[dropcap]A[/dropcap]xl Rose has surely received some obscenely huge offers to reunite the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup for a new album or tour, but he’s obviously never accepted any of them — and according to current Guns guitarist Richard Fortus, he never will. Based on his reputation, one might think this would just be a case of Rose being obstinate or eccentric, but according to Fortus, it’s actually about integrity, and the fact that — in his eyes, anyway — Rose just doesn’t care about money.
“I’ve never met anybody that has so much genuine musical integrity,” insisted Fortus during a recent appearance on the podcast One on One With Mitch Lafon. “He won’t whore himself out, he won’t do anything for business or money; it’s just about the music.”
In fact, so intense is Rose’s devotion to the music, he can’t even tear himself away to tell reporters about it. “He won’t defend himself in the press, because he doesn’t think it matters; it’s just about the music — that’s all he cares about,” added Fortus. “I’ve worked with a lot of people in this business, and I’ve never seen, or met, anybody that was motivated purely by that — by the desire to make art. And you can say whatever you want about it, ’cause he’s not gonna defend himself, but he is that, and that’s for sure.”
The image of Rose as a noble artist runs counter to his image as the sort of rock diva who keeps audiences waiting — another topic Fortus addressed during the interview — but he pointed out that the proof lies in the simple fact that Rose has never gotten the old band back together. “The offers for money have been outrageous,” said Fortus. “But he would never do a reunion unless it was for something besides money.”
