W. Axl Rose (born
William Bruce Rose, Jr.; raised as
William Bruce Bailey; February 6, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the
hard rock band
Guns N' Roses, a position he has held since its inception in 1985. Due to his powerful and wide vocal range and energetic live performances, Rose has been named one of the greatest singers of all time by various media outlets, including
Rolling Stone and
NME.