“He was my favorite guitarist I played with, besides Slash, and was the one I felt most unified with”: Richard Fortus on how he’s held down the Guns N’ Roses gig – and his other favorite GNR guitarist

Richard Fortus and Slash.

Richard Fortus was part of Guns N’ Roses’ post-Slash era that saw the likes of Buckethead, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and DJ Ashba all come and go. But when the top-hatted maverick returned to the fold in 2016, Fortus remained part of the picture, and that’s seen his role in the band change over time.

“It’s been a pretty massive change,” Fortus tells Guitar World, reflecting on how different things are now compared to when he joined. Back in 2002, the band was at a crossroads, with Axl Rose and company labouring over Chinese Democracy between relentless touring.