Riotous Facts About Axl Rose, Rock and Roll’s “Greatest Singer”

He Was A Rocking Riot

Axl Rose cemented his place in music history as the lead singer and vocalist of the rock and roll band, Guns N’ Roses. But his habits of delaying concerts, firing band members, and singing slurs caused riots amongst his fans—fatal riots. 

1. He Wasn’t Part Of The Plan

William Bruce Rose Jr was never supposed to rise to fame—in fact, he was never supposed to rise at all. Rose was the unexpected love child of his 16-year-old mother, Sharon Elizabeth, and his 20-year-old father, Bruce Rose. Not only were his parents still in high school, but authorities later described Rose’s father as "a troubled and charismatic local delinquent".

Rose would follow in his father’s footsteps, whether he wanted to or not.

 Kevin.Mazur, Getty Images

2. His Father Abducted Him—And Worse

Rose’s already challenging origins took a turn for the worse when his young parents split up. But his father wasn’t willing to let him go. When Rose was just two years old, his father abducted him and, allegedly, mistreated him. Fortunately, Rose managed to make it back to his mother who remarried and changed Rose’s name, erasing his horrible father from his life—and memory—for good.

Sadly, he was just going from the frying pan into the oven.

 Scott Gries, Getty Images

3. He Wasn’t Allowed To Listen To Music

Rose’s new family was "very religious". His parents demanded that he and his siblings attend church up to eight times every week. But there was little room for charity in his household. In an interview decades later, Rose said, "We'd have televisions one week, then my stepdad would throw them out because they were Satanic. I wasn't allowed to listen to music. Women were evil. Everything was evil".

Little did he know, he was in for the shock of his life.

 Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

4. He Learned Who He Really Was

Rose later revealed that his stepfather "regularly" beat him and his siblings. So, he must have been delighted when, at the age of 17, he stumbled upon his true identity. After rifling through his parents’ insurance papers, Rose learned the truth about his father and even changed his name back from Bailey to Rose. Of course, it was a bittersweet revelation. 

 Marc S Canter, Getty Images

5. He Wanted To Distance Himself From His Past

It was relieving for Rose to learn that didn't share any genes with his stepfather, once he learned about his true father's identity. Even more horrifying though, was who, exactly, he did share genes with. Rose learned that his biological father had fallen victim to his lawless ways, and died years earlier. In an effort to distance himself from his father’s atrocities, Rose abbreviated his name.

But he still lived with a monster—and desperately sought an escape.

 Neil H Kitson, Getty Images

6. He Found Comfort In Music

Whether it was his biological father or his stepfather, Rose later recounted that his childhood was full of mistreatment. But rather than break him, the trauma pushed Rose toward music. From the age of five, he honed his future rock singing in the church choir and later performed with his brother and sister as part of the "Bailey Trio". 

Not everyone loved his performances.

 Marc S Canter, Getty Images

7. He Drove His Choir Teacher Crazy

At Jefferson High, Rose sang baritone in the chorus and studied piano. But while his classmates found harmony, Rose found mischief. He once confessed to inventing "different voices" just to throw his teacher off. He also found friendship—and eventually a bandmate—in Jeff Isbell, better known as Izzy Stradlin. Even with music in his life, however, he found a way to cause trouble.

 Paul Natkin, Getty Images

8. He Became A Small-Town Outlaw

Once Rose discovered the truth about his birth father, he spiraled out of control. During his teenage years in Lafayette, he repeatedly ran into trouble with the law. Authorities hauled Rose in more than 20 times before he even graduated high school, sometimes locking him up for months at a time. The truth is that he was just misunderstood.

 Pete Still, Getty Images

9. He Was A Lunatic—And A Genius

After his many run-ins with the law, Rose sat for a psychiatric evaluation. But what the psychiatrist found only made his situation worse. The psychiatrist diagnosed Rose with bipolar disorder and noted signs of psychosis. But buried in that diagnosis was a twist: Rose also had a sky-high IQ—and he used it to his advantage.

 Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

10. He Didn’t Believe A Word Of It

In a later interview, Rose called the diagnosis bogus: "I went to a clinic, thinking it would help my moods[…]All of a sudden I'm diagnosed manic-depressive". His psychiatrist gave him medication, but Rose claimed that the only benefit was keeping "people off [his] back" because they figured he was being "treated".

Still, he needed a fresh start.

 Ethan Miller, Getty Images

11. He Got A New Beginning In LA

By the time Rose was in his early 20s, the authorities in Lafayette had had enough of antics. After threatening to increase his charges, Rose fled to Los Angeles in 1982. There, he dove headfirst into his music and became so obsessed with his new band AXL that his friends suggested he change his name. Seeking to cap off his "fresh start", Rose officially adopted the name "Axl".

