Injury Kept Original Guns N' Roses Star From Reunion?

Original Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler recently gave a lengthy interview where he explained the reason for his limited involvement in the band's blockbuster reunion tour.

The reunion features original Guns N' Roses members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan and Adler says in an interview with the One On One With Mitch Lafon podcast that he suffered a back injury during a rehearsal that prevented him from being part of the tour.

The drummer explained the injury and then reflected on his guest appearance with the band last summer. "I was playing twenty-five songs twice a day for two years. 'Cause once I found out [that the reunion] was probably gonna happen, I was, like, 'Yes! I'm gonna be ready and on top of it.'

"And then second rehearsal, I hurt my back and I had to have a minor surgery. I had a pinched nerve in the L4 [nerve root], and within an hour, I was out of the hospital and I was all better. And I talked to them, 'Let me come back,' but it didn't happen, and I was resentful.

"And then I talked to my sponsor and I was, 'Okay, you're right. I'm not gonna give in to resentment.' And then they called me, and I [said], 'Holy sh*t! Here it comes. This is gonna be so awesome.' I'm still smiling about it. I have dreams about it. My wife goes, 'What are you smiling about? You're sleeping and you're smiling.' And I go, 'I was on stage in front of seventy thousand people with Slash and Duff and Axl.' I just wish Izzy was there, but, sh*t, I got to do it. Thank you, God. 'Cause I wanted it for twenty-six years.

"All I did every day was, 'Please, God, let this happen. Let this happen. I wanna play with them again. I wanna do this.'" Listen to the full interview here.

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