About W. Axl Rose W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose; February 6, 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses. As the lead singer for Guns N' Roses, Rose enjoyed tremendous success, recognition, and record and concert ticket sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s before dropping out of the public eye for several years. In 2001, he resurfaced with a new line-up of Guns N' Roses in the third edition of Rock In Rio festival, and has since played periodic concert tours, finally releasing the long delayed album Chinese Democracy in 2008. This album was recorded over many years before finally being released. He was ranked #11 in the Hit Parader's Top Metal Vocalists of All Time and #64 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and also #4 in Roadrunner's 50 Best Frontmen in Metal History.