cite web</ref> Rose countersued, alleging mismanagement and intentional sabotage of album sales to pressure a reunion with former bandmates.<ref name="EWsuit">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both suits were settled.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rose later stated the settlement required Guns N' Roses to perform a number of shows promoted by Azoff's company, Live Nation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Azoff denied pressuring Rose to reunite with the old lineup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In November 2010, Rose sued Activision for $20 million, claiming the company violated an agreement by featuring Slash and Velvet Revolver imagery in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock despite licensing "Welcome to the Jungle".<ref name="THR">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed in 2013 due to the statute of limitations and reliance on oral agreements.<ref name="THR" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Rose faced additional lawsuits related to concert incidents. In 2013, a man sued after being struck by a microphone at an Australian show, resulting in dental injuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, another individual filed suit over injuries from a mic stand thrown during a 2021 concert in Pennsylvania.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following a third incident that year, Rose announced he would stop throwing objects into the crowd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, Rose threatened legal action over the release of recordings from Rapidfire, his pre-Hollywood Rose band, temporarily blocking their availability on digital platforms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2016, Rose issued DMCA takedown requests to Google in an attempt to suppress a widely circulated image taken in 2010 published under the headline "OMFG Axl Rose is Fat.", which led to a Streisand effect.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Later that year, former Guns N' Roses keyboardist Chris Pitman sued Rose for $125,000 in unpaid wages.<ref>Axl Rose Sued, TMZ.com</ref> The case was settled in November 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2022, Rose filed a trademark lawsuit against a weapons dealer operating under the name "Texas Guns and Roses," citing reputational harm.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
With Guns N' Roses
- Appetite for Destruction (1987)
- G N' R Lies (1988)
- Use Your Illusion I (1991)
- Use Your Illusion II (1991)
- "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
- Chinese Democracy (2008)
With Hollywood Rose
- The Roots of Guns N' Roses (2004)<ref name="ROOTS">Template:Cite news</ref>
With Rapidfire
- Ready to Rumble EP (2014)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As featured artist
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Under My Wheels" (Alice Cooper feat. Axl Rose, Slash and Izzy Stradlin)<ref name="guest">Template:Cite news</ref> |
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1994 | "Dead Flowers" (Gilby Clarke feat. Axl Rose) |
Pawnshop Guitars |
| 2007 | "Back in the Saddle" "(Love Is) a Bitchslap" "Stuck Inside" (Sebastian Bach feat. Axl Rose) |
Angel Down<ref name="guest"/> |
| 2024 | "Love to Love" (Michael Schenker) |
My Years with UFO<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
As session musician or writer
- The End of the Innocence by Don Henley (1989; "I Will Not Go Quietly")<ref name="guest"/>
- Fire and Gasoline by Steve Jones (1989; "I Did U No Wrong")<ref name="guest"/>
- Pigs by Asphalt Ballet (1993; "Crash Diet")
- Anxious Disease by The Outpatience (1996; "Anxious Disease" feat. Slash)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other work
- New Looney Tunes (2018, "Rock the Rock")<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Dead Pool | Musician at funeral | Uncredited<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | K-DST DJ Tommy "The Nightmare" Smith (voice) | Video game<ref name="Joe DAngelo-2004">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2011 | That Metal Show | Himself | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 2012 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2018 | New Looney Tunes | Himself (voice) | TV show<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2021 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | TV show<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition | K-DST DJ Tommy "The Nightmare" Smith (voice) | Video game Archival recordings Remaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only <ref name="Joe DAngelo-2004"/> |
References
External links
Template:Commons category Template:Wikiquote
Template:Guns N' Roses Template:Hollywood Rose Template:L.A. Guns Template:2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Pages with broken file links
- Axl Rose
- 1962 births
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singer-songwriters
- 21st-century American male singers
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- American hard rock musicians
- American heavy metal singers
- American male singer-songwriters
- American people convicted of assault
- American rock songwriters
- American tenors
- Guns N' Roses members
- Hard rock singers
- Hollywood Rose members
- L.A. Guns members
- Living people
- Musicians from Malibu, California
- People charged with battery
- People from Lafayette, Indiana
- People with bipolar disorder
- Singer-songwriters from California
- Singer-songwriters from Indiana
- Singers from Indiana
- Singers from Los Angeles