Former Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson, who played with the band between 1998 and 2014, recently spoke to the Appetite For Distortion podcast and expressed that Axl Rose should be grateful to him as the frontman’s career took a significant step forward after his departure.
Reflecting on his tough decision to leave GNR and Axl’s reaction, Stinson said:
“I got into a particular situation where I needed to be home. And the tours that were being talked about, I had to make that kind of decision. And it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make that I had no choice about; I really had to do it. It put me in a bad light with Axl, obviously, ’cause he was upset with that and didn’t appreciate that at all.”
However, the bassist thinks that Rose should be thanking him for his departure because later on, the singer got the opportunity to perform with AC/DC:
“I can’t help but think that if [Axl] would look back now and look at what he did and what he’s done since I quit, he might kind of be glad that happened [Laughs]. You know what I mean? I mean, for him to go out and tour with AC/DC [as a temporary replacement for Brian Johnson] was a huge thing in the annals of rock and roll anyway, but I can’t imagine him now looking back and going, ‘I wouldn’t have probably done that had Tommy not quit, and we’d just done those tours and just kept on going.'”
As Tommy believes, the classic lineup of GNR probably would not have reunited at the time if he didn’t leave:
“Getting the whole band back together wouldn’t have happened — at least not then; it might have, maybe now. But I think everything is rocking and rolling for him pretty good. I can’t imagine him not being grateful.”
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Stinson talked about his departure again, saying that leaving the band was not his original intention. Still, there was a chaotic situation at home, which prevented him from touring. He explained:
“I wasn’t intending to quit Guns N’ Roses. But I had to tell them, I think, five times in a row my situation at home was so screwed up I couldn’t tour. I hope that was the thing that pushed the reunion [with Slash and Duff McKagan] to happen because I know all those guys, and they’re having a ball. I saw the tour twice. I’m glad for them.”
You can watch the full chat below.
