Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Axl Rose

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Axl Rose made an impact.

Axl Rose is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He is the only consistent member of the band since its formation in 1985. Recognized for his powerful and wide-ranging voice, Rose has received acclaim as one of the greatest singers of all time from prominent media outlets.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

March 1983: Joins Rapidfire

In March 1983, Axl Rose met Kevin Lawrence and joined his band Rapidfire.

May 1983: Rapidfire Records Demo

In May 1983, Axl Rose's band Rapidfire recorded a five-song demo at Telstar Studios in Burbank.

January 1984: Hollywood Rose Records Demo

In January 1984, Axl Rose's band Hollywood Rose recorded a five-song demo featuring tracks like "Anything Goes" and "Reckless Life".

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March 1985: Formation of Guns N' Roses

In March 1985, Axl Rose and Tracii Guns formed Guns N' Roses by merging their respective bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns.

1985: Guns N' Roses Inception

In 1985, Axl Rose became the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He has been the band's sole constant member since then.

1985: Co-founded Guns N' Roses

In 1985, Axl Rose co-founded the band Guns N' Roses, leading to great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

March 1986: Name Change and Geffen Records Contract

In March 1986, Axl Rose legally changed his name to W. Axl Rose prior to signing his contract with Geffen Records.

March 1986: Signing with Geffen Records

In March 1986, after building a devoted fan following, Guns N' Roses signed with Geffen Records.

July 1987: Release of 'Appetite for Destruction'

In July 1987, Guns N' Roses released their debut album, "Appetite for Destruction". The album later rose to the No. 1 position due to touring and the success of "Sweet Child o' Mine".

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November 1987: Axl Rose arrested for assaulting a security guard onstage

In November 1987, Axl Rose was arrested onstage after assaulting a security guard during a show. He refused to apologize and was taken into custody.

1987: Release of 'Appetite for Destruction'

In 1987, Guns N' Roses released their first album, "Appetite for Destruction", which later became the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S.

1990: Axl Rose arrested for assault with a deadly weapon

In 1990, Axl Rose was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting his next-door neighbor on the head with an empty wine bottle, following disputes over loud music. This incident inspired the lyrics to the song "Right Next Door To Hell".

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1990: Guns N' Roses Return to Studio

In early 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio, but recording sessions were unproductive due to Steven Adler's drug addiction. Adler was later fired, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined the band.

May 1991: Start of Use Your Illusion Tour

In May 1991, Guns N' Roses embarked on the Use Your Illusion Tour, known for its financial success and controversial incidents.

September 1991: Release of Use Your Illusion I and II

In September 1991, Guns N' Roses released "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II". The albums debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 respectively on the Billboard 200. However, relationships between Axl Rose and his bandmates were strained, and Izzy Stradlin left the group in November 1991.

November 1991: Izzy Stradlin leaves Guns N' Roses

In November 1991, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose's childhood friend, abruptly left Guns N' Roses, citing complications in daily life within the band, Rose's lateness, the riot incident, and Stradlin's sobriety conflicting with the other bandmates' alcohol and substance abuse. He was replaced by Gilby Clarke.

1991: Release of Use Your Illusion I and II

In 1991, Guns N' Roses released the twin albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, which were both widely successful and debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

April 20, 1992: Performance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

On April 20, 1992, Axl Rose performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. He sang "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a duet with Elton John and also performed "We Will Rock You."

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August 1992: Riot at Montreal's Olympic Stadium

In August 1992, a riot occurred at Montreal's Olympic Stadium during a tour with Metallica. Metallica's set was cut short due to an accident with James Hetfield, and Guns N' Roses was late to take the stage due to Axl Rose's tardiness. Rose complained of voice problems and walked off stage an hour into the show, triggering a riot that resulted in $400,000 in damages.

1992: Rose Addresses Concert Security

In 1992, Axl Rose stated that he would confront disruptive fans personally at concerts and have them removed from the venue, rather than addressing them through the security personnel.

1992: Axl Rose found guilty for his role in the Riverport Riot

In 1992, Axl Rose was found guilty of property damage and assault for his role in the Riverport Riot, which occurred the previous year. As a result, he was fined $50,000 and given two years probation.

July 5, 1993: Ultimatum for bandmates to sign over rights to the Guns N' Roses name

Before the July 5, 1993 show in Barcelona, Spain, Axl Rose allegedly delivered an ultimatum to his bandmates: they had to sign the rights to the Guns N' Roses name over to him or he would not perform.

July 17, 1993: Final Show of the Use Your Illusion Tour

On July 17, 1993, Guns N' Roses performed its final show of the Use Your Illusion Tour at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. It was Axl Rose's last live performance with the band for seven and a half years.

1993: Release of "The Spaghetti Incident?"

In 1993, Guns N' Roses released the punk covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", which failed to match the success of previous albums.

June 1994: Gilby Clarke's contract not renewed

In June 1994, Axl Rose did not renew Gilby Clarke's contract without consulting his bandmates, stating that Clarke was only a "hired hand". Tension escalated with Slash after Rose hired Paul "Huge" Tobias as Clarke's replacement, leading to unused recorded material due to a lack of collaboration.

August 1995: Rose leaves band and creates new partnership

In August 1995, Axl Rose legally left Guns N' Roses and created a new partnership under the band's name to 'salvage Guns not steal it'.

October 1996: Slash leaves Guns N' Roses

In October 1996, Slash left Guns N' Roses due to differences with Axl Rose.

June 1997: Matt Sorum fired from Guns N' Roses

In June 1997, Matt Sorum was fired from Guns N' Roses after an argument over Paul "Huge" Tobias's involvement in the band.

1997: Rose reportedly purchases full rights to Guns N' Roses name

In 1997, Axl Rose reportedly purchased the full rights to the Guns N' Roses name.

1998: Work on a New Album Underway

By 1998, work on a new Guns N' Roses album was underway, but only Axl Rose and keyboardist Dizzy Reed remained from the previous tour lineup.

1999: "Absurd" Pre-Recorded

In 1999, the song "Absurd", later released in 2021, was pre-recorded.

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January 14, 2001: Guns N' Roses at Rock in Rio 3

On January 14, 2001, Axl Rose resurfaced with Guns N' Roses at Rock in Rio 3, commencing the Chinese Democracy Tour.

2001: Rose Resurfaces at Rock in Rio 3

In 2001, Axl Rose, as the only remaining original member, resurfaced alongside the new lineup of Guns N' Roses at Rock in Rio 3.

2002: Riot at Vancouver concert

In 2002, after a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, a riot erupted at Vancouver's General Motors Place when Axl Rose failed to appear for a scheduled Guns N' Roses concert, resulting in $100,000 in damages.

2004: Voice acting in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

In 2004, Axl Rose lent his voice to the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", as the DJ for the radio station K-DST.

January 2006: Axl Rose announces new music

In January 2006, Axl Rose stated in an interview that "people will hear music this year."

2007: Axl Rose collaborates with Sebastian Bach

In 2007, Axl Rose collaborated with Sebastian Bach on his album "Angel Down".

November 2008: Release of Chinese Democracy

In November 2008, Guns N' Roses released "Chinese Democracy" exclusively through Best Buy. Axl Rose did not participate in promoting the album.

2008: Rose denies alleged coercion in rights contract

In 2008, Axl Rose disputed claims by Slash that he had coerced bandmates into signing over rights to the Guns N' Roses name, stating that such coercion would have rendered the contract legally untenable.

2008: Release of Chinese Democracy

In 2008, Guns N' Roses released "Chinese Democracy", which was promoted through the decade-long Chinese Democracy Tour.

2008: Last release of new material before 2021

In 2008, before the release of "Absurd" and "Hard Skool" in 2021, the last release of newly recorded material by Guns N' Roses was in 2008.

December 2009: Guns N' Roses embark on another tour

In December 2009, Guns N' Roses embarked on a two-and-a-half-year tour, including a headlining performance at Rock in Rio 4.

2011: Settlement mandates Guns N' Roses performances with Live Nation

In 2011, as part of a settlement agreement, Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses were required to perform a number of shows with Live Nation as the promoter.

2012: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In 2012, Axl Rose and the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, Rose did not attend the induction ceremony in April.

2014: New album pending release

By mid-2014, Guns N' Roses had completed a new album and a remix album, both recorded concurrently with Chinese Democracy, but the material was pending release.

April 28, 2015: Letter to Indonesian President regarding the Bali Nine

On April 28, 2015, Axl Rose sent a letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo requesting the removal of the death penalty for the Bali Nine on humanitarian grounds.

April 2016: Reunion Performance at The Troubadour

In April 2016, Axl Rose and Slash reunited on stage for the first time in nearly 23 years during a surprise performance at The Troubadour, ahead of Guns N' Roses' headlining shows at Coachella.

April 16, 2016: Axl Rose joins AC/DC

On April 16, 2016, AC/DC announced that Axl Rose would be joining the band as the lead singer for the remainder of the Rock or Bust World Tour, as Brian Johnson had to stop touring due to hearing problems.

2016: Reunion and Tour with AC/DC

In 2016, Slash and Duff McKagan rejoined Guns N' Roses for the Not in This Lifetime... Tour, ending Rose's feud with Slash. Also in 2016, Rose toured with AC/DC as a fill-in vocalist.

2018: Appearance in New Looney Tunes

In 2018, Axl Rose appeared in an episode of "New Looney Tunes" as himself, singing an original song "Rock the Rock".

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2018: Brian Johnson rejoined AC/DC

In 2018, Brian Johnson rejoined AC/DC, and the band recorded an album, showing that Axl Rose was never brought in to replace Johnson.

May 7, 2020: Axl Rose criticizes Steven Mnuchin on Twitter

On May 7, 2020, Axl Rose used Twitter to criticize Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for the Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Mnuchin responded.

September 30, 2020: AC/DC announces Brian Johnson's return

On September 30, 2020, AC/DC announced the return of Brian Johnson, along with Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, to the band, confirming that Axl Rose only stepped in to help finish the tour.

2020: Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour

Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses continued touring after the Not In This Lifetime... Tour, with the Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour.

2021: Appearance in Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?

In 2021, Axl Rose appeared as himself in the cartoon "Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?".

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2021: Release of 'Absurd' and 'Hard Skool'

In 2021, Guns N' Roses released two singles, "Absurd" and "Hard Skool", marking the first release of newly recorded material since 2008. "Hard Skool" was praised more than "Absurd", which was pre-recorded in 1999.

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2023: Releases of 'Perhaps' and 'The General'

In 2023, Guns N' Roses and Axl Rose released the singles "Perhaps" and "The General". A music video for "The General" was uploaded to YouTube on January 24. They also performed live in Indio, California in October.

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