L.A. Guns band members
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Members of the rock band L.A. Guns. The band's leader and founder Tracii Guns (who the band was named after) left in 2003, and later formed his own incarnation of the band fronted by Paul Black. As a result there are now two bands using the L.A.Guns name at once. Both incarnations have many members from the band's better known eras in them and have a 50% claim to the name.
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[edit] First Generation L.A.Guns - formation, through to merge with Hollywood Rose (1983-1985)
The core lineup of L.A. Guns, formed in 1983, lasted until 1985. The band briefly merged with Hollywood Rose (led by former Guns vocalist Axl Rose), to form future rock and roll legends Guns N' Roses. Axl Rose had been in L.A. Guns while their vocalist Michael Jagosz was in prison and had to leave when he got out. When he asked Tracii Guns about the idea of a band merge, he brought Izzy Stradlin with him. Guns left shortly after the merge to reform L.A.Guns and Guns N' Roses has survived until the present at the same time. The other members of L.A. Guns were fired from the band at roughly the same time as Tracii Guns left.
| L.A. Guns (1983-1984) |
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| L.A. Guns (1984) |
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| L.A. Guns (1984-1985) |
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| Guns N' Roses (1985) |
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| Guns N' Roses (1985-1990) |
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| Other Guns N' Roses lineups (1990-present) |
After all former L.A.Guns members left Guns N' Roses other than Axl Rose, the band formed it's well known classic lineup (Izzy Stradlin, the other former Hollywood Rose member remained also).
L.A. Guns reformation meanwhile, led to an entirely new band with an entirely new lineup. As can be seen, Rose fired all other ex-L.A. Guns members at the same time as Tracii Guns left the band.
The new Guns N' Roses lineup lasted from 1985 to 1990, before facing a few lineup changes. Core members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan remained in the band until Slash left in 1996 and McKagan left in 1998. The band has released only one single and no other recordings since 1994, but still holds legendary status for their historic past. More information on this can be found on the following main articles:
[edit] Second Generation L.A. Guns (reformation) (1985-1999)
After leaving Guns N' Roses, Tracii Guns joined Paul Black, Robert Stoddard, Mick Cripps and Nickey Alexande. Initially the project began as a collaboration between Black and Cripps called Faster Pussycat. The name was changed when Guns came in, and the name Faster Pussycat was used by another band shortly afterwards anyway. The name change after the formation of the band is the reason why the lineup contained only Guns from the original band, and sounded so different.
Though the band switched to Phil Lewis over Paul Black quickly, Mick Cripps remained with the band until 1994 as did PhiL Lewis. The Guns/Lewis/Cripps triplet formed the solid core of the lineup from 1986 onwards. The band's classic Lewis/Guns/Cripps/Nickels/Riley lineup slowly came together 1986-1988, and operated together 1988-1992 (before a brief switch in drummer) then again 1993-1994. By the end of 1995 Tracii Guns only had Steve Riley left from this period.
The one legacy of the band's merge with Guns N' Roses manifested it's time at this period - the band had a rhythm guitar, which they had first had as Guns N' Roses in the form of Izzy Stradlin. The band reverted to a four piece in 1995 however.
| 1985-1987 |
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| 1987 |
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| 1987-1988 |
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| 1988-1992 |
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| 1993 |
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| 1993-1994 |
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| 1995 |
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| 1995-1997 |
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| 1997-1998 |
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| 1998-1999 |
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[edit] Reunion (1999-2003)
Classic members Phil Lewis, Mick Cripps and Kelly Nickels were tempted back into L.A.Guns in 1999. By 2000, Nickels had left already, as had Cripps (though he briefly returned at the end of the year). Phil Lewis decided to remain with the band however, helping them to recapture some of their former glory. By the end of this period, 2003, three of the four members of the band were still from the classic lineup (though the classic lineup itself had been a five piece).
| 1999 |
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| 2000 |
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| 2000 |
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| 2001-2003 |
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[edit] Post-Tracii Guns era - the band under Phil Lewis (2003-2006)
In 2003 Tracii Guns left L.A.Guns. Steve Riley, who held a 50% legal stake in what was left of the band, was allowed to retain the L.A. Guns name and continue touring under it. This lineup has been led by Phil Lewis ever since.
| 2003-2007 |
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[edit] Two bands under the L.A. Guns name (2006-present)
In 2006 Tracii Guns decided to form a solo band - The Tracii Guns Band. He soon began billing it as L.A. Guns, adding Nickey "Beat" Alexander and Paul Black from the band's earliest incarnations to the lineup. This group has released albums under the name "Paul Black's L.A. Guns". At the same time, Phil Lewis' L.A. Guns continued.
| L.A. Guns (Phil Lewis fronted band) | Paul Black's L.A. Guns (formerly The Tracii Guns Band) | ||
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| 2003-2007 |
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2006 |
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| 2007-present |
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2007-present |
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[edit] Present Lineups
Both incarnations of the band go under the simple name of "L.A. Guns". No legal problems have resulted in the shared name, despite both claiming to be the 'true' L.A. Guns.
Both have a fair claim: Tracii Guns was the founding member/leader and included former member Paul Black in his lineup of the band. Black was in the band in 1985-1986, but never recorded with them. However the other incarnation of the band is a continuation of the original, which survived when Guns left. It has more members of the band from their best known era in the form of Lewis and Riley.
Both versions of L.A. Guns are four pieces. The band has switched between being a four and five piece frequently. The four piece system was used 1983-1985, 1995-1999 prior to the present incarnations of the band.
[edit] L.A. Guns Lineup 1
- Phil Lewis - lead vocals (1986-1994, 1999-present)
- Stacey Blades - lead guitar (2003-present)
- Scott Griffin - bass guitar (2007-present)
- Steve Riley - drums (1988-1992, 1993-present)
[edit] L.A. Guns Lineup 2
- Paul Black - lead vocals (1985-1986, 2006-present)
- Tracii Guns - lead guitar (1983-2003, 2006-present)
- Jeremy Guns - bass guitar (2006-present)
- Chad Stewart - drums (2007-present)