The rest, as they say, is history.

 Paul Natkin, Getty Images

12. He Was A Demo Machine

Within months of arriving in LA, Rose was already working the club scene, hoping to make it big in rock and roll. He joined the band Rapidfire, recorded a five-song demo, and then promptly formed Hollywood Rose with his high school friend, Izzy Stradlin. Before long, his nascent band attracted the likes of Slash and Steven Adler, forming the beginnings of something great.

First, however, he’d have to do something not-so-great.

 Dineshraj Goomany, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

13. He Smoked For Science

In his pre-fame days, Rose bounced between bands and jobs. One job, in particular, could have ended his career before it even began. To make ends meet, he and Stradlin signed up for a research study at the nearby UCLA. The study paid the equivalent of about $24/hour, but it came with a twist. Rose had to huff on smokes to get his money.

Thankfully, the gig didn’t ruin his powerful voice—because fame was waiting.

 dave1968, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

14. He Founded Guns N’ Roses

In March 1985, Rose met with Tracii Guns and the two made a merger that would change rock history forever. The pair decided to merge their bands—and names—into one, forming Guns N’ Roses. Within months—and multiple lineup changes—the band’s “classic five” took shape: Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven. A few performances at the legendary Troubadour later, and Rose and his new bandmates inked a deal with Geffen Records.

Their first hit came straight from Rose’s heart.

 Icon and Image, Getty Images

15. His First Hit Was A Love Song

Around the time he was signing his first record deal, Rose fell hard for Erin Everly, the daughter of one-half of The Everly Brothers. His love for her turned out to be exactly the big break he needed. He penned the now-iconic song "Sweet Child o' Mine" in her honor and watched as the records flew off the shelf.

 Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

16. His Debut Album Topped The Charts

In July 1987, Guns N’ Roses released their debut album, Appetite for Destruction. But the success that Rose had been expecting didn’t come easily—at first. Only after months of touring and the success of his heartfelt hit single, "Sweet Child o' Mine", did the album soar to the top of the charts…and kept going. Decades later, Appetite for Destruction became the best-selling debut album in US history.

Not even Rose could control his fans.

 Kraft74, Shutterstock

17. His Fans Were Out Of Control

Hot off the success of their debut album, Guns N’ Roses performed at the Monsters of Rock festival in England. But even Rose, as the face of the band, couldn’t contain their fans. The crowd of 107,000 began "slam-dancing" to their favorite Guns N’ Roses songs. But, as he belted out the lyrics, Rose could tell that things were getting out of hand. He paused the performance to try and calm the crowd—but it was too late.

 Marc S Canter, Getty Images

18. He Witnessed A Nightmare

Despite Rose’s efforts to maintain order, thousands of concertgoers continued “slam-dancing”. And then, just as Rose had feared, tragedy struck. In their zeal for rock and roll, the mass of thousands of out-of-control fans crushed the life out of two fans. That tragic moment changed Rose’s concerts forever.

 Photography Stock Ruiz, Shutterstock

19. He Threw Rowdy Fans Out Of His Concerts

Following the incident at Monster of Rock, Rose adopted a strict stance on crowd behavior. In 1992, Rose explained his uncharacteristically level-headed approach, saying, “Most performers would go to a security person[…]I’ll confront the person, stop the song: ‘Guess what: You wasted your money, you get to leave’.”

But he couldn’t overcome the tragedy in his success.

 Carlos Varela, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

20. He Tried To End It All

In 1986, just as he found fame and fortune, Rose suffered a meltdown. One that nearly put him six feet under. In a fit of despair, he swallowed a bottle of painkillers and ended up in the hospital. In true rockstar fashion, however, he turned his personal hardships into music magic. His nearly fatal experience inspired the harrowing lyrics to the Guns N’ Roses track “Coma”.

But the controversy had only just begun.

 Dineshraj Goomany, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

21. His Lyrics Sparked Backlash

Hot off the heels of the success of their debut album, Guns N’ Roses released a follow-up, G N’ R Lies. But instead of celebrating the band’s success, Rose found himself at the center of a media firestorm—one of his own making. Buried deep in the album was the track “One in a Million”. The song's controversial lyrics targeted gay and black people using derogatory terms. 

However, Rose’s defence proved even more shocking.

 Kraft74, Shutterstock

22. He Tried To Talk His Way Out Of It

Rockstar or not, the music world demanded an explanation for Rose’s highly inflammatory lyrics in “One in a Million”. But Rose’s attempt at defending his language only made matters worse. Basically, he tried to explain that his word choice was meant to describe anyone who was “a problem” in his life.

