Axl Rose clearly had something from the very start. The singer began his musical journey way back in the early 80’s, when he was only 20 years old. He was born and raised in Indiana, but as soon as he was able, he moved to Los Angeles where he pursued his ambition to break into the rock music scene.

He was a member of band Hollywood Rose, before he found his true home by founding Guns N Roses. Along with gifted musicians Slash, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagen, the band were to become one of the most significant and respected groups in rock music. The rest, they say, is history.

Guns N Roses seminal debut album, Appetite For Destruction (1987) marked the beginning of the bands rise to fame. It’s not hard to see why the release was so acclaimed: with tracks such as Welcome To The Jungle, Nightrain and Sweet Child o’ Mine, the album was destined from the start to make a huge impact. With Axl Rose’s guttural and commanding vocals, combined with his unique, frank and unapologetic lyrics, it was evident he was the perfect man to front the iconic group.

Appetite For Destruction sold in excess of 500,000 copies in it’s first year of release (to date, over 30million copies) and was highly praised by critics. Guns N Roses toured the album around the globe and an irreversible pact was made between audience and artist: the rock world would never be the same again.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT AXL ROSE?

After the huge success of their debut, the band continued on an upward trajectory. Axl Rose had clearly found a great band with which to create; the unique chemistry of the members helped to unleash a calibre of work rarely seen before.

From 1988’s Lies to 1991’s Use Your Illusions I & II, there seemed no stopping the group. Slash’s masterful guitar playing, with its evocative and melodic blues tone, was the perfect accompaniment to the tracks that Guns produced. In the live arena, the atmosphere was approaching that of the days of “Beatlemania”. By 1993, the band had released The Spaghetti Incident, after which followed an unexpected hiatus of more than 15 years, before the group returned (without Slash) and released Chinese Democracy (this time with guitar virtuoso Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal on board in a new line-up).

The band’s epic worldwide tours number many — and often last not months, but years at a time — and certainly play a part in Guns’ success and in the relationship they built with their army of fans. Yet it seems fair to conclude that the key ingredient to the status the group gained was due to the frontman himself: Axl Rose. The heart of the clan.

Few would dare to argue that another singer or songwriter could have made the impact that Rose himself did in Guns. Although it didn’t go unchallenged when Rose used the Guns N Roses name with an entirely different line-up, many felt that 2008’s opus Chinese Democracy was a more than worthy addition to the Guns catalogue. It is surely a credit to Rose’s talent and charisma that he was even able to attempt such an audacious career move. For many, Rose was and is the key factor, the face of Guns, the central focus.

As with many greats of the music world, it is often hard to fully articulate exactly what makes an artist as respected and loved as they are. Many bands have solid lead vocalists, or songwriters that create tracks that are memorable and cherished by generations, yet there is always that extra “something” that separates the good from the great. Whatever that “something” is, Axl Rose clearly has it in abundance. His unrivalled energy on stage; his shatteringly powerful vocals (both on stage and in the studio); his willingness to pen honest lyrics with a direct and candid flavour, it all combines to create something that few others can bring to the table.

There is a unique rawness to Rose’s artistry. Whether it’s in his longing and emotional vocal delivery in songs such as Don’t Cry (in 2014 Axl topped a poll of ‘The Worlds Greatest Singers’ in a list conducted by Concert Hotels) or through his lyrics, such as in classics like November Rain or Madagascar, there is evidently a master at work, bringing the genre of rock to it’s knees, time and time again.

As recently as early 2021, at least when Covid permitted, Axl Rose has been touring with Guns N Roses and the crowds are still clamouring to see him live. Looking at the music industry, there are few other examples of artists who have been around as long as Rose who are still in a position to command such a level of attention and respect from fans. There is still a huge demand for him.

People still buy tickets and fill arenas and stadiums to catch a glimpse of the magic in action. Even during periods where there has been no new material to be heard, Guns N Roses still pull in audiences — why? This is all, in its own way, a testament of what Axl Rose delivers to Guns N Roses as a group.

As a public artist, Rose has never been one to pander to the press, or to give in to pressures from those who want to see certain things from him. He has remained true to himself, even in the face of staunch criticism. And really, isn’t that what the greatest artists should be like? Untamable, raw and incomparable to any other.

Axl Rose still brings in crowds in 2021 because his evident talent commands it. For fans who have been following the legendary Guns N Roses from the start, the magic is still there, and while Rose is still turning up and delivering, it always will be.