Axl Rose

Axl Rose

Who Is Axl Rose?

Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose Jr. on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana, is a prominent figure in the rock music scene, best known as the lead vocalist of the legendary band Guns N’ Roses. Following his early years in Indiana, where he faced a tumultuous family life after his father abandoned the family and his mother remarried, Rose relocated to California in 1982. In California, he took on various odd jobs while pursuing his passion for music, eventually leading to the formation of Guns N’ Roses in the mid-1980s.

The band quickly gained critical acclaim for their unique sound, blending elements of hard rock, punk, and blues. However, Rose’s often controversial behavior and turbulent personal life frequently attracted media attention. After the band’s successful Use Your Illusion Tour in the early 1990s, Rose became somewhat of a recluse, stepping away from the public eye. Despite this, he continued to work on music, notably promising the long-awaited album Chinese Democracy, which was finally released in 2008.

Background

Axl Rose’s upbringing was marked by instability. Born to a teenage mother and a father who left early in his life, he was raised by his mother and her second husband, Stephen Bailey, who adopted him. For much of his childhood, Rose believed Bailey to be his biological father. This perception changed dramatically at the age of 17 when he discovered the truth about his biological father while reviewing family documents. Consequently, he began using his birth name, Rose.

During his adolescence, Rose had several run-ins with the law, facing charges related to public intoxication and battery. His encounters with the police intensified to the point where he faced the prospect of being labeled a career criminal. To escape this trajectory, he made the pivotal decision to move to Los Angeles, where he sought to immerse himself in the vibrant music scene. Shortly thereafter, he joined the band AXL, and the experience was so transformative that he legally changed his name to W. Axl Rose.

Guns N’ Roses: A Professional Overview

Axl Rose, the frontman of Guns N’ Roses, navigated a challenging path to success, taking on various odd jobs to support himself while playing in bands such as Rapid Fire, L.A. Guns, and Hollywood Rose. In 1985, he formed Guns N’ Roses, which released a self-titled EP in 1986, followed by the landmark debut album Appetite for Destruction in 1987 through Geffen Records.

The band’s meteoric rise to fame positioned Rose as both a celebrated and controversial figure in rock music. While he garnered acclaim as one of the most charismatic and successful lead singers of all time, he also faced criticism for his notorious lateness to performances, often causing concerts to start several hours behind schedule. The release of G N’ R Lies in 1988 brought further controversy, with accusations of racism and homophobia directed at Rose due to the lyrics of “One in a Million.” Tragic incidents during performances, such as the deaths of two concertgoers during a slam-dancing episode to “It’s So Easy” at the Monsters of Rock festival, led to heightened scrutiny of his conduct. Rose gained a reputation for stopping shows to address unruly fans, notably diving into the crowd at a 1991 St. Louis concert to retrieve a banned video camera. This incident sparked a riot that resulted in $200,000 in damages, subsequently leading to Guns N’ Roses being banned from the city. Throughout the Use Your Illusion Tour in the early 1990s, Rose’s increasingly erratic behavior, including frequent on-stage rants, walk-offs, and riots, characterized the band’s performances. After their last concert on July 17, 1993, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Guns N’ Roses entered a prolonged period of inactivity.

A New Era

While the band did not officially disband, significant lineup changes occurred in the late 1990s, with lead guitarist Slash departing in 1996, drummer Matt Sorum being dismissed in 1997, and bassist Duff McKagan leaving later that same year. During this time, Rose became reclusive, retreating to his home in Malibu. He resurfaced in 2004 with a new lineup and began a sporadic touring schedule across North America, Europe, and Asia. The much-anticipated album Chinese Democracy was finally released in 2008, although Rose’s absence for two months following its debut raised questions about his relationship with the record label, which he claimed had failed to provide adequate support.

Guns N’ Roses was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, although Rose did not attend the ceremony. Four years later, in March 2016, it was announced that the band would reunite for a 21-city North American tour. This highly anticipated tour, known as the Not in This Lifetime… Tour, saw the original members—Rose, Slash, and McKagan—reunite, resulting in 4.3 million tickets sold in 2017, ranking it among the highest-grossing tours since 1990, according to Billboard.

Rocky Personal Life

Rose’s personal life has often mirrored the tumultuous nature of his professional career. He married Erin Everly in 1990, a relationship marked by distress, with Everly later alleging that Rose threatened to take his own life with a gun if she did not marry him. Their marriage was annulled by early 1991.

Later that year, Rose began dating supermodel Stephanie Seymour, and the couple became engaged in 1993. However, their relationship ended soon after, leading to legal disputes. Rose sued Seymour for assault, to which she countered, claiming he attacked her and she acted in self-defense. This case extended over time, culminating in a settlement out of court. Everly was called to testify in this matter and subsequently filed her own lawsuit against Rose for assault and sexual battery, which he also settled out of court.

In his early life, Rose was diagnosed as manic-depressive and was prescribed lithium, which he has since chosen to avoid, advocating instead for homeopathic remedies and past-life regression therapy. Rose has spoken about how this therapy helped him recover memories of being sexually abused by his biological father at the age of two, a revelation that has significantly influenced his personal narrative.