"The first time I saw GUNS N' ROSES on MTV, I thought, 'One of these guys could end up dead or in jail,'" He raved about "Appetite For Destruction", calling it "the best debut album in the history of Rock and Roll. Every song hits hard. It takes you a trip to the seedy world of Los Angeles. The thing that set them apart from everyone else was guts. They never lost their edge for one second." Billie Joe also praised each of the GN'R members, before saying, "Let's see, who am I missing?" to a round of boos. He then referred to Rose as "one of the best frontmen to ever touch a microphone," and added, "And you're fucking crazy. Most singers in bands are, I can vouch for that."
During the ceremony, former GNR members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke performed three "Appetite For Destruction" songs with Myles Kennedy on vocals. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang "Mr. Brownstone", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City", with "Use Your Illusion"-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on "Brownstone" and the man he replaced in GN'R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.
"I am overwhelmed," McKagan said of the honor. He also addressed singer Axl Rose's absence during his acceptance speech, saying, "I don't know if it matters who's here tonight because it's about the music that band created."
Slash said, "We have new fans who have never seen the original lineup and they're pulling for us."
Adler quoted QUEEN's "We Are the Champions": "You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, and I thank you all."
Related links:
Official Site of Guns N' Roses
