Tommy Stinson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stinson joined Guns N' Roses in 1998, replacing Duff McKagan, who had left due to creative differences and family commitments. Recommended by friend Josh Freese, Stinson admitted that GNR were "never my thing" during their early 1990s rise, yet he auditioned primarily to play with Freese. During rehearsals when vocalist Axl Rose was away, guitarist Richard Fortus described Stinson as the band leader and "ultimate musical director." His bass playing features prominently on the track "Oh My God" from the End of Days soundtrack and on 13 of the 14 songs on Chinese Democracy. He co-wrote key tracks including "Chinese Democracy," "Street of Dreams," "There Was a Time," "Catcher in the Rye," and "Riad N' the Bedouins." In November 2006, during a show at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, tensions flared when Axl Rose insulted opening act Eagles of Death Metal. Stinson threw his bass on the floor, declaring "Fuck you, that's it," and threatened to leave, though he remained in the band while the opening act was fired.

In Their Own Story

The journey began long before Guns N' Roses, rooted in Minnesota where Stinson learned bass at age 11 with his half-brother Bob. After evolving from "Dogbreath" to The Replacements, he dropped out of tenth grade in April 1983 to tour the U.S., playing cities like Detroit and Cleveland. Following The Replacements' breakup on July 4, 1991—marked by a chaotic performance where roadies replaced band members—he formed Bash & Pop in 1992. By 1998, he joined GNR, contributing to the long-delayed Chinese Democracy album released in 2008. A defining moment occurred on December 4, 2006, when Stinson issued a statement clarifying that Eagles of Death Metal were his suggestion as an opening act, only for the relationship to sour over Rose's comments. He left GNR in 2014 upon McKagan's return, later reuniting Bash & Pop and releasing their 2017 album Anything Could Happen.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking Stinson's contributions, note that he played bass on the majority of Chinese Democracy and co-wrote five specific songs. His time in GNR ended specifically in 2014 due to Duff McKagan's return, not a creative fallout with Axl Rose alone. Prior to GNR, his band Perfect released a remixed version of their shelved album Seven Days a Week as Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe in 2004. In 2016, he reunited Bash & Pop after nearly two decades. His solo discography includes Village Gorilla Head (2004) and the self-released One Man Mutiny (2011). Additionally, he collaborated with Paul Westerberg on the soundtrack for Open Season, recording bass for "Love You in the Fall" and "Right to Arm Bears," proving his versatility beyond hard rock.

Did You Know?

• Stinson auditioned for Guns N' Roses mainly to have a chance to play with drummer Josh Freese, admitting the band was 'never my thing' in the early 1990s.
• In December 2006, Stinson threw his bass on stage and threatened to quit after Axl Rose insulted opening act Eagles of Death Metal, though he ultimately stayed while the opener was fired.
• He co-wrote five songs on Chinese Democracy: 'Chinese Democracy', 'Street of Dreams', 'There Was a Time', 'Catcher in the Rye', and 'Riad N' the Bedouins'.
• Stinson left Guns N' Roses in 2014 specifically because original bassist Duff McKagan returned to the band.
• Before joining GNR, he formed Perfect with Marc Solomon; their album Seven Days a Week was shelved by Regency Pictures but later re-released as Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe in 2004.