Guns N’ Roses has never been a band to play it safe. Since their explosive debut in the mid-’80s, they’ve ridden the highs of superstardom and the lows of internal strife, leaving a long trail of former members in their wake. While Axl Rose has remained the group’s unwavering frontman, nearly every other position has seen a revolving cast of musicians, each leaving their own mark before moving on.
With a lineup that has counted over a dozen musicians—excluding the touring members—the band’s history reads like a constantly shifting lineup of talent. The faces may have changed, but each former member played a role in shaping the band’s legacy.
So, where did they all end up? Whether they remained in the limelight or took a step away from the chaos of the music industry, the ex-members of Guns N’ Roses each have a story to tell. Some are still rocking stages, some have moved behind the scenes, and others have taken paths few would have predicted. Let’s take a look at what happened to the many musicians who once called GNR home.
Rob Gardner
Rob Gardner was Guns N’ Roses’ first drummer, but his time with the band was brief. According to Tracii Guns, one of the group’s original members, Gardner’s departure wasn’t due to creative differences or band drama—it was love that pulled him away. His girlfriend reportedly wasn’t keen on him staying, and that influence led to his exit before the band took off.
Once he left, there was no turning back. While other former members would return to the GNR fold at different points, Gardner never did. Despite this, his drumming left an impression. Guns later described him as an “excellent drummer,” acknowledging the talent that could have been part of the band’s rise.
Gardner’s story remains one of “what could have been.” While his name is often overlooked in the band’s history, he was there at the start, playing a role in GNR’s early days before stepping away for good.
Tracii Guns
Tracii Guns may not have stuck around in Guns N’ Roses, but his name certainly did. As one of the band’s original guitarists, he was part of the merger between LA Guns and Hollywood Rose that led to GNR’s formation. His time in the group was brief—less than two months—but his departure didn’t slow him down. He returned to LA Guns, where he found lasting success.
Over the decades, Guns built an impressive career, releasing nearly a dozen studio albums with LA Guns. Beyond his own band, he worked with rock icons like Motörhead, Johnny Thunders, Poison, and WASP. His reputation as a hard rock guitarist remained strong long after his short stint in GNR.
While Guns had the talent, GNR didn’t suffer from his exit. His replacement? None other than Slash. The band moved forward, and so did Guns, carving out his own legacy in the rock world.
Ole Beich
Ole Beich was there at the very beginning of Guns N’ Roses, but his time in the band was short-lived. A skilled bassist from Denmark, he had already played with Mercyful Fate and possibly King Diamond before joining GNR. However, he quickly grew frustrated with the band’s glam-inspired direction and became the first member to walk away.
Despite his departure, Beich left an impression on his bandmates. Tracii Guns described him as serious but kind, with a great sense of humor. He was also older than most of the group, bringing a level of experience that set him apart. But outside of music, his life took a difficult turn.
Beich struggled with depression for years, and his story ended in tragedy. In the 1990s, he drowned in his hometown in Denmark, leaving behind a legacy that few fans know. While his name is often forgotten in GNR’s history, he played a role in its earliest days before fading into obscurity.
Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin walked away from Guns N’ Roses at the height of their success, leaving his bandmates frustrated and confused. Slash claimed he simply got tired of touring, while Stradlin cited disappointment with the band’s chaos and what he saw as Axl Rose’s growing control. Whatever the truth, Stradlin never looked back.
After GNR, he formed Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds, though the band didn’t last long. Instead, he pursued a solo career, quietly releasing 10 albums, the last one in 2010. Unlike many of his former bandmates, he avoided the spotlight, making only occasional returns to music.
Attempts to bring Stradlin back into the GNR fold have repeatedly fallen apart. Even Axl Rose admitted that working with him is difficult. While fans still hope for a reunion, Stradlin remains an elusive figure, choosing his own path away from the chaos of his former band.
Steven Adler
Steven Adler joined Guns N’ Roses during their wild early days, surviving van breakdowns and chaotic tours. But as the band’s success skyrocketed, so did Adler’s struggles with addiction. His worsening heroin and cocaine use began affecting his drumming, leading to his dismissal in 1990. Adler, however, claimed he was set up—sabotaged by a song he hadn’t rehearsed to make him look bad.
Unhappy with how things ended, Adler took legal action against his former bandmates, eventually winning a $2.25 million settlement. Over the years, he hasn’t held back on criticizing his firing, but he’s remained close with Slash. In 2016, he even returned to the stage with GNR for a few performances, proving that while he may not be part of the band, he’s not entirely out of the picture.
These days, Adler keeps busy with his own band, Adler’s Appetite, which leans heavily on GNR’s legacy. While his time in Guns N’ Roses was cut short, his story remains one of the band’s most infamous departures.
