The bodyguard to the stars, Michael Francis, recently joined Classic Rock for an interview and claimed that Axl Rose and Jon Bon Jovi never got along.
Throughout the history of rock, it’s without a doubt that Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose and Bon Jovi lead Jon Bon Jovi are among the most charismatic, charming, and talented lead vocalists of all time. Back when they were young and at the height of their success, both GN’R and Bon Jovi had a significant following.
Rose moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s and became active in the hard rock scene. He then co-founded Guns N’ Roses in 1985 and achieved great success and recognition with the band, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their albums have sold millions, and they’ve filled the venues with thousands of fans.
On the other hand, Jon Bon Jovi was active in the scene simultaneously as Rose. Before forming Bon Jovi in 1983, he worked with local bands and started to get noticed. After their first two albums were released in 1984 and 1985, Bon Jovi released their third album and achieved widespread success and global recognition.
In an interview with Classic Rock, the bodyguard of famous rock stars, Michael Francis remembered the time he worked for Jon Bon Jovi. He claimed Jovi came across Rose in the ’80s when the two were pretty famous. Francis then argued Jovi and Rose never got along because they were always competing to be the number one.
Speaking to Classic Rock, Michael Francis recalled the following:
“We came across Axl back in the ’80s when Bon Jovi was at their biggest. He and Jon never got on at all. They were always sparring to be number one. I just thought Axl was a complete fake. I grew up in the English school of music, with singers like Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey, real rock stars. This guy was a fake. He wrote some great stuff, but, f*ck me, that was never the right way to act.
You build core your reputation on the things you do on stage, and I’m afraid he fell well short, especially when you compare him to Jon, who was the best frontman in the world at that point. We managed to keep them apart by the skin of our teeth. But then we were all ready to pound Axl anyway, so it would’ve been no contest.”
According to Francis, Axl Rose didn’t know how to act on stage, unlike Jon Bon Jovi, the best frontman in the world. Moreover, he remembered that they could barely keep Rose and Jovi away from each other, but it seemed Francis was ready to fight as he wasn’t fond of Rose.
