# List of Guns N' Roses members

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1985, the group originally consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Tracii Guns, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Ole Beich and drummer Rob Gardner. The band has been through many lineup changes and currently includes Rose (a constant member), bassist Duff McKagan (from 1985 to 1997, and since 2016), lead guitarist Slash (from 1985 to 1996, and since 2016), keyboardist Dizzy Reed (since 1990), rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus (since 2002) and keyboardist Melissa Reese (since 2016).

## History
### 1985–1997

Guns N' Roses was formed in March 1985 by vocalist Axl Rose and rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin of Hollywood Rose, with lead guitarist Tracii Guns, bassist Ole Beich and drummer Rob Gardner of L.A. Guns. Before the group's first show on March 26, 1985, Beich was fired and replaced by Duff "Rose" McKagan. Shortly thereafter, Guns and Gardner were replaced by Slash and Steven Adler, respectively, both of whom had previously played with McKagan in Road Crew. The group released Appetite for Destruction in 1987, which as of 2017 had reportedly sold more than 30 million copies. During the resulting concert tour, Adler broke his hand in a fight and was replaced for a run of shows by Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. McKagan also missed a show in May 1988 when he got married, with The Cult's Kid "Haggis" Chaos substituting for the bassist.
G N' R Lies was released in 1988, selling almost 10 million copies worldwide as of 2018. Eagles drummer Don Henley performed with the group at the 1989 American Music Awards, after Adler was admitted to rehab for increasing drug problems. By the following July, the drummer had been fired from the band for his continued problems with substance abuse, with The Cult's Matt Sorum taking his place. Adler's last recording with Guns N' Roses was the Use Your Illusion II single "Civil War", which also featured newly-added sixth member Dizzy Reed on piano. The band's new lineup recorded Use Your Illusion I and II and embarked on the Use Your Illusion Tour in May 1991, a few months before their release. On November 7, however, Stradlin abruptly left Guns N' Roses due to the "air of chaos" which surrounded the band. He was replaced by Gilby Clarke, who debuted alongside fellow additions in touring keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, three backing vocalists and a three-piece horn section.
After the conclusion of the two-year long tour, Guns N' Roses released "The Spaghetti Incident?" in 1993, an album of cover versions. Work began the next year on a new studio album; however by October, Clarke had been replaced by Rose's childhood friend Paul "Huge" Tobias in time for the recording of their cover of "Sympathy for the Devil". Clarke was reportedly fired by Rose without the consent of the other band members, and Slash objected to the addition of Tobias, which led him to focus on his new side project Slash's Snakepit. Eventually, various differences led to the guitarist's departure in October 1996. He was soon followed by Sorum, who was fired in April 1997, after an argument with Rose regarding the hiring of Tobias. In August, McKagan became the final member of the Appetite for Destruction lineup to leave, explaining in his autobiography that the band was "so erratic that it didn't seem to fit with my hopes for parenthood, for stability".

### 1997–2015

Rose retained use of the Guns N' Roses name and began rebuilding the band in 1997. His first addition was former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck, who joined to replace Slash in August on a two-year contract. He was followed early the next year by Sorum's replacement Josh Freese, who also signed a contract for two years, and McKagan's replacement Tommy Stinson. Later in the year, Chris Pitman joined on synthesizers & keyboards. The new lineup released "Oh My God" in 1999, which marked the first new Guns N' Roses material in five years. In August, however, Finck left the band to return to Nine Inch Nails upon the expiration of his contract with Rose. He was replaced in March the following year by experimental guitarist Buckethead. Freese left shortly after his arrival, with the guitarist recommending Brain as his replacement. Finck later returned, and Guns N' Roses played its first live show in the US in seven years on December 31, 2000.
After eight years with the group, Paul Tobias left Guns N' Roses in July 2002, with Richard Fortus taking his place. Later in the year, the band embarked on the first leg of its extensive Chinese Democracy Tour, which was their first since 1993. After more touring, Buckethead abruptly left in March 2004, causing the band to cancel its appearance at Rock in Rio. The group continued work on new album Chinese Democracy, but didn't perform again until May 2006 when Buckethead's replacement Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal debuted. In June, Frank Ferrer temporarily replaced Brain for a run of shows, when the regular drummer was forced to return home earlier than expected to be with his pregnant wife. Brain ultimately chose not to return to the band, and Ferrer took over on a permanent basis. Chinese Democracy was released in November 2008, 15 years after the previous studio album, and with an estimated budget of $13 million in production costs.
In March 2009, Finck left Guns N' Roses for a second time to rejoin Nine Inch Nails, with Sixx:A.M.'s DJ Ashba taking his place. The band continued touring in the years following the 2008 release of Chinese Democracy, including the 2012 Up Close and Personal Tour which saw the group downgrading its production for a run of shows in smaller venues. The Appetite for Democracy tour, which began with a 12-night residency in Las Vegas, spawned the group's first live release since 1999, Appetite for Democracy 3D, in 2014. Reports of a follow-up to Chinese Democracy were made by various members of the band during these years, too, including Ashba and Fortus in 2012, and Rose and Reed in 2014. However, in July 2015 it was announced that Ashba had left the group to focus on Sixx:A.M. and his family. Around the same time, after much speculation, it was also confirmed that Thal had left after the conclusion of the 2014 tour. Stinson also left shortly after the tour for personal reasons.