Matt Sorum
Guns N’ Roses has had no shortage of drummers, and Matt Sorum was one of the most notable. He stepped in after Steven Adler’s exit, holding down the beat until Axl Rose fired him in 1997. But instead of fading away, Sorum kept busy, playing with Velvet Revolver, The Cult, and Hollywood Vampires. In 2019, he teamed up with Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler for a new project called Deadland Ritual.
Beyond music, Sorum ventured into tech. In 2018, he launched Arbit, a blockchain-based concert-hosting platform, blending his love for music with emerging digital trends. His career has been a mix of reinvention and resilience, proving he wasn’t just another name in GNR’s long lineup of drummers.
But it hasn’t all been about success. Sorum has seen the darker side of the industry, and in 2020, he shared his experiences in Double Talkin’ Jive, his autobiography. While his time in GNR ended decades ago, his impact—and his stories—continue to resonate.
Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke’s time with Guns N’ Roses was anything but smooth. He stepped in for Izzy Stradlin in 1991, only to find himself unexpectedly out of the band by 1994. The news came in a strange way—first, his paychecks stopped. Then, Slash casually mentioned that Axl Rose no longer wanted him in the lineup. Despite a brief moment of confusion, Clarke got the message: his time in GNR was over.
Unlike some former members, Clarke didn’t hold a grudge. He continued making music and even worked with Slash on the Slash’s Snakepit project. Instead of dwelling on the past, he focused on his own path, steadily building his solo career and collaborating with other rock legends.
In 2020, Clarke returned with new music, releasing Rock n’ Roll Is Getting Louder and working on The Gospel Truth, his first solo album in over 15 years. Though his GNR stint was short-lived, he never stopped doing what he does best—playing rock and roll on his own terms.
Paul “Huge” Tobias
Paul “Huge” Tobias stepped into Guns N’ Roses as Gilby Clarke’s replacement, but his arrival caused more problems than solutions. Axl Rose insisted on bringing him in, much to Slash’s frustration. Tobias’ skills were met with skepticism, and his presence only deepened the growing rift within the band. By 1996, the tension hit a breaking point—Slash walked away from GNR, marking a major shift in the band’s history.
Tobias’ connection to Rose ran deep. The two were childhood friends, which likely played a role in Axl’s unwavering support. But even that bond couldn’t secure Tobias a permanent spot in the lineup. In 2002, his time with GNR came to an end when Richard Fortus took over his position. After that, Tobias largely disappeared from the public eye.
Little has been heard from him since. In 2018, a long-lost song from his old band, Mank Rage, surfaced online, briefly reminding fans of his time in the industry. Beyond that, Tobias remains a footnote in GNR’s history—one that played a part in breaking up the band’s classic lineup.
Robin Finck
Robin Finck joined Guns N’ Roses in 1997, stepping into a lineup that was more of a studio project than a functioning band. Alongside Axl Rose, Paul Huge, Dizzy Reed, Josh Freese, and Tommy Stinson, he worked on new material, though little came of it at the time. Despite his short tenure, he made a lasting impact—his contributions became a key part of Chinese Democracy, the long-delayed album that finally saw the light of day in 2008.
Finck eventually left but later returned for another stint. However, when Chinese Democracy was finally released, he had already moved on. His exit wasn’t surrounded by drama but by opportunity—he had another gig lined up, and it was with a band just as influential in its own right.
That band? Nine Inch Nails. Finck rejoined Trent Reznor’s industrial juggernaut, where he has remained a key member. As of 2019, he was still holding down guitar duties for NIN, proving that while his time with GNR was brief, his career in rock has been anything but.
Josh Freese
For some musicians, joining Guns N’ Roses is a career-defining moment. For Josh Freese, it was just another gig. He signed on as the band’s drummer in 1998, committing to a two-year contract. But by 2000, with GNR still lost in studio limbo, he chose not to renew. Rather than waiting around, Freese moved on—no hard feelings, just a drummer in constant motion.
Instead of tying himself to one band, Freese built a career playing with almost everyone. He became a key part of A Perfect Circle and worked with artists across all genres, from Queens of the Stone Age and Bruce Springsteen to Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry. He’s toured with Sting, remained a longtime member of The Vandals, and even held a spot in Devo. His résumé reads like a music festival lineup.
Freese didn’t need GNR to make a name for himself—he was already in demand. While Axl Rose’s band remained stuck in creative chaos, Freese kept moving, drumming for some of the biggest names in music. Guns N’ Roses was just one stop in his long and still-growing career.
Tommy Stinson
Tommy Stinson played bass for Guns N’ Roses from 1998 to 2014, but his exit wasn’t exactly planned. When his marriage fell apart, he found himself needing to step away from the band and refocus on his personal life. Despite the abrupt departure, he has no regrets. He got along with the band but was more than happy to move on.
Even without GNR, Stinson’s rock ‘n’ roll career was already legendary. Best known for his time in The Replacements, he joined the band at just 11 years old and helped define their raw, rebellious sound. But his journey didn’t stop there—he later revived his old band, Bash & Pop, and kept his hands in multiple projects.
