Axl was born William Bruce Rose, Jr. in Lafayette, Indiana.
Axl sang in his church choir starting at age 5. He even performed with his brother and sister at church as the Bailey Trio.
Slash’s nickname for Axl used to be “the Ayatollah.”
(Ayatollah is an honorific title for high-ranking)
In his teenage years, Axl was arrested more than 20 times in Lafayette for charges ranging from public intoxication to battery. He served jail sentences up to three months. In 1982, when the town threatened to charge him as a habitual criminal, he moved to LA.
Axl is a huge Elton John fan, and made a presentation when John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
In 2012, Axl allowed the online streaming of the Guns N’ Roses’ Chicago House of Blues show with a mandatory donation to the Feeding America charity.
In the late 90s, Axl was considered a recluse, spending most of his time in his mansion in Malibu.
When Axl was writing “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” he listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd records over and over to inspire the song’s sound.
Axl also loves Christina Aguilera, proclaiming her “one of the greatest vocalists of our time” in Blender.
Axl’s vocal range was scientifically studied and proven to be the highest range of all popular vocalists, no matter what genre.
Axl has some interesting things in his home including collections of religious artifacts from Latin America and crucifixes, plus tanks of snakes, lizards and spiders.
Axl voiced a DJ named Tommy “The Nightmare” Smith for the 2004 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