### 2015 onwards

Despite the recent departure of three long-term members, Ferrer confirmed in July 2015 that Guns N' Roses "still exists" and was "moving forward". The following month, former lead guitarist Slash announced that he had become friends with Axl Rose again, after almost 20 years of not talking to his former bandmate. Alongside the recent departures of both lead guitarists, this fuelled renewed rumors of a potential reunion of the 'classic' lineup of Guns N' Roses, which continued as it was reported that the group was being touted for several European festivals in 2016. The rumours ultimately proved to be true to some extent, as it was announced in January 2016 that both Slash and bassist Duff McKagan would be rejoining Guns N' Roses for a headline performance at Coachella Festival. The reunion was later expanded into the Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which commenced in June. Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer and Dizzy Reed remained present, while Melissa Reese took the place of Chris Pitman. The tour sustained for over two years without lineup changes, finally ending on November 2, 2019.

## Members
### Current

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Axl Rose (W. Axl Rose) | 1985–present | lead vocalspianooccasional rhythm guitar and percussion | all Guns N' Roses releases |
| Duff McKagan (Michael McKagan) | 1985–19972016–present | bassbacking and occasional lead vocalsacoustic guitarpercussion | all Guns N' Roses releases from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)Live Era '87–'93 (1999), "Absurd" (2021) and onward |
| Slash (Saul Hudson) | 1985–19962016–present | lead and rhythm guitarsoccasional backing vocals | all Guns N' Roses releases from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)Live Era '87–'93 (1999), "Absurd" (2021) and onward |
| Dizzy Reed (Darren Reed) | 1990–present | pianokeyboardsbacking vocalspercussion | all Guns N' Roses releases from "Civil War" (1990) onward |
| Richard Fortus | 2002–present | rhythm and lead guitarsbacking vocals | all Guns N' Roses releases from Chinese Democracy (2008) onward |
| Melissa Reese | 2016–present | keyboardssynthesizerssub-bassprogrammingbacking vocals | all Guns N' Roses releases from Chinese Democracy (2008) onward |

