Axl Rose

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose Jr., is an American singer and songwriter, born in 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana. As a child he sang in the church choir and learned piano at school. In December 1982 he moved to Los Angeles, where he played in bands such as Rapidfire, Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. In 1985, with Tracii Guns, he founded Guns N' Roses by merging those bands. The line-up soon consisted of Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler. Rose has been the only constant member ever since.

Music and breakthrough

The debut album Appetite for Destruction from 1987 made the band world-famous and contains Sweet Child o' Mine, a song that took the United States to the top of the chart. In 1991 the two albums Use Your Illusion I and II appeared, which entered the American charts high straight away. The tour that followed was full of conflicts and riots. After that Rose was silent for a long time. He returned in 2001 with a new line-up and released Chinese Democracy in 2008. In 2012 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016 he found Slash and McKagan again for a new tour.

Influence

His voice has a wide range and can shoot from a deep, raw tone to a shrill scream. His voice was ranked among the best of all time by Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard. He is therefore regarded as one of the great rock singers of his generation, and his songs still have a place in stadiums.

Listening