In addition to his other ventures, Stinson also spent time with Soul Asylum, playing with them from 2005 to 2012. His career has been a constant evolution, proving that while his time in GNR was long, it was just one chapter in a much bigger story.
Chris Pitman
Chris Pitman joined Guns N’ Roses in 1998 as a multi-instrumentalist, handling keyboards and backing vocals. His time with the band lasted well over a decade, but in the end, it wasn’t music that drove him away—it was money. By 2012, Pitman claimed Axl Rose owed him $125,000 for unpaid work. When the debt wasn’t settled, he took legal action, demanding $163,000.
The dispute dragged on until 2016, when Pitman and Rose finally reached a settlement. However, according to TMZ, the payout was significantly lower than what Pitman had originally sought. Around the same time, GNR was preparing for a major reunion tour featuring classic-era members Slash and Duff McKagan. Pitman was supposed to be part of the lineup, but plans changed.
Instead, Melissa Reese took his spot as the band’s second keyboardist. Pitman didn’t take it well, making some less-than-subtle jabs at the tour, calling it a “cash grab” and mocking the return of “the old guys.” Whether those comments played a role in his departure is unclear, but one thing is certain—he’s no longer part of the GNR story.
Buckethead
Buckethead, the masked virtuoso known for his KFC bucket hat and lightning-fast guitar skills, spent four years in Guns N’ Roses before calling it quits in 2004. According to Rolling Stone, he left on his own, though Blabbermouth suggested his frustration with the band’s endless delays on Chinese Democracy played a role. Despite his eccentric image, his departure was a serious one—he was done waiting.
Life after GNR wasn’t easy. In a rare 2017 interview on the Coming Alive podcast, Buckethead, whose real name is Brian Carroll, opened up about personal struggles. He faced the loss of his parents, battled a debilitating back injury, and even dealt with a heart condition that put his life at risk. It was a far cry from the high-energy performances that made him famous.
Fortunately, music remained his refuge. Rolling Stone reported that he returned to the scene, even collaborating with his idol, funk legend Bootsy Collins. By 2019, he was back in action, releasing a wild, funk-metal cover of Monster Mash—proof that no matter the setbacks, Buckethead was still very much in the game.
Brian “Brain” Mantia
Brian “Brain” Mantia has played with just about everyone. From avant-garde acts like Primus, Godflesh, and Buckethead to legends like Tom Waits, his career spans genres and decades. But for six years, he was also part of Guns N’ Roses, joining in 2000 at Axl Rose’s invitation and staying until 2006. While his time in GNR was notable, it was just one stop in his ever-evolving musical journey.
Mantia is far more than just a rock drummer. A deep thinker when it comes to music and theory, he has written drum columns, released instructional DVDs, and explored rhythm in ways that go beyond traditional drumming. His versatility has made him a sought-after musician, even in places you wouldn’t expect.
His duo, Brain and Melissa, has left its mark across multiple industries. From B-movie soundtracks to NFL and MLB music, their work is everywhere. They’ve even contributed to major video games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Cyberpunk 2077. Whether on stage, in a studio, or behind the scenes, Brain has shaped the sounds of countless projects—you’ve probably heard his work without even realizing it.
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal joined Guns N’ Roses in 2006, but earning his place in the band wasn’t easy. He admitted that integrating into the group was a struggle, and respect wasn’t handed to him—it had to be earned. His time in GNR lasted until 2014, though his exit was never officially announced. Ultimately, knowing that a reunion of classic members was on the horizon made his decision to leave even harder.
After GNR, Thal didn’t slow down. He focused on his solo career, hosted music camps, and became a key member of the supergroup Sons of Apollo. His technical skills and unique playing style kept him in demand, proving that his contributions to GNR were just one chapter in a much bigger career.
But Thal’s talents extend beyond music. He’s also in the business of heat—literally. His award-winning line of hot sauces, including a ginger-ginseng-caffeine blend, has earned recognition among spice lovers. Whether on stage or in the kitchen, Bumblefoot continues to leave his mark in unexpected ways.
DJ Ashba
DJ Ashba joined Guns N’ Roses in 2009 and played lead guitar until 2015. While he stated that he left to spend more time with his family and other projects, the timing was hard to ignore. His departure happened the same year Slash returned to the band, leading many to speculate that his exit was more about making room than personal choice.
After GNR, Ashba kept himself busy. He continued playing guitar for Nikki Sixx’s band, Sixx:A.M., and even dabbled in television appearances. Never one to stay in the background, he also launched Pyromantic, a new musical project blending rock and electronic sounds.
Beyond music, Ashba turned his creativity into a business. His company, Ashba Media, specializes in themed design and stage production, working with entertainment venues, hotels, and other industries. While he may no longer be in GNR, his career has only expanded, proving there’s more to him than just shredding onstage.