Billy Rose

Biography

W. Axl Rose ( AK-səl; born William Bruce Rose Jr., February 6, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He has been the band's only constant member since its formation in 1985. Renowned for his wide-ranging, powerful voice, Rose has been ranked among the greatest singers of all time by outlets such as Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard.

Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Rose moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, joining bands like Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns before co-founding Guns N' Roses. The band's debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), sold over 30 million copies worldwide and remains the best-selling U.S. debut. Rose's relationships with Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour inspired multiple songs, including the chart-topping "Sweet Child o' Mine", though allegations of abuse, and controversial lyrics on "One in a Million" from the band's next release G N' R Lies (1988) drew criticism.

The twin albums Use Your Illusion I and II (1991), debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 35 million copies combined. Rose's volatile behavior during the Use Your Illusion Tour, with riots (including his arrest for inciting the Riverport Riot), media rants, and feuds with Metallica and Nirvana, fueled further controversy. The follow-up, "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993), was less successful and drew backlash for including a cover of "Look at Your Game, Girl" by convicted murderer Charles Manson.

After the tour, Rose disappeared from the public eye while Guns N' Roses stalled on making a new album. Rose reemerged in 2001 with a new version of Guns N' Roses, eventually releasing Chinese Democracy (2008), the most expensive rock album ever produced. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, Rose declined to attend. In 2016, he reconciled with classic Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan for the record-breaking Not in This Lifetime... Tour, and also toured with AC/DC as a fill-in vocalist for two dozen shows. The band continued touring and releasing singles into the 2020s.

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