30 Fascinating Facts About Duff McKagan Every Fan Must Know

Duff McKagan, best known as one of the classic members of the iconic group “Guns N’ Roses,” has been provided bass for some most remarkable albums in the history of rock and roll, in his four decades long career. His solo albums have also made their mark, distinguishing him the other instrumentalists in the industry. Here are some really interesting facts about the singer-songwriter that will make you love him more:

"Duff McKagan's Loaded" by javacolleen is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

1.  On April 14, 2012, McKagan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses.
2.  His second solo album “Tenderness” was released on May 31, 2019, and was named as one of the 50 best rock albums of the year, by Loudwire.
3.  He has established himself as a writer, and has written a weekly column for SeattleWeekly.com, since August 2008, and a sports column for ESPN.com, since January 2011.
4.  "It's So Easy (and other lies)” is the title of his book released in 2011, where he narrates his perspectives on stories encountered during his career.
5.  In 2011, he founded Meridian Rock, a wealth management firm for musician, along with British investor Andy Bottomley, with the aim to educate musicians about their finances.
6.  Michael Andrew McKagan was born on February 5, 1964, to Marie and Elmer “Mac” McKagan, in Seattle's largely working-class University District. Since toddlerhood, he has been called "Duff" to which he once referred it as "an Irish thing."
7.  After the divorce of his parents, his mother took on a job as medical stenographer, and supported the family, bringing up him and his brother Bruce McKagan.
8.  He was taught how to play bass by his brother Bruce, further developing his skills by playing along with the albums “1999,” by Prince and “Damaged,” by Black Flag.
9.  Despite being an honors student, he dropped out of Roosevelt High School in the tenth grade, and started working as a pastry chef for the Great American Food and Beverage Company while earning his GED.
10.  McKagan was later awarded an honorary diploma after speaking at the class of 2012's graduation ceremony.

"Duff McKagan's Loaded" by jeffjsea30 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

11.  At a very young age of 15, he formed the punk band “The Vains,” in which he played bass, in the year 1979, performing under the stage name Nico Teen.
12.  He joined the pop-punk band The Fastbacks as their drummer in the year 1980, and appeared on their debut single “It’s Your Birthday.”
13.  Simultaneously, he also played guitar in the punk band The Living, which opened shows for Hüsker Dü and D.O.A..
14.  Around 1982, he became the drummer for the hardcore punk band The Fartz, with whom he recorded several demos, five of which were included on their 1990 album “You, We See You Crawling.”
15.  In 1983, McKagan moved to Los Angeles, California, with one of his brothers and started working as an appetizer server at a Black Angus restaurant in Northridge.
16.  In response to an ad for a bass guitarist requirement in a local newspaper, he met with guitarist Slash and drummer Steven Adler, and formed the short-lived band Road Crew.
17.  But, even after several auditions, Slash was not able to find a singer, and disbanded the group, as he was also not satisfied with Adler’s lack of work.
18.  With that, McKagan replaced bassist Ole Beich in March 1985, in Guns N’ Roses, a band newly founded by singer Axl Rose, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin of Hollywood Rose, lead guitarist Tracii Guns and drummer Rob Gardner of L.A. Guns.
19.  Two months later, his Road Crew bandmates Slash and Steven Adler joined the band, when Guns and Gardner quit the band. Just after two days of rehearsal, the line-up played its debut gig at The Troubadour on June 6.
20.  The band released its debut album “Appetite for Destruction,” in the year 1987, which has sold over 28 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S.

"File:14-06-08 RiP Walking Papers Duff McKagan 2.JPG" by Antje Naumann (AllSystemsRed) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

21.  In 1993, McKagan released his debut solo album, “Believe in Me,” on which he sang lead vocals and played virtually every instrument.
22.  The same year, he also took on lead vocals on four songs of the band’s album “The Spaghetti Incident?” including live favorite “Attitude,” originally by the Misfits.
23.  During the Guns N’ Roses tour on April 4, 1993, he was hit in the head with a beer bottle filled with urine thrown by a fan. He was sent to the hospital minutes later.
24.  He formed the supergroup Neurotic Outsiders with Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, John Taylor of Duran Duran, and his Guns N' Roses bandmate Matt Sorum, in the year 1995, when Guns N’ Roses were inactive.
25.  McKagan was the last member of the "Appetite for Destruction" lineup to leave Guns N' Roses, resigning as bassist in August 1997, and moved back to Seattle.
26.  His second solo album, “Beautiful Disease,” was intended to be released in 1999, but became lost in the legal shuffle of the merger between Geffen Records and Interscope Records.
27.  On October 14, 2010, McKagan appeared on stage with Guns N' Roses for the first time since 1993 at The O2 Arena in London.
28.  He married Susan Holmes on August 28, 1999. They have two daughters together - Grace "Grave" Elizabeth, born in August 1997, and Mae Marie, born in July 2000.
29.  In 2012, McKagan, formed the band Walking Papers with former The Missionary Position members, and played on their self-titled debut album and toured with them in 2013.
30.  He played bass and co-wrote five songs on Ozzy Osbourne's album Ordinary Man, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, in the year 2020.
31.  Duff McKagan Net Worth: $70 Million