### Former

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Izzy Stradlin (Jeff Isbell) | 1985–1991 | rhythm and lead guitarsbacking and occasional lead vocalspercussion | all Guns N' Roses releases from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) to Use Your Illusion II (1991)Live Era '87–'93 (1999) |
| Rob Gardner | 1985 | drumsbacking vocals | none |
| Tracii Guns (Tracy Ulrich) | 1985 | lead and rhythm guitars | none |
| Ole Beich | 1985 (died 1991) | bass | none |
| Steven Adler (Michael Coletti) | 1985–1990 | drumspercussionbacking vocals | all Guns N' Roses releases from Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) to Civil War (1990)Live Era '87–'93 (1999) |
| Matt Sorum | 1990–1997 | drumspercussionbacking vocals | all Guns N' Roses releases from "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Days of Thunder version) (1990) to Sympathy for the Devil (1994)Live Era '87–'93 (1999) |
| Gilby Clarke | 1991–1994 | rhythm and lead guitarsbacking vocals | Use Your Illusion World Tour 1992 in Tokyo I & II (1992)"The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)Live Era '87–'93 (1999) |
| Paul "Huge" Tobias | 1994–2002 | rhythm and lead guitarsbacking vocalsoccasional piano | Sympathy for the Devil (1994)"Oh My God" (1999)Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| Robin Finck (Robert Finck) | 1997–19992000–2008 | lead and rhythm guitarsoccasional keyboardsbacking vocals | "Oh My God" (1999)Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| Josh Freese | 1997–2000 | drumspercussion | "Oh My God" (1999) |
| Tommy Stinson | 1998–2016 | bassbacking and occasional lead vocals | "Oh My God" (1999)Chinese Democracy (2008)Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014) |
| Chris Pitman | 1998–2016 | keyboardssynthesizerssub-bassprogrammingbacking vocalspercussionoccasional guitar | "Oh My God" (1999)Chinese Democracy (2008)Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014) |
| Buckethead (Brian Carroll) | 2000–2004 | lead and rhythm guitars | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| Brain (Bryan Mantia) | 2000–2006 | drumspercussion | Chinese Democracy (2008)"Absurd" (2021)"Hard Skool" (2021)"Perhaps" / "The General" (2023) |
| Frank Ferrer | 2006–2025 | drumspercussion | none |
| Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Ronald Blumenthal) | 2006–2014 | lead and rhythm guitarsbacking and occasional lead vocals | Chinese Democracy (2008)Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014) |
| DJ Ashba (Daren Ashba) | 2009–2015 | lead and rhythm guitars | Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014) |

### Touring

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
| Fred Coury | 1987–1988 | drums | Coury substituted for Steven Adler between late 1987 and early 1988 after the drummer injured his hand during a fight. |
| Kid "Haggis" Chaos (Stephen Harris) | 1988 | bass | Harris replaced Duff McKagan for a show on May 27, 1988 when the bassist took a leave of absence for his wedding. |
| Don Henley | 1989 | drumsbacking vocals | Henley replaced Steven Adler for the 1989 American Music Awards after the drummer was admitted to a rehab clinic. |
| Teddy Andreadis | 1991–1993 | keyboardspercussionharmonicabacking vocals | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Roberta Freeman | 1991–1993 | backing vocalstambourine | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Tracey Amos | 1991–1993 | backing vocalstambourine | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Diane Jones | 1991–1993 | backing vocalstambourine | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Cece Worrall | 1991–1993 | saxophones | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Lisa Maxwell | 1991–1993 | saxophones | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |
| Anne King | 1991–1993 | trumpet | Additional members of the Use Your Illusion Tour band from December 1991 to February 1993. |

