Richard Fortus puts his longevity in Guns N’ Roses down to his and Axl Rose’s desire to make the music the most important focus for the band.
Guitarist Fortus has been with GNR for 15 years and has seen the lineup change regularly. But he’s remained a fixture alongside the frontman since joining the group.
While many on the outside focus on the fanfare that surrounds GNR, Fortus insists his and Rose’s focus is always on the music.
Fortus tells Social Magazine: “We get along really well. I guess we come from a very similar place as far as our influences and definitely relate on that level. Essentially, with Axl, all that really matters to him is the music. So if we relate on that point, then everything else sort of falls into place.”
Fortus also reveals that his other band, The Dead Daisies will begin recording a new album early next year. Their last album, Revolucion, was issued earlier this year. He adds: “We will be recording a new album, probably in February. You just have to keep putting out material and keep going, keep touring. You want every record to grow.”
The guitarist also recalls his spell with Thin Lizzy in 2011. He says: “That was a big one for me because I grew up on that band. Some of the first albums I had were Thin Lizzy records. It helped shape my ideals of what the perfect rock guitar tone was. When you get to play the songs that were so important to you as a kid, that’s a big deal. It was a lot of fun.”
Fortus suffered a number of injuries in a motorcycle crash earlier this year.
