Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven has sent a response (via journalist Mitch Lafon who forwarded it to us) to Alternative Nation’s story today where Slash discussed Steven Adler’s exit from Guns N’ Roses. Photographer Ross Halfin made the same claim about Steven Adler’s exit in relation to Erin Everly in 2004. Rose and Everly were married from 1990 to 1991, though this reported incident appeared to happen during their engagement. Axl Rose was engaged Niven also took a shot at Axl Rose for his new Looney Tunes “Rock the Rock” song.
“I’d say it was more of business management that really was the catalyst for splitting up, at least for my leaving, the underlying theme was definitely that.” – Slash
Just to clarify, let me make it absolutely clear that Steven’s exit from Guns was driven by Axl and Goldstein, and to my understanding was significantly motivated by Axl’s anger at Steven for getting Erin high on smack and having his way with her. And well can I understand that. The support of everyone else for Steven was undercut by his inability, in preproduction, to play a song the same way twice. Steven dug his own hole, jumped in it and pulled the dirt down on top of himself.
As for my motivation being in any way material, let me make it clear that I signed on to a hopeless case because of their attitude – why else would I take on a band ‘built to lose’ as Slash described it at his RRHOF induction.
History, however, has shown that Axl and Goldstein had material motives – Axl, Mr Fifty Per-Cent, was fine with cutting both Steven and Izzy out of the tour. I’d hazard a bet Bugs Bunny ain’t been paid for the Cock Up The Rock video yet – or if he was, he merely got a quarter of a carrot, while Axl took the salad.
A LouderSound article also details Steven Adler’s departure from Guns N’ Roses.
Adler was sacked by Guns N’ Roses on July 11, 1990 ostensibly for being unable, through drink and drugs, to fulfil his duties. Yet for many years, a rumour has circulated that it was an incident in which Axl Rose’s wife, Erin Everly, OD-ed at Adler’s house that soured his relationship with Axl. In a 1992 interview, Rose claimed that Everly had been found ‘naked’, and was taken to the emergency room. “I had to spend a night with her in an intensive care unit because her heart had stopped, thanks to Steven,” he said. “She was hysterical and he shot her up with a speedball. She had never done jack shit as far as drugs go, and he shoots her up with a mixture of heroin and cocaine?”
In a 2006 interview with the Metal Sludge website, Adler denied giving Everly drugs, claiming that he was jamming in his house with Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy when McCoy’s wife turned up with an already intoxicated Everly: “I called the ambulance and saved her,” claimed Adler, “[and] this bitch [McCoy’s wife] tells Axl I gave her heroin. He calls me up and says he’s coming over with a shotgun to kill me…”
“I kept myself from doing anything to him,” Axl told Del James in ’92. “I kept the man from being killed by members of her family. I saved him from having to go to court, because her mother wanted him held responsible for his actions.”
