Axl Rose's Musical Influences
Guns n' Roses' Lead Singer Inspired by Elton John and ELO
Nov 19, 2008
Axl Rose was born in Lafayette, Indiana on February 6th, 1962. He was christened William Bruce Rose Junior, but his biological father left soon afterwards. His mother married a Pentecostal preacher called the Reverend L. Stephen Bailey two years later, and Axl therefore frequented the Pentecostal church from an early age.
In W. Axl Rose: The Unauthorised Biography (Sidgwick and Jackson: 2007) Mick Wall wrote that Rose began singing in the church choir at five years of age, and received a classical training on the piano to learn hymns. He later sang in the Bailey trio with his half-siblings, Amy and Stuart.
In Guns n’ Roses: The Band That Time Forgot (Chrome Dreams: 2005), Paul Stenning quotes Rose as saying that he’d only learnt what he needed in the piano lessons, and that he’d then worked on his own music: “I took lessons, but I only really played my lesson on the day of the lesson. All week long, I’d sit down at the piano and just make up stuff. To this day, I still can’t really play other people’s songs, only my own.”
Axl Rose Inspired by Pop and Rock
His parents’ strong religious views meant Rose was not allowed to listen to pop music freely at home, and he was limited to old Elvis Presley and Jimmy Swaggart gospel records. However, Rose did hear what his father considered the “devil’s music” at school and with friends, and his love for rock and pop grew.
Rose’s love of the piano meant that he not only liked the music of classic American rockers like Aerosmith and Kiss, but also enjoyed complicated musical arrangements such as those performed by Elton John, the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Queen and Todd Rundgren.
The Influence of Elton John and ELO
Wall remembers how Rose was very enthusiastic while discussing Elton John songs like Benny and the Jets, Ballad of a Well-Known Gun and Somebody Saved My Life Tonight; and that Rose admired how Elton John attacked the piano in a way he'd never seen before. Rose also lauded John’s lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and how they had written seven number one albums in the United States between 1972 and 1975.
Ironically, Rose’s admiration for the prolific writing and recording of John and Taupin contrasts strikingly with his own lengthy recording of the Chinese Democracy album, although the musical influences are apparent.
Wall also reveals Rose to be “an old ELO fanatic”, and that their complicated arrangements had inspired him to write Guns N’ Roses epics such as November Rain and Estranged. Rose was also amazed at the stamina, versatility, writing, producing and energy of singer-songwriter Jeff Lynne, who penned a classic concept album in the form of Out of the Blue, and the massive hit, Mr Blue Sky.
Songs like Madagascar, This I Love and If The World on Chinese Democracy suggest Axl Rose still remembers his childhood influences.
No photographs of ELO were freely available, but you can see an article on their influential music and a photo at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/oct/16/elo-better-than-beatles