His words only fanned the flames of fury and outrage.

 Antonio Scorza, Shutterstock

24. He Was “Pro-Heterosexual”

Rose’s charged lyrics against gay people drew just as much backlash. Once again, however, his explanation left everyone even more upset than before. Rose insisted that he hadn’t motivated his lyrics by hate, but rather that he was “pro-heterosexual” and wasn’t against people “doing what they want”. He chalked up his attitude to a series of “bad experiences”.

No one was buying it.

 Mick Hutson, Getty Images

23. He Said He Was Just A Kid

Years after the “One in a Million” controversy, Rose finally gave an honest explanation for his controversial lyrics. The song, he claimed, captured his first impressions of Los Angeles from when he arrived as a sheltered, small-town kid with a chip on his shoulder. “I was [angry] about some [people] who were trying to rob me,” he explained.

Controversial or not, no one could deny his talent.

 Mike Coppola, Getty Images

25. He Rocked Rolling Stone

Despite the backlash against him, Rose’s star kept rising. By 1989, he graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine solo, and on his terms. He demanded that his friends do the interview and take the photos. Desperate to get him on their cover, Rolling Stone magazine agreed with MTV’s Kurt Loder calling him “maybe the finest hard rock singer currently on the scene”.

But he wasn’t like any other rock star.

 Delusion23, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

26. He Was (Mostly) Clean

Despite his bad-boy image and controversial lyrics, Rose wasn’t a full-blown rock star in the traditional sense. Unlike many of his bandmates, Rose steered clear of hard substances and never suffered from addiction. But that didn’t mean he never had fun. Rose occasionally dabbled in whatever his bandmates had kicking around. Even so, he was more focused on business.

 Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

27. He Fired His Manager In Dramatic Fashion

In 1991, Guns N’ Roses fired longtime manager Alan Niven—but it wasn’t a group decision. According to reports, Rose flat-out refused to finish the band’s new album unless Niven got the boot—his boot. Stradlin later quipped that Rose handpicked Niven’s replacement, Doug Goldstein, because he was "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".

He might have been cracking under the pressure—and things only got worse.

 ManoSolo13241324, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

28. He Made Fans Wait For Hours

Without a new album, Guns N’ Roses kicked off their infamous Use Your Illusion Tour in 1991 to placate their fans. However, instead of making their fans happy, Rose only made them riot. Show after show, Rose kept his fans waiting, sometimes appearing on stage two hours late. And when he did finally show up, he left his fans wanting more…or less.

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29. He Dove Into The Crowd

At a July 1991 concert in St Louis, Rose’s crowd-control habits went into overdrive when he spotted a fan with a video camera. After asking security to handle it, he took matters into his own hands—literally. Rose launched himself off the stage and into the crowd to snatch the camera himself. What ensued was not a crowd-surfing love fest.

 Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

30. He Sparked A Riot

After he grabbed the video recorder from the fan, Rose’s crew hauled him back onstage. But Rose wasn’t done being dramatic quite yet. He grabbed the mic and, instead of resuming his set, he said, "Well, thanks to the [lame] security, I'm going home!" and stormed off the stage. Furious, the crowd broke out into a riot, causing over $200,000 in damages.

Thankfully, he made his money back pretty quickly.

 Ian Hughes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

31. He Made Rock History—Twice

In the midst of their drama-fueled performances, Guns N’ Roses dropped not one, but two albums: Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Despite the controversy and upset fans, the albums debuted at No 1 and No 2 on the Billboard 200, respectively—a first for any band in history. 

But behind the scenes, things weren’t so harmonious for Rose.

 Beth Castelo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

32. He Lost His Best Friend

Despite their long history and continuing success, Rose’s relationship with bandmate Izzy Stradlin was rapidly deteriorating. In November 1991, Stradlin abruptly quit the band and ultimately blamed Rose for his decision, saying that the stress of Rose’s chronic lateness and the band’s chaotic lifestyle had finally worn him down. Stradlin wasn’t the only one who was sick of waiting for Rose.

 Dineshraj Goomany, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

33. He Was Late—Again

Rose’s punctuality (or lack thereof) didn’t just plague his own band—it made all rock bands look bad. While co-headlining with Metallica in Montreal in August 1992, Rose pushed the limits of lateness. After a pyrotechnic mishap cut Metallica’s set short, Rose was supposed to go on early with his reconfigured Guns N’ Roses bandmates.

What happened next left fans only one option.

