UK Lottery Winner Wants to Reunite Original Guns N' Roses Lineup
Although it's not the same as when Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels jokingly offered $3,000 to The Beatles if they'd reunite in 1976, a British lottery winner wants to pay the original lineup of Guns N' Roses to reunite.
Adrian Bayford won £148 million (almost $233,000 US) on August 10 in the EuroMillions lottery. His dream, he said, is to reunite the estranged rockers -- he'd happily spend some of his fortune to make it happen.
Bayford, 41, runs a music shop in Haverhill, Suffolk, England.
Asked if he'd like to splash out on a big gig, he told The Sun, "I think I would just have to get Guns N' Roses together — the original line-up, mind. I am a real fan."
Of the gang that recorded Appetite For Destruction, drummer Steven Adler was fired in 1990 and guitarist Izzy Stradlin quit in 1991. Five years later Slash quit and was followed by bassist Duff McKagan in 1997. Slash hasn't performed with Axl Rose in almost 20 years.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
“I used my P-Bass in the studio and my Jazz Bass live, because it projected a little louder”: Originally recorded as a B-side, this riff-driven blues became a Jimi Hendrix classic – and bassist Billy Cox played a pivotal role
“There was a time you wouldn’t have touched a Superstrat, at least in my world – that was very illegal. It’s cool to be able to let go of those old feelings and those silly rules”: How Chris Shiflett learned to love his inner shredder