“I Fell in Love With It”: Drummer Steven Adler Recalls His Beginning of the End With Guns N’ Roses

Although gaining international fame and even a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses also went through numerous lineup changes over the years. Looking at their history, the band welcomed musicians like Paul Tobias, Josh Freese, and Chris Pitman to the stage. While bands often go through lineup changes to find that perfect second, Adler found himself on the outside due to his struggles with drugs. But according to the drummer, he got hooked on drugs when trying to keep up with the rockstar lifestyle. 

Thanks to Paramount+, fans of the 1980s received a three-part docuseries that took a deep look into the hair metal era. Called Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal, Adler discussed his time with Guns N’ Roses and explained, “Who the hell do you think I was doing them with? When I started doing h***in, I wanted to be a part of what [G N’ R lead guitarist] Slash and [rhythm guitarist] Izzy [Stradlin] were doing. I took two hits, I was never so sick in my whole life.” 

While getting extremely sick from the drugs, Adler decided to try it one more time. And in his own words, “The third time was the charm. I fell in love with it.”

[RELATED: The Story Behind Axl Rose’s Sex Recording Session With Ex-Drummer Steven Adler’s Girlfriend for Guns N’ Roses’ “Rocket Queen”]

Steven Adler Was Hurt When Let Go From Guns N’ Roses

Adler’s addiction eventually took center stage, causing the band to fire the drummer. Adler opened up about the struggles that followed. “I’ve always loved the whole team thing. That’s why putting a band together was so important to me, where we work together and create something. And then when my team threw me out, I didn’t know what to do. I know I could either have gotten better, or continued doing what I was doing. I continued doing what I was doing.” He revealed, “I was that hurt.”

Loving his time with Guns N’ Roses, Adler put his regrets to the side and cherished his time with the rock band.  “I just loved being part of a team. and Guns N’ Roses, the five of us, were a great f***ing team.”

(Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)