List of Guns N' Roses band members
| Guns N' Roses | |
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Guns N' Roses performing at Download Festival on June 11, 2006. From left to right: Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson, Axl Rose and Richard Fortus. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Members | |
| Axl Rose Dizzy Reed Tommy Stinson Chris Pitman Richard Fortus Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal Frank Ferrer DJ Ashba |
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| Past members | |
| See: Former members | |
The following is a list of musicians who have been members of American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. Formed in 1985, the band currently comprises lead vocalist and pianist Axl Rose, guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, DJ Ashba and Richard Fortus, bassist and backing vocalist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardists and backing vocalists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman.
Guns N' Roses was formed in Los Angeles, California in March 1985 by Axl Rose, guitarists Izzy Stradlin and Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler. After releasing Appetite for Destruction (1987) and G N' R Lies (1988), keyboardist Dizzy Reed joined the band in February 1990. Drummer Adler was fired from the band in July 1990 after recording one new song, replaced by Matt Sorum. After releasing Use Your Illusion I and II in September 1991, founding member Izzy Stradlin left the band in November, replaced by Gilby Clarke.
Cover album "The Spaghetti Incident?" was released in 1993, after which the relationships between band members began to deteriorate and core members began to leave. Rhythm guitarist Clarke was fired in June 1994, lead guitarist Slash left in October 1996, drummer Sorum was fired in June 1997 and bassist McKagan left in August 1997. Aforementioned members were replaced, respectively, by Paul Tobias, Robin Finck, Josh Freese and Tommy Stinson, a lineup which was finalised by March 1998; second keyboardist Chris Pitman joined a few months later.
The new Guns N' Roses lineup began work on a studio release, though more lineup changes hindered their progress. Firstly, in March 2000, lead guitarist Buckethead was hired to replace the departed Finck, while drummer Freese left the band. Finck returned to Guns N' Roses in October 2000, at the same time as Freese's replacement, Bryan Mantia, was brought into the band. In 2002, rhythm guitarist duties were shifted from Paul Tobias to Richard Fortus, followed by the departure of Buckethead in 2004. With the new album making significant progress every year, Bumblefoot and Frank Ferrer replaced Buckethead and Brain respectively, before Finck again left the band in April 2008 to rejoin Nine Inch Nails.
After endless release delays and rumours regarding the album, Chinese Democracy was finally released in November 2008, featuring performances from all Guns N' Roses members present in the band between 1998 and 2008. Guitarist DJ Ashba joined the band in March 2009 as the new lead guitarist, for the 2009/2011 Chinese Democracy Tour.
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Current members
- Axl Rose
- Active: March 1985–present
- Regular instruments: lead vocals
- Occasional instruments: piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, choir, synthesizers, whistle, whistling, kazoo, percussion, co-lead vocals, tambourine, sound effects, drum machine, backing vocals
- Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases
- Dizzy Reed
- Active: February 1990–present
- Regular instruments: keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: tambourine, synthesizers, organ, clavinet
- Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Use Your Illusion I (1991)
- Tommy Stinson
- Active: March 1998–present
- Regular instruments: bass, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: lead vocals
- Release contributions: "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Chris Pitman
- Active: May 1998–present
- Regular instruments: keyboards, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: sub-bass, bass, tambourine, synthesizers, programming, twelve-string guitar, mellotron, samples
- Release contributions: "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Richard Fortus
- Active: July 2002–present
- Instruments: rhythm guitar
- Occasional instruments: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
- Active: May 2006–present
- Instruments: lead guitar
- Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Frank Ferrer
- Active: October 2006–present
- Instruments: drums
- Occasional instruments: tambourine
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Chinese Democracy", "Better", "If the World", "There Was a Time" and "I.R.S." only
- DJ Ashba
- Active: February 2009–present
- Instruments: lead guitar
- Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, drums
- Release contributions: none
Former members
- Ole Beich
- Active: March–May 1985
- Instruments: bass
- Release contributions: none
- Rob Gardner
- Active: March–May 1985
- Instruments: drums
- Release contributions: none
- Tracii Guns
- Active: March–May 1985
- Instruments: lead guitar
- Release contributions: none
- Steven Adler
- Active: May 1985–July 1990
- Regular instruments: drums
- Occasional instruments: backing vocals
- Release contributions: Appetite for Destruction (1987), G N' R Lies (1988), Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "Civil War" only
- Izzy Stradlin
- Active: March 1985–November 1991
- Regular instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion, lead vocals, sitar
- Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to Use Your Illusion II (1991)
- Gilby Clarke
- Active: November 1991–June 1994
- Instruments: rhythm guitar
- Occasional instruments: backing vocals, drum
- Release contributions: "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
- Slash
- Active: May 1985–October 1996
- Regular instruments: lead guitar
- Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, six-string bass, talkbox, banjo, dobro, co-lead vocals, backing vocals
- Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
- Matt Sorum
- Active: July 1990–June 1997
- Instruments: drums, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: percussion, tambourine, drum, choir
- Release contributions: Use Your Illusion I (1991) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
- Duff McKagan
- Active: May 1985–August 1997
- Regular instruments: bass, backing vocals
- Occasional instruments: acoustic guitar, lead vocals, co-lead vocals, percussion, drum, drums, tambourine
- Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
- Paul Tobias
- Active: October 1994–July 2002
- Regular instruments: rhythm guitar
- Occasional instruments: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, piano
- Release contributions: "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994), "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Robin Finck
- Active: May 1997–August 1999, October 2000–April 2008
- Regular instruments: lead guitar
- Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Josh Freese
- Active: March 1998–August 1999
- Regular instruments: drums
- Release contributions: Oh My God (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Buckethead
- Active: March 2000–March 2004
- Regular instruments: lead guitar
- Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
- Bryan Mantia
- Active: October 2000–October 2006
- Instruments: drums
- Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Timeline
Band lineups
| Personnel | Studio albums | Notable singles |
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| Original lineup (March–May 1985) | — | — |
'Classic' lineup I (May 1985–February 1990)
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February 1990–July 1990
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'Classic' lineup II (July 1990–November 1991)
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November 1991–June 1994
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June 1994–October 1994
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October 1994–October 1996
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October 1996–May 1997
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May–June 1997
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June 1997–August 1997
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August 1997–March 1998
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March–May 1998
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May 1998–August 1999
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August 1999–March 2000
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March–October 2000
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October 2000–July 2002
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July 2002–March 2004
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March 2004–May 2006
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May–June 2006
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June 2006–April 2008
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April 2008–February 2009
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Current lineup (February 2009–present)
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Session musicians
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Touring members
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Touring substitutes
- Fred Coury
- Active: 1987–1988 (8 performances)
- Instruments: drums
- Don Henley
- Active: 1989 (1 performance)
- Instruments: drums
- Izzy Stradlin
- Active: 1993 (5 performances)
- Instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Touring guests
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