Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History Daily: When Axl Rose threatened to kill David Bowie

Back in the day, Axl Rose had a reputation for being totally unhinged and probably threatened a lot of people. But David Bowie?

When Guns N’ Roses was at their peak, Axl wasn’t exactly the most stable guy in music. Anything would set him off.

In 1989, the band booked a Hollywood club called the Cathouse to shoot a video for their song, “It’s So Easy,” which featured Axl’s then-girlfriend, Erin Everly, who was completely outfitted in fetish gear. For some reason, David Bowie was at the shoot and allegedly started flirting with Erin.

Axl went ballistic. He not only chased Bowie out of the club and down the street, but he also kept yelling “I’m going to kill you!” Bowie returned to the club with Ola Hudson, mother of Slash, and someone who made stage costumes back in the day.

Eventually, it was all settled when Bowie invited Axl out for dinner.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39303 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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