Guns N’ Roses were formed in Hollywood, CA by Axl Rose and Tracii Guns in 1985. The original lineup consisted of Axl Rose, guitarist Tracii Guns, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Ole Beich and drummer Rod Gardner. Biech was replaced by Duff McKagan and later Guns and Gardner were replaced with guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler who were teenage friends in early 1986 which rounded out the “classic” Guns and Roses lineup.
In 1986 the band issued an EP titled “Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide which featured a cover of Aerosmith’s “Mama Kin”. Only 10,000 copies of the album were produced but the EP was issued as side 1 of the Guns N’ Roses album “Lies”
Appetite for Destruction was released on July 21, 1987. The album sales were slow only to go through the roof a year later in the spring of 1988 when it entered the Billboard Top 10 in April.
The original cover for “Appetite for Destruction” depicting a monster attacking a robot rapist with a woman on the cover was banned after several outlets refused to sell the album. The album was then changed showing the five members as skeleton faces on a cross. The album with the original cover is a very hot collector’s item.
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| The "Appetite for Destruction" Banned Cover |
During their 1987 tour drummer, Steven Adler breaks his hand and is replaced on the tour with Cinderella drummer, Fred Coury, for some shows.
The album “Lies” was originally titled “Lies! The Sex, The Drugs, The Violence, The Shocking Truth” but was shortened by Geffen Records.
When “Lies” shot up the Billboard charts to #2, Guns N’ Roses became the first band to have 2 albums in the Top 5 in fifteen years. “Appetite for Destruction” was also in the top 5.
At the 1990 American Music Awards, Duff and Slash caused an uproar when Slash uttered some 4-letter obscenities during an acceptance speech. Which ironically is pretty common at awards shows in this day.
In 1990 Guns N’ Roses add a keyboard player to the band, Dizzy Reed.
On July 11, 1990 drummer Steven Adler is fired from the band because of continued use of drugs and is replaced with former Cult drummer Matt Sorum.
Shannon Hoon (late lead singer of Blind Melon) appears in the video for “Don’t Cry”.
In 1991 rhythm guitarist, Izzy Stradlin, quits the band his last show is in front of 72,000 plus at London’s Wembley Stadium. Stradlin is replaced in the band by Gilby Clark.
The album of covers titled “The Spaghetti Incident” included the song “Look at Your Game Girl” which was written by Charles Manson.
June 1994, guitarist, Gilby Clark is fired
Though the exact date of his leaving is not official, in October of 1996 Axl sends a fax to MTV saying that Slash is no longer a member of Guns N’ Roses since 1995.
In January of 1997, Axl Rose buys the naming rights to the band Guns N’ Roses.
August of 1997, bassist, Duff McKagen leaves Guns N’ Roses leaving Axl as the only remaining member of the band that created “Appetite for Destruction”.
Axl Rose inducted Elton John into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
Former drummer Steven Adler suffered a stroke from drugs leaving him partially paralyzed and now plays in his band Adler’s Appetite.
Duff Mckagen was one of the last people to talk to Kurt Cobain before he committed suicide, McKagen sat with Cobain on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle.
Axl Rose is an anagram of Oral Sex.
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