## Session musicians

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Adriana Smith | 1987 | vocals | Appetite for Destruction (1987) - "Rocket Queen" |
| West Arkeen (Aaron Arkeen) | 1988 1990–1991 (died 1997) | percussion acoustic guitar | G N' R Lies (1988) – "Patience", "Used to Love Her", "You're Crazy" and "One in a Million" Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "The Garden" |
| Howard Teman | 1988 1990-1991 | percussion piano | G N' R Lies (1988) – "Patience", "Used to Love Her", "You're Crazy" and "One in a Million" Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "So Fine" |
| Rick Richards | 1988 | percussion | G N' R Lies (1988) – "Patience", "Used to Love Her", "You're Crazy" and "One in a Million" |
| Ray Grden | 1988 | percussion | G N' R Lies (1988) – "Patience", "Used to Love Her", "You're Crazy" and "One in a Million" |
| Michael Monroe (Matti Fagerholm) | 1990–1991 1992–1993 | harmonica saxophone vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Bad Obsession" "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "Ain't It Fun" |
| Stuart Bailey | 1990–1991 1992–1993 | backing vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "November Rain" "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "I Don't Care About You" |
| Shannon Hoon (Richard Hoon) | 1990–1991 (died 1995) | vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live and Let Die", "Don't Cry", "You Ain't the First", "November Rain" and "The Garden" Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "Don't Cry" (alt. lyrics) |
| Johann Langlie | 1990-1991 | keyboards drums programming | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live And Let Die", "November Rain", "Garden Of Eden", "Coma" Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "My World" |
| Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier) | 1990-1991 | vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "The Garden" |
| Jon Thautwein | 1990-1991 | horns | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live and Let Die" |
| Matthew McKagan | 1990-1991 | horns | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live and Let Die" |
| Rachel West | 1990-1991 | horns | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live and Let Die" |
| Robert Clark | 1990-1991 | horns | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Live and Let Die" |
| Tim Doyle | 1990-1991 | tambourine | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "You Ain't the First" |
| Reba Shaw | 1990-1991 | backing vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "November Rain" |
| Mike Clink | 1990-1991 | nutcracker | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Dead Horse" |
| Bruce Foster | 1990-1991 | programming | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Diane Mitchell | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Michelle Loiselle | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Monica Zierhut-Soto | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Patricia Fuenzalida | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Rose Mann | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| Susanne Filkins | 1990-1991 | spoken word vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) – "Coma" |
| The Waters | 1990-1991 | backing vocals | Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" |
| Mike Staggs | 1992–1993 | guitar | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "Ain't It Fun" |
| Mike Fasano | 1992–1993 | percussion | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "Hair of the Dog" |
| Richard Duguay | 1992–1993 | guitars | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" |
| Eddie Huletz | 1992–1993 | backing vocals | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" |
| Blake Stanton | 1992–1993 | backing vocals | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "I Don't Care About You" |
| Eric Mills | 1992–1993 | backing vocals | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "I Don't Care About You" |
| Riki Rachtman (David Rachtman) | 1992–1993 | backing vocals | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "I Don't Care About You" |
| Carlos Booy | 1992–1993 | acoustic guitar | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) – "Look at Your Game, Girl" |
| Sid Riggs (Sean Riggs) | 1994–1999 | drums | none |
| Zakk Wylde (Jeffrey Wielandt) | 1995 | guitar | none |
| Krys Baratto | 1996-1997 | bass | none |
| Chris Vrenna | 1997 | drums and programming | none |
| Brian May | 1999 | lead guitar | none |
| Dave Navarro | 1999 | guitar | "Oh My God" (1999) |
| Gary Sunshine | 1999 | guitar | "Oh My God" (1999) |
| Stuart White | 1999 | programming | "Oh My God" (1999) |
| Eric Caudieux | 2002-2007 | drum machine sub drums | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "If the World" and "This I Love" |
| Pete Scaturro | 2002-2007 | keyboards | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| Marco Beltrami | 2003 | orchestra | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Street of Dreams", "There Was a Time", "Madagascar", "This I Love", and "Prostitute" |
| Paul Buckmaster | 2004 (died 2017) | orchestra | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Street of Dreams", "There Was a Time", "Madagascar", and "Prostitute" |
| Suzy Katayama | 2004-2007 | French horn | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Madagascar" |
| Patti Hood | 2004-2007 | harp | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "This I Love" |
| Caram Costanzo | 2003-2007 | sub drums | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "This I Love" |
| Sebastian Bach (Sebastian Bierk) | 2007 | vocals | Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Sorry" |

## Lineups

| Period | Members | Releases |
| March 1985 | Axl Rose – lead vocals Tracii Guns – lead and rhythm guitar Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Ole Beich – bass, backing vocals Rob Gardner – drums, backing vocals | none |
| March–May 1985 | Axl Rose – lead vocals Tracii Guns – lead and rhythm guitar Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Rob Gardner – drums, backing vocals | none |
| May–June 1985 | Axl Rose – lead vocals Slash – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Rob Gardner – drums, backing vocals | none |
| June 1985 – February 1990 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Steven Adler – drums, percussion | Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (1986) Appetite for Destruction (1987) Guns N' Roses (1988) G N' R Lies (1988) Live Era '87–'93 (1999) – three tracks |
| February–July 1990 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Steven Adler – drums, percussion | Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "Civil War" only |
| July 1990 – November 1991 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Izzy Stradlin – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals | Use Your Illusion I (1991) Use Your Illusion II (1991) Live Era '87–'93 (1999) – three tracks |
| November 1991 – October 1994 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead, rhythm and slide guitar, backing vocals Gilby Clarke – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals | "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) Live Era '87–'93 (1999) |
| October 1994 – October 1996 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals | "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994) |
| October 1996 – April 1997 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Paul Tobias – guitars, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Matt Sorum – drums, percussion, backing vocals | none |
| April–August 1997 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Paul Tobias – guitars, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals | none |
| August 1997 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals | none |
| August 1997 – March 1998 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| March–May 1998 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Josh Freese – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| May–October 1998 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Josh Freese – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| October 1998 – August 1999 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Josh Freese – drums, percussion | "Oh My God" (1999) Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| August 1999 – March 2000 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Paul Tobias – guitars, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Josh Freese – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| March–October 2000 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Buckethead – lead and rhythm guitar Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Brain – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| October 2000 – July 2002 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Buckethead – lead and rhythm guitar Robin Finck – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Paul Tobias – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Brain – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| July 2002 – March 2004 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Buckethead – lead and rhythm guitar Robin Finck – lead rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Brain – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| March 2004 – May 2006 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Brain – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| May–October 2006 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Brain – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| October 2006 – March 2009 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Robin Finck – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Bumblefoot – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | Chinese Democracy (2008) |
| March 2009 – June 2014 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Bumblefoot – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals DJ Ashba – lead and rhythm guitar Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | Appetite for Democracy 3D (2014) |
| June 2014 – July 2015 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano DJ Ashba – lead and rhythm guitar Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | none |
| July – December 2015 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Richard Fortus – guitars, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | none |
| January–February 2016 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Chris Pitman – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | none |
| March 2016 – February 2025 | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Melissa Reese – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion | "ABSUЯD" (single) (2021) "Hard Skool" (single) (2021) "Hard Skool" (EP) (2022) "Perhaps" (single) (2023) "The General" (single) (2023) |
| February 2025 - present | Axl Rose – lead vocals, keyboards, piano Slash – lead and rhythm guitar Richard Fortus – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals Melissa Reese – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Duff McKagan also performed with the band as a live guest at a show on October 14, 2010, and as a touring substitute for Tommy Stinson in 2014.
* ↑ Ferrer does not appear on any of the singles released since 2021, with former drummer Brain's performances being used.
* ↑ Izzy Stradlin also performed with the band as a touring substitute for Gilby Clarke in 1993, and as a live guest at several shows in 2006 and 2012.
* ↑ Guns and Gardner (alongside Rose, McKagan and Stradlin) recorded a demo EP with Guns N' Roses in March 1985, but it was not released.
* ↑ Adler appeared as a live guest during the band's Not in This Lifetime... Tour, on July 6, July 9, and August 19 2016.
* ↑ Credited as either Paul Huge or Paul Tobias.
* ↑ Finck appeared as a live guest on the March 12, 2012 show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles
* ↑ Josh Freese's drum recordings were not included on Chinese Democracy, being re-recorded by Brain after Freese left the band, but Freese was credited for arrangements on four tracks.
* ↑ Pitman filled in on bass guitar in a 2007 show that Tommy Stinson was unable to attend.
* ↑ Often miscredited as Brian Mantia
* ↑ Brain appeared as a live guest on the March 12, 2012 show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles
* ↑ Riggs worked as a studio drummer sporadically for Guns N' Roses while working on the follow-up to "The Spaghetti Incident?". Riggs contributed to the songwriting of "Oh My God"
* ↑ Wylde performed with the band in studio for several weeks auditioning for a guitar spot, but he ultimately was not brought in
* ↑ Baratto performed with the band in the studio while McKagan was away working on Neurotic Outsiders
* ↑ Vrenna performed with the band for several months as drummer in 1997 during the sessions for what would become Chinese Democracy; however, none of his contributions or writing are featured on the album.
* ↑ May recorded lead guitar for several songs during the Chinese Democracy sessions, including "Catcher in the Rye" in 1999, but his contributions were removed from the final album.
* 1 2 3 4 5 These recordings developed from tracks originated during the Chinese Democracy sessions and include musicians who were no longer members of Guns and Roses at time of release, former drummer Brain performs drums on each track instead of Ferrer, and former keyboardist Chris Pitman performs on "The General"