 Carlos Varela, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

34. He Ignited Another Riot

Rose’s Montreal performance was over almost as soon as it began. After keeping the fans waiting (and waiting, and waiting), he finally appeared on stage. For all of one hour. Rose made some unspecified claims about “voice problems” and walked off. Once again, his actions sparked a riot as rock fans tore through downtown Montreal causing $400,000 in damages.

The band was clearly getting too big for their own good.

 Carlos Varela, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

35. He Vanished From The Stage

Despite having two successful albums and a "riotously" successful tour, Guns N’ Roses wrapped up the Use Your Illusion tour in mid-1993 in Buenos Aires. But no one could have guessed that it would have been the last Guns N’ Rose tour for years. The band fractured and Rose stepped into self-imposed silence. Even his love life was falling apart.

 Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

36. He Wanted A Divorce Right Away

On April 28, 1990, Rose tied the knot with his then-girlfriend, Erin Everly, in Las Vegas. And their marriage lasted about as long as one of Rose’s shortened sets. Less than a month into their marriage, Rose was looking for the exit and filed for divorce. He was about to learn that it was harder to walk away from marriage than from a riotous crowd.

 Vinnie Zuffante, Getty Images

37. He Picked Out Baby Names

Despite the rocky start to their rock star marriage, Rose and Everly reconciled—just long enough to pick out baby names. Everly revealed that she was pregnant and the couple excitedly dreamed about their future family; settling on Shiloh Blue for a boy and Willow Amelia for a girl. Tragically, before the end of the year, Everly suffered a miscarriage, dealing a devastating blow to Rose.

This time, there wouldn’t be anything to hold their marriage together.

 Ed Vill, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

38. His Marriage Hit The Rocks

Just one month after the miscarriage, Rose and Everly’s relationship collapsed for good. Following an "altercation" in November 1990, Everly left the riot-causing rock star to his own devices. By January 1991, their marriage was officially over—but it wouldn’t be the last time Rose’s private life spiraled alongside his public one.

 andres fernando allain, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

39. He Dated A Supermodel

With millions of adoring fans, it didn’t take Rose long to move on from his failed marriage. In fact, by mid-1991, he had moved on to an even more high-profile relationship—this time with supermodel Stephanie Seymour. The two became a tabloid staple, and Seymour even starred in the music videos for “Don’t Cry” and "November Rain".

It seemed like a solid relationship—one that even gave Rose something he had lost: a child.

 Jeremiah Garcia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

40. He Tried To Be A Dad

Throughout their relationship, Rose bonded deeply with Seymour’s young son, Dylan, perhaps feeling that Dylan was the child he had lost with Everly. Moreover, Rose saw it as an opportunity to be the father for his son that neither his stepfather nor biological father had been for him. Sadly, absenteeism seemed to be the only trait he inherited from his dad.

By February 1993, Rose and Seymour began planning a wedding—but just three weeks later, they called it off. It was…not a clean break.

 KMazur, Getty Images

41. He Made A Tribute To Manson

Later in 1993, Guns N’ Roses dropped a punk-inspired cover album, The Spaghetti Incident?. But it wasn’t just a fun cover album. Hidden in the track list was a jaw-dropping surprise: a secret cover of "Look at Your Game, Girl" written by none other than the malevolent cult leader Charles Manson. Rose claimed it was a personal jab at ex-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour.

That wasn’t the only revenge he was after.

 Kraft74, Shutterstock

42. He Replaced His Bandmate In Secret

Even in the midst of controversy over his Manson cover, Rose was still causing trouble. In June 1994, he fired guitarist Gilby Clarke…without telling anyone else in the band. After dismissing Clarke as just a "hired hand", he secretly brought in his childhood friend Paul "Huge" Tobias. Slash, who discovered the switch after the fact, was livid.

 Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

43. He Took Control Of Guns N’ Roses

Amid the drama, Rose made yet another bold—and controversial—move. In 1995, he legally left the band…only to turn around and create a new business partnership under the Guns N’ Roses name. He later claimed it was "to salvage" the band "not steal it". However, Slash accused Rose of demanding the rights under threat of canceling a show. Years later, Rose called Slash’s version of events “legally untenable”.

But the damage was done.

 Photography Stock Ruiz, Shutterstock

44. He Lost His Entire Band

Rose’s public scandals and backstage battles had turned his Guns N’ Roses bandmates against him. By 1996, Slash walked away. A year later, they fired drummer Matt Sorum, and bassist Duff McKagan called it quits. Within months, Rose was the last man standing from the original lineup, save for keyboardist Dizzy Reed.

Guns N’ Roses didn’t officially break up—but they may as well have.

 Matthew Field, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

45. He Became A Rock Recluse

With the band in shambles, Rose disappeared. He holed up in his Malibu mansion, ditched the spotlight, and reportedly spent his days surrounded by a rotating roster of musicians. To the outside world, he became rock’s greatest enigma, with music journalists calling him the “Howard Hughes of rock” and "rock's greatest recluse". Fans wondered if they’d ever see him again.

 A.PAES, Shutterstock

46. He Came Back—Sort Of

After nearly a decade, Rose suddenly reemerged at Rock in Rio 3 to kick off the long-promised, highly-anticipated Chinese Democracy Tour. And suffice to say, he picked up exactly where he left off. Rose canceled the majority of scheduled shows, and after skipping a Vancouver performance, his fans rioted, causing $100,000 in damage.

But there just be a reason for all of these canceled performances, after all. 

 Ed Vill, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

47. He Was Sick

According to Rose himself, the reason he struggles so much with touring is apparently due to an onslaught of unspecified illnesses he has contracted over time. And while he did eventually take an interest in homeopathy in an effort to improve his health—alternative medicine wasn't the only solution Rose sought.

 Edvill, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

48. He Went Searching For Answers

Back in the early 1990s, in a desperate bid to "uncover memories" from his troubled beginning, Rose began Past Life Regression (PLR) therapy. He then went public with the uncomfortable memories of his biological father, blaming the horrific mistreatment for his "stunted emotional growth". 

Unfortunately, all therapy did was give him an excuse for more poor behavior. 

 Carlos Varela, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

49. He Bit A Man’s Leg

In 2006, Rose made headlines in Sweden for all the wrong reasons. After a hooch-fueled argument in a hotel lobby, he allegedly bit a security guard on the leg. Authorities had to wait for the legendary rock singer to sober up before questioning him. He later paid fines and damages totaling nearly $7,000. 

But this wasn't the only sketchy situation Rose found himself in.

 Dineshraj Goomany, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

50. He Has A Bit Of A Record

As we already know, Rose had been well-known to local authorities back home. But his trouble didn't stay there. Aside from multiple violence charges over the years (usually involving security guards) and mistreatment charges from his ex-wives, he even had frequent incidents with a neighbor that went on to inspire the song "Right Next Door To Hell". 

But there was one particularly disturbing incident that will haunt Rose forever.

 Paul Harris, Getty Images

51. They Went Into Hiding

Back in 1985, both Rose and Slash found themselves hiding from authorities for several weeks after an alleged incident involving a 15-year-old girl. Rose claimed the young girl "wandered in" and was essentially out of her mind, "breaking their stuff", before running off into the streets unclothed—but the girl had a drastically different story.

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52. There Wasn't Enough Evidence

The young girl was adamant that she had relations with both Rose and Slash before an argument ensued resulting in her desperately running off without her clothing. Given the girl's age, both men were immediately charged—but they didn't stick around. They declared their innocence and then took off, avoiding arrest. After several weeks on the run, authorities dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence.

It seems hiding is how Rose checks out.

 A.PAES, Shutterstock

53. He Ghosted His Record Label

When Chinese Democracy finally dropped in 2008—15 years after the last album—Guns N' Roses stunned their fans. But not because of the music. Rose did absolutely zero promotion for the album. According to reports, his record label couldn’t even reach him. He had, apparently, vanished without a trace, once again. But, this time, his curious behavior had a touching explanation.

 L Paul Mann, SHutterstock

54. He Snubbed The Hall Of Fame

In 2012, after decades of making music history, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Guns N' Roses. Instead of basking in his accomplishments, however, Rose refused to attend. Just days before the ceremony, he released an open letter explaining why he wouldn’t be there, adding that it didn’t feel like “somewhere [he was] actually wanted or respected”.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

 A.PAES, Shutterstock

55. He Put The Band Back Together

After so many squabbles and scandals, it seemed unlikely that Guns N’ Roses would ever patch things up. However, in 2016, Rose did the unthinkable when he put the band back together, reuniting with Slash on stage for the first time in over two decades. The Not in This Lifetime...Tour was an instant success, drawing massive crowds and earning its place as the third highest-grossing concert tour of all time.

Finally, fans got what they had waited decades for. And so did Rose.

 Ethan Miller, Getty Images

56. He Doesn’t Think He’s The Greatest

In 2014, a vocal range study cemented Rose’s place amongst the greatest rock stars of all time. The study declared that Rose was the "Greatest Singer in the World". Rose, however, humbly disagreed and listed off legends like Freddie Mercury, Janis Joplin, and Don Henley as better than himself. "I’d rather hear any of them anytime rather than me," he said.

 KMazur, Getty Images

Sources: 1, 2