40 Years On

Slash is best known for his Guns N' Roses contributions. Yet he nearly wound up with Poison. After a successful audition, he was called back twice. But CC DeVille got the job because of his high hairdo and heels.

That's according to Martin Popoff's celebration of the Gunners' 40th anniversary. 

Another interesting part of Guns N Roses at 40 concerns Arnold Schwarzenegger. You Could Be Mine was used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day after Arnold invited the band over for dinner to ''seal the deal.'' 

It is surprising that Stephanie Seymour isn't mentioned once. Besides appearing in the videos for Don't Cry and November Rain, she had a relationship with Axl Rose (other former flames are cited). 

When it comes to concerts and recordings, the writer is far more expansive. While strange to see descriptions like ''Easter egg narrative'' and ''crunchy chorus,'' it is fascinating to learn about the band's range of cover songs. These have included tributes to late performers, as with Chris Cornell's Black Hole Sun and Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman. 

Also well documented are side projects, such as Slash's Snakepit, Adler's Appetite, Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds, and Velvet Revolver--as well as the current Guns N' Roses lineup.

Incidentally, the aforementioned Poison has an anniversary on the way. Drummer Rikki Rockett told Sirius XM's Eddie Trunk they will celebrate 40 years since the release of their debut album by going on the road in 2026. 

Frontman Bret Michaels recently did some dates with Def Leppard.