[Music] Axl Rose declines Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

[Rennadrel]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/axl-rose-de...211531150.html

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The acrimony that helped dissolve Guns N' Roses nearly 20 years ago still lingers.

Axl Rose announced Wednesday that he won't be showing up to see the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and declined the honour for himself.

In a letter to the hall, band fans and "To Whom It May Concern," Rose listed several reasons for not attending Saturday's ceremony in Cleveland, including a feeling that the hall does not respect him.

In declining his own induction, he added: "I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf."

The hall said in a statement that it still plans to induct Rose with the rest of the group. "We are sorry he will not be able to accept his induction in person," it said.

According to the rock hall only the Sex Pistols have declined induction before.

Although Rose now fronts a reconstituted version of Guns N' Roses that does not include former members Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan or Steven Adler, some held out hope that the band might reunite at the hall.

Even Slash seemed to leave an opening for the possibility.

"I have no idea what's going to happen on that day," he said in an interview with The Associated Press last month. "It's more like going into it with blinders on and just see what happens."

But Rose apparently was miffed by such talk.

"There's a seemingly endless amount of revisionism and fantasies out there for the sake of self-promotion and business opportunities masking the actual realities," he wrote.

He added: "So let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn't owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another's, or in this case several others', expense."

A rep for Slash said he would still attend Saturday but had no further comment. Green Day is scheduled to induct the group.

Rose admitted that when it was first announced that the band would be inducted, he had mixed feelings. But "I was honoured, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing. Of course, if Guns N' Roses were to be inducted it'd be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation."

Rose's announcement cast a cloud over the band's induction but in some ways was fitting, given the dysfunction that marked the group as it became one of the world's most popular acts in the 1980s and 1990s. Its hits included "Welcome to the Jungle," ''Sweet Child O' Mine" and "November Rain."

Besides Guns N' Roses, the inductees will include the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, Donovan, and The Small Faces/The Faces, which included Rod Stewart and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.

All I can say is, yeah, the R&RHoF probably doesn't respect him, not anymore at least. 20 years ago when Appetite for Destruction came out, people respected him. When his ego took over and he ruined the band, people lost every shred of respect for him. Axl doesn't deserve to be inducted or recognized as a legend among his peers due to his poor attitude and ego problems. Not to mention the bands initial success was not a sole effort, not even in the slightest and why should the rest of the band not be inducted because of him having an ego problem? Maybe next year they will pick a headlining act who is worthy of being considered legends, like Rush for instance. How is it that it took Rolling Stone Magazine 35 years to realize they existed and how is it that they still have not been inducted? People baffle me these days.

[Jon]

I loved the band in the early 90's... but Axl is just such a big baby. He's quite possibly the most immature, childish person in the business.

[Deleted]

It'd save time to just say 'Axl Rose disappeared somewhere up his own arse in the late 90s and the rest is history.....'

[Fuzzzie]

When Guns and Roses was popular they were great. Their last album was mediocre at best. I guess not getting into the Hall of Fame is less important now, especially that be band is unlikely to ever play together again. It really just doesn't matter. Doesn't move me in any way. Their time was up long ago.

[Caiada]

Just another guy's who's fame ran out and ego didn't follow suit. 90s Guns and Roses was great. Today? Might as well be different people. Would've liked for him to be mature and accept the induction, but well, it's his choice not to do so.

[Jon]

At least these are still golden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsnvAjW5LYM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lwYrI96dbY

[Shinzai]

Axl's been a douche pretty much forever, but Slash and co deserve the award.

[Callace]

I totally agree with the Rush sentiment. There are a lot of less dysfunctional bands that are more deserving. Axl wouldn't reunite if his life depended on it. The loss is entirely his.

[Phuongvi]

I just don't understand why this douchebag got all the attention, fame and money with this shitty attitude he had since the begening of GNR,
And he also have very limited talent

I was thinking that he was playing a role, the bad boy role, because Hollywood love bad boy, if so, he's really a good actor.

[Pendulous]

Kind of ironic he's the only member that won't get inducted, and he's the only remaining member of the named band Guns N' Roses. Yeah, he's a rather large prick, but you can't deny the music was great back then.

[Deleted]

Doesn't surprise at all, he's probably the biggest prick in the whole rock world and he doesn't even deserve it. I'm totally OK with them continuing the cermony without Axl, for those who actually deserves the honor.

[mrbadxampl]

Axl being Axl notwithstanding, gotta feel at least a little good for Slash and the rest. they worked their asses off to cover their weak link on vocals.

now, if in some future time the NEW G'n'R were to be inducted, I think we can take that as a sign of the End Times... though it's hard enough to take the R&RHoF seriously anymore anyways, Abba? seriously ABBA?!? that's not rock & roll, that's not even rock OR roll...

[Jon]

Axl being Axl notwithstanding, gotta feel at least a little good for Slash and the rest. they worked their asses off to cover their weak link on vocals.

I wouldn't call Axl's vocals weak, might not be for everyone's tastes but they're pretty unique and many myself included liked them. Plus he wrote or co-wrote many of their best songs, so his contributions to the band are undeniable.

[wariofan1]

"So let sleeping dogs lie or lying dogs sleep or whatever. Time to move on. People get divorced. Life doesn't owe you your own personal happy ending especially at another's, or in this case several others', expense."

What an idiotic statement, in this case the man is completely in control of whether it would be a happy ending or not for GnR, problem is that the man is too arrogant and seems to like the attention he gets for not getting over it.

Personally I'm glad the douche doesn't get inducted, he doesn't deserve it imo, the only reason this new half-assed GnR is still here is because of the past, and even then it was Slash and the other guys' doing because they got the band started and all. The guy seriously needs to get over himself, he can't even sing anymore, he lives on his complaints.

[Rifter]

I loved the band in the early 90's... but Axl is just such a big baby. He's quite possibly the most immature, childish person in the business.

Yes, he is the Kanye West of rock. Pity really, I loved those guys back in the day.

[Pull My Finger]

I was never a GnR fan and I'm not really into Axl ... but I kind of respect him for this move.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke anyway. Bands that should have been in there from the very beginning aren't even inducted. But Madonna is. Come on. After all, it's just about making business off of other people's names.

I understand that Axl is pretty happy with his current band and that he has no interest of playing some nostalgia act and try to get along with some guys he doesn't care about. Why should he do that? He's supposed to do this hall of fame thing so people can get their stupid little reunion. Why should he lend himself to that? If I was him, I'd flip them off too.

At least he's still standing by his words. Unlike countless other assholes in the music business who used to nearly kill each other in the press and tell everybody how they would never make a record or go on tour again, but then miraculously changed their mind in light of the almighty dollar sign.

He wrote: "There's a seemingly endless amount of revisionism and fantasies out there for the sake of self-promotion and business opportunities masking the actual realities" , and that sums it up pretty good. Kudos to him for actually showing some straightforwardness and credibility.

He doesn't owe a thing to anybody.

[Rennadrel]

When Guns and Roses was popular they were great. Their last album was mediocre at best. I guess not getting into the Hall of Fame is less important now, especially that be band is unlikely to ever play together again. It really just doesn't matter. Doesn't move me in any way. Their time was up long ago.

I don't think their time is up, had they remained together minus Axl's ego, I think they'd still have made a couple of good albums. I think the band as a whole deserves recognition, however not for the work that was done on Chinese Democracy, that album is a disgrace to the band's name.

---------- Post added 2012-04-15 at 01:18 PM ----------

I wouldn't call Axl's vocals weak, might not be for everyone's tastes but they're pretty unique and many myself included liked them. Plus he wrote or co-wrote many of their best songs, so his contributions to the band are undeniable.

However Axl's opinions are the exact opposite, and have been that way for 22 years now. When he started becoming a control freak, it became about HIM and not the band as a whole. And unfortunately the band as a whole did not share or agree with his point of view.