AboutAngelica Expertise I can answer questions about old members and new members of GN'R, their personal and musical lives, childhood, family, etc. Also about Guns N' Roses, everything about the band, lyrics, albums, problems, tales, etc. All about it. I can answer questions in spanish too.
Experience I've been a GN'R fan for over 10 years ago, I try to keep myself update all I can to know more and in that way I can help people who has doubts.
Question hi wendy! im a crazy guns n roses fan,n i love axl rose, i just wnated to ask u if u cud help me with some info on axl's personal life, specially his childhood, the henious childhood, n how he walked thru his teenage, searching friendly support n ultimately formed guns n roses...plz help me with his. im preparing a file for me on axl...plz i need this
thank you
shawn.
Answer Hola Shawn, is Angelica from AllExperts site. Here your answer:
Axl was born as William Bruce Rose, on February 6, 1962 in the small-town Lafayette, Indiana. His mother, Sharon E. Bailey, married Axl's father, William Rose, while she was still in highschool. They got Axl while both were still young. When Axl was two years old, William left them. Sharon later married L. Stephen Bailey, and they had two more children - Stuart and Amy. After the marriage, Axl's surname was changed to William Bailey.
Axl's mom never told Axl about his real father. Axl grew up thinking that Stephen was his real father, at the age of 17 he discover the truth. On his own words: "I found some insurance papers, then I found my mom's diploma with the last name Rose," Axl said. "I was never born Bill Bailey. I was born William Rose." After this, Axl decided to change his name back to Rose, and he became William Rose.
He had a very difficult childhood - both when his mother was with his real father, and with his stepfather, his stepfather was very a violent guy. He gave Axl a very strict, religious childhood, and Axl had to go to Sunday School in church, as well as visiting the church several times per week: "I had to go to church anywhere from three to eight times a week. I even taught Bible school while I was beaten and my sister was being molested".
Axl went to Oakland Elementary School and later Jefferson High School. Axl was a loner in class, being very sensitive and emotional. Axl liked playing baseball and doing sports, but his main interests were music and poetry. He learnt playing piano in his pre-teens, and in high school he formed his first band, with his friend Jeffrey Isbell - later known as Izzy Stradlin. They had first met when they were 14, when Axl was in trouble with teachers at the school: "I remember the first day of class in 8th or 9th grade," Izzy said. "I heard this noise going on in the front, then I see him, it's Axl, and a teacher bouncing off a door jam. Then, Axl was gone down the hall with all these teachers running after him!". Axl was the band's singer and Izzy played drums. He had made his parents buy him a drum kit, and the band practiced in Izzy's garage: Izzy recalls Axl as being "really shy about singing back then". The band played covers only and didn't write original songs.
Axl got tired of school, and he started dropping out. He returned a few times, but he quit during his junior year at Jefferson High School.
In 1980, Axl went to California for the first time. But he didn't want to leave Lafayette pat all, so he decided to go back after some time. Between 1980 and 1982, Axl moved back between California and Lafayette, before he eventually was forced to move because of his criminal records. The reason was that the court in Indiana was going to charge him as a habitual criminal, which could result in life time in jail. Axl had been arrested five times between June 1980 and March 1981, and it's said that he was arrested over 50 times totally throughout his time in Lafayette. His lawyer adviced him to leave Indiana permanently, something Axl did. He soon moved permanently to LA with his girlfriend Gina Siler.
When Axl first came to LA, he didn't know anyone in the city except his old friend Izzy, who had left Lafayette some time before him. Axl tried finding Izzy with little success, and he soon gave up. Some time later he eventually ran into Izzy. In LA, Axl tried singing for various bands, including a punk band, which didn't work out too good. When Axl and Gina broke up, Izzy moved into the apartment Axl and Gina had shared. Izzy, who had changed instrument to guitar, was searching for musicians to form a band. Later, he met the young guitarist Chris Weber, and soon Axl, Izzy and Chris agreed to form a band. They called it Rose, which later changed name to Hollywood Rose.
After a concert in Santa Monica in the fall of 1984, Axl decided to leave Hollywood Rose. Izzy had introduced him to Chris' friend Tracii Guns, and Axl wanted to play with Tracii in his band, L.A Guns. The band also featured Ole Beich on bass. LA Guns eventually split up since "the drummer and bass player freaked out" right after Axl joined. Instead of trying to find a new band, Axl decided to try to reform Hollywood Rose for a new years gig. Izzy was into it, and they recrouted Rob Gardner (drums) and Steve Darrow (bass). Chris Weber, who was originally not supposed to continue, agreed to do the concert since they couldn't find anyone else. After the concert, Axl, Izzy and Rob Gardner wanted to continue with the band, while Darrow left. They started searching for guitar players, and they tried Slash among several others.
The choice eventually fell on Tracii Guns, and with Guns in, the name was set to be a mix of Axl's and Tracii's name - Guns N' Roses. The band was officially formed in March 1985, with the line-up finalized some weeks later, with Izzy's friend and neighbour Duff McKagan, joining. Ole Beich had played at least a show with the band, before they recruited Duff. In early June, 1985, Duff booked a tour in Seattle, but a few days before the tour, Tracii and Rob left the band. With few alternatives, Duff's friends, Slash and Steven, joined the band. This line up was finalized on June 6th, 1985. And have the first that night as GUNS N' ROSES.
Shawn I hope this could help, Thanks for asking, do it anytime you want. Your question was for Wendy, but she's not available now, next time she'll be glad to